Celiac Disease Program

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Care

The prevalence of celiac disease in the U.S. has quadrupled over the past 50 years. The Celiac Disease Program at Mass General brings together an expert team of providers who work with patients with celiac disease to co-create health.

This multi-disciplinary care team is tailored to each patient’s unique condition. Our providers include:

• Gastroenterologists
• GI pathologists
• GI radiologists
• Food allergy specialists
• Nutritionists

We offer the full range of endoscopic diagnostic procedures critical for obtaining a tissue diagnosis and differentiating celiac disease from other disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), microscopic colitis (lymphocytic and collagenous), eosinophilic and autoimmune enteritis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Patient Education and Support

Patient education and support are important components of our mission. We are committed to helping patients understand their disease, assess their treatment options, participate in their treatment decisions and feel in control of their disease. Our physicians are experienced in fine-tuning medical therapies and helping patients obtain relief from persistent, difficult-to-manage symptoms.

Community Education

To help educate the community about how our diet, lifestyle and environment can affect GI health, our doctors participate in community events throughout the year.

Advancing an Understanding of Celiac Disease through Ongoing Research

The Celiac Disease Program at Mass General is a comprehensive program dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with celiac disease and all gluten-mediated disorders. The gastroenterology department at Massachusetts General Hospital is consistently ranked among the nation's top programs, with Magnet award-winning nurses providing patients with compassionate, timely care. Magnet designation represents the highest honor available for nursing excellence and is achieved by fewer than 7% of hospitals in the United States. Our multidisciplinary team of providers has been recognized both nationally and internationally for groundbreaking research and outstanding patient care.

We believe that each patient can significantly improve our knowledge of celiac disease and contribute toward understanding the factors that influence the development of this disease and factors that determine response to treatments. All of the physicians involved in the Celiac Disease Program actively participate in research programs aimed at understanding the underlying cause of celiac disease, with the goal of developing more effective treatment approaches.

Dr. Ramnik Xavier directs a research program that focuses on understanding the genetic basis of celiac disease based on genome-wide association studies. Dr. Xavier's research group actively collaborates with the lab of Dr. Cisca Wijmenga, a world leader in the genetics of celiac disease. In addition, Dr. Xavier works closely with Dr. Bana Jabri, a renowned immunologist who is working with Dr. Xavier to develop systems biology approaches to understanding the fundamental mechanisms underlying celiac disease.