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Spotlight on Research
IBD Updates: New Medications and COVID-19 Vaccine Updates with Russell D. Cohen, MD, and David T. Rubin, MD
“For many years, we had just a few treatments, which we had to give to everyone… with the help of research, [we are hoping to] identify the predominant inflammatory pathway for each patient, and then choose the best agent, customized for that patient…”
Everyday Health 8/6/20
Want to Try Yoga to Relieve IBD Symptoms? MD-Backed Online...
The North Shore Weekend 6/27/21
Sexual Function and Crohn’s & Ulcerative Colitis with Sushila Dalal, MD
Some survey-based studies show rates of sexual dysfunction as...
Jackie Lopez, GI Nurse and J-Pouch Patient “This is literally my dream job.”
In January 2013, Jackie Lopez knew that something was wrong....
Treating Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) and Difficulty Swallowing with Robert Kavitt, MD, MPH
Difficulty swallowing is a particularly troubling digestive...
“He has helped me to live a fuller life and I am so grateful.” Katherine France, patient of Robert Kavitt, MD, MPH
By 2014, Katherine (Kathy) France had been having trouble...
Triple Organ Transplant with a Hepatitis C Positive Liver
Triple Organ Transplant with a Hepatitis C Positive Liver On...
Curing Hepatitis C: The Pathway to Disease Elimination
Curing Hepatitis C: The Pathway to Disease Elimination With...
A. Murat Eren, PhD: “Gaining a Deeper Understanding of the Microbiome”
The human microbiome is a complex ecosystem made up of...
Dr. Benjamin Shogan’s Research to Improve Surgical Outcomes
Benjamin Shogan, MD, is a surgeon specializing in colon and...
GIRF Funding and Thank You
Thank you to our Donors!! Thanks to your generous support, the...
Other Recent News
Season’s Eatings: How digestive diseases patients can cope with the challenges of the holidays, with Courtney Schuchmann, Registered Dietitian at the University of Chicago Medicine
From Halloween through the New Year, it can feel like every gathering – from family dinners to holiday parties and cookie exchanges – centers around food. What should be a happy holiday season often becomes a challenging ‘food season’ for those living with inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Celiac disease, liver disease, pancreatic disease, or those struggling with metabolic and weight-related concerns. Fortunately, Courtney Schuchmann, registered dietitian at the University of Chicago Medicine Digestive Diseases Center, has some helpful guidance.
Visceral: Podcast Episode – The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Your Health (episode 1)
In this episode, we interview Dr. Eugene Chang, a national and renowned physician-scientist from the University of Chicago. In his lab, he and his team study the interactive relationship between intestinal microbes and the gut they live in, a relationship that is fundamental to our health. When the right balance is disturbed, the consequences can be catastrophic.
Celebrities and Pro-Athletes Swing into A Winning All-Star Challenge!
On Monday, August 29th the GI Research Foundation hosted the Larry A. Pogofsky All-Star Challenge—On the Greens at Bryn Mawr Country Club in Lincolnwood. Pro-athletes – including Chicago greats Ozzie Guillen, Chris Chelios, Willie Gault and more – joined foursomes to honor Larry’s love of sports and continue his legacy of funding research to better treat, prevent and cure digestive diseases.
Welcome Back with the Associates Board Annual Cocktail Party: ReUnited for GI Health
“Just looking at this room tonight, it feels awesome to say we are here, together, and doing what the Associates Board does—raising money, and giving it to support research at the University of Chicago Digestive Diseases Center,” said Jordan Hirsch, AB President.
Should digestive diseases patients seek out anti-inflammatory foods?
Inflammation is a key concern for people living with many different digestive diseases and other health concerns. Walnuts, turmeric, flaxseeds, green tea, broccoli sprouts, fatty fish, olive oil, among many, many, others, are all touted by different research studies (of varying rigor) as having anti-inflammatory properties.
Research Spotlight: How Do We Assess Cancer Risk, and Prevent Cancer, and Improve Mortality? Featuring Sonia Kupfer, MD
Explains Kupfer, “Number one, we want to understand better how some of these chemopreventive agents are working. For example, there is good clinical-trials data that aspirin prevents colon cancer, specifically in Lynch syndrome. Now, we can look at how it works, and target those pathways. Secondly, we can determine who may respond best to which therapy, or who may have more response, and use that information to build more robust treatments. That’s the big vision here. But it’s early days right now.”
Meet Jackie Casey: New GI Research Foundation Executive Director Shares Her Story
As a teenager, my brother began to suffer from what doctors then thought was ulcers as well. Blamed on diet and stress, his suffering went misdiagnosed and untreated for more than a decade. Finally, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. His disease was resistant to the new and evolving biologic treatments. His life and work suffered constant disruption. Eventually after hospitalizations, he would have surgery to remove part of his large intestine. After a six week stay in the hospital fighting sepsis and other complications, he would return home to begin another course of treatment for maintenance. This too would eventually fail. Another surgery resulted in an ostomy that has mostly eliminated his symptoms and given him his life back.
New Equipment Funded by the GI Research Foundation at the 61st Annual Ball
GeoMX Digital Spatial Profiler “Like being inside a tissue sample at a molecular level” Maps the...
Research Spotlight: Cambrian Liu, PhD, On Reprogramming Stem Cells to Treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Explained Dr. Liu, “Consider that a disease flare is like a forest fire, and the drugs we have in our arsenal are firefighters. What no drug does currently is focus on the restoration of the intestine after a flare.”