Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition Fellowship

Clinical training during the 1^st year of fellowship is divided into the following:

• Inpatient service training: Our 1^st year fellows split the daytime service weeks for the year. They are paired with an inpatient GI service attending for the week. They provide a primary service for children with a variety of GI conditions including inflammatory bowel disease. (Our IBD patient population is among the largest in the country.) They also care for children with liver disease and are paired with a primary liver service attending.
• Endoscopy training: Our 1^st year fellows are exposed to a wide range of endoscopic and advanced procedures including upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, pH/impedance probe placement, wireless pH probe deployment, colonoscopic polypectomy, esophageal manometry, and anorectal manometry with rectal suction biopsy and botulinum toxin injection. Each 1^st year fellow completes >300 procedures which is one of the highest numbers across the country.
• Continuity clinic: Our fellows have weekly continuity clinic where patients are assigned directly to them. A purposeful balance between common GI problems and complex care are seen.
• Liver transplant clinic: The first year fellow regularly attends our multidisciplinary liver transplant clinic that regularly sees patients with end-stage liver disease during the transplant evaluation process as well as cares for those patients who are post-transplant
• Multi-disciplinary subspecialty clinics: Our fellows are strongly encouraged to rotate through our multi-disciplinary clinics that include Celiac disease clinic, Feeding Team clinic, Neurogastroenterology clinic, and Inflammatory bowel disease clinic.

Centers of Excellence

A number of centers of excellence exist within the Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition Division at Mass General for Children, including:

• Center for Celiac Research & Treatment is dedicated to improving the quality of life for patients with celiac disease, while learning the cause of the disease and finding a cure.
• Center for Diagnostic, Therapeutic and Interventional Endoscopy provides both diagnostic and interventional procedures in a state-of-the-art pediatric endoscopy unit.
• Center for Nutrition focuses on a multidisciplinary approach to treat children with nutritional issues, in particular feeding difficulties and overweight or obesity. The programs integrate state-of-the-art resources with compassionate and comprehensive care.
• Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease provides multidisciplinary clinical care for the most challenging pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Through population studies, the center is engaged in clinical, translational and basic science studies in the immunological and the genetic basis of the disease.
• Food Allergy Center provides unified multidisciplinary consultation among specialists in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Pulmonary, Psychology, as well as adult and pediatric allergists. This multispecialty collaboration facilitates outstanding clinical and basic science research opportunities.
• Liver Transplantation an integral part of the Mass General Transplant Program, it provides coordinated, multidisciplinary long-term care to pediatric patients before and after organ transplantation.
• Neurogastroenterology Program provides a multidisciplinary team approach aimed at restoring nutritional status and improving bowel function in children with a variety of congenital or acquired intestinal problems
• Pediatric Aerodigestive Center combines the expertise of multiple medical sub-specialties, including Pediatric Otolaryngology, Gastroenterology and Pulmonology in the coordinated assessment and management of children with disorders involving the airway and swallowing.
• Center for Pediatric Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease provides clinical care for infants and children with liver disease and supports a very active teaching and research effort.
• Lurie Center for Autism is a multidisciplinary program designed to evaluate and treat children, adolescents and adults with a wide variety of conditions including autism and autism spectrum disorders, Asperger syndrome and developmental delays. It is the clinical arm of the Lurie Center for Autism, which also has research, advocacy and training programs.
• Pediatric Weight Center provides advanced, comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for both children and adults. Also an NIH funded, clinical and basic research center.

Goals

The overall goals and objectives of the fellowship program in Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition are to fully train pediatricians to become expert, board certified consultants in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition in an academic setting and to have the capacity to become independent basic scientists or clinical investigators.

The clinical training entails developing competency in all procedures, including investigative and interventional endoscopy, pH and impedance probe use and interpretation, and the performance and interpretation of motility studies. At the completion of their training, fellows must have a comprehensive knowledge of the field and have the ability to present data in an oral and written manner and have a complete understanding of the scientific method.

First-year fellows are exposed to a wide variety of potential research experiences through personal interactions with the pediatric GI faculty as well as faculty throughout the Mass General and Harvard Medical School system during conferences and other opportunities.

First-year fellows meet with the program director to discuss their interests in clinical/basic science research and meet with investigators within the division as well as throughout the institution to help formulate plans for a research experience during their second and third years of fellowship. When a fellow decides on a research project and a research mentor, a scholastic oversight committee (SOC) is formed to oversee the research project and the progress achieved. The chairperson of the SOC is the pediatric GI faculty advisor for the fellow and is responsible for compiling a summary report of each SOC meeting, held twice yearly, that is submitted to the program director.

Additionally, fellows are strongly encouraged to supplement their experience with formal courses (basic science, statistics, study design and methodologies) at Mass General, Harvard and MIT. For those research fellows desiring an extended in-depth research experience, additional protected time (minimum of 50%) as a junior faculty member is encouraged through application for various career awards such as Clinical Investigator Award (CIA) or the Physician Scientist Award (PSA) at the National Institutes of Health. The goal of this comprehensive program is to train an independent Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition consultant capable of achieving independent grant-supported funding with either clinical or basic research interests for a faculty position at a medical school in the United States or elsewhere.

Although multiple research opportunities are available to fellows within the division of pediatric gastroenterology and the Mucosal Immunology Laboratory, each fellow is encouraged to explore other research opportunities within Harvard University and MIT.

Research Opportunities

• Goldstein Laboratory- My laboratory is interested in the development of the enteric nervous system (ENS), a complex neuronal network whose principal function is to maintain normal intestinal motility.
• Harvard Catalyst- Harvard Catalyst brings together the intellectual force, technologies, and clinical expertise of Harvard University and its affiliates and partners to reduce the burden of human illness.
• The Laboratory for Tissue Engineering and Organ Fabrication- The Laboratory for Tissue Engineering and Organ Fabrication is designing and building replacement living tissues and organs to ultimately translate to clinical therapies.
• Lurie Center for Autism Research- The mission of the Lurie Center for Autism is to advance knowledge of the causes of and treatments for autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disorders and rapidly translate these discoveries into exceptional clinical care over a lifetime.
• Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center- The major mission of the Mucosal Immunology and Developmental Gastroenterology Laboratories remains a multidisciplinary approach to characterize the role of the enterocyte in mucosal barrier function at the interface between microbial luminal stimuli and lymphoid effector responses.
• Pediatric Liver and Biliary Disease Center- The Pediatric Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Program at Mass General for Children diagnoses and treats infants, children and adolescents with diverse hepatic, biliary and pancreatic disorders.
• Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center – The Pediatric IBD center at MGfC studies the microbiome and genetic drivers of disease through a number of collaborations within Boston and beyond.
• Adolescent and Pediatric Weight Center- The pediatric weight program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center provides comprehensive evaluation and care for children and adolescents who are overweight or obese.
• Shreffler Laboratory- The Shreffler Laboratory is interested in the mechanisms regulating both primary sensitization and the subsequent balance between immune progression or regulation that determines either clinical sensitivity or tolerance to mucosal allergens.

Fellows have active teaching roles with residents and medical students during inpatient rounds. Fellows may also choose to participate in formal resident education by being a lecturer on a selected topic for the resident noon conference or in a less formal way by participating in discussions during the daily resident morning report.

First Year Fellows

Mojdeh Mostafavi
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Residency: UMass Chan Medical School – Baystate Medical Center

Lauren Sussman
Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine
Residency: Albany Medical College

Second Year Fellows

Mmeyeneabasi Omede
Medical School: V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University School of Medicine
Residency: SUNY Downstate Medical Center Brooklyn

Anisha Gundewar
Most Recent Medical School: University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
Most Recent Residency: Massachusetts General Hospital for Children

Third Year Fellows

James Reed, MD, MHS
Medical School: Yale School of Medicine
Residency: Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital
Current Research Interest: Liver Disease, Autoimmunity
Research Mentors: Raymond Chung, Alessio Fasano
SOC Chairperson: Katherine Olshan

Erin Mauney, MD
Medical School: Columbia University
Residency: Boston Combined Residency Program
Current Research Interests: Psychedelic-assisted therapy approaches to disorders of gut brain interaction, microbiome and obesity
Research Mentor: Brad Kuo, MD, Frankin King, MD, Alex Kostic, MD

Micaela Atkins, MD
Medical School: University of Massachusetts Medical School
Residency: Mass General for Children
Current Research Interests: Upper GI motility
Research Mentor: Claire Zar-Kessler, MD and Brad Kuo, MD
SOC Chairperson / Advisor: Lauren Fiechtner, MD

Tracey DaFonte, MD
Medical School: Robert Larner, M.D., College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
Residency: University of Massachusetts Medical School
Current Research Interests: Initiating Triggers of Celiac disease
Research Advisor: Maureen Leonard, MD, MMSc and Alessio Fasano, MD
SOC Chairperson / Advisor: Jess Kaplan, MD

Corey Baker, MD
Current Position: Director of Neurogastroenterology, Connecticut Children’s Hospital
Research while at MGfC: To Develop a model to study murine gastroparesis and to develop a mouse model of targeted ablation of the pyloric enteric nervous system
Publications:
Bhave S, Arciero E, Baker C, Ho WL, Guyer RA, Hotta R, Goldstein AM.  Pan-enteric neuropathy and dysmotility are present in a mouse model of short-segment Hirschsprung disease and may contribute to post-pullthrough morbidity. J Pediatr Surg. 2020 Apr 17.
Jayawardena ADL, Miller LE, Hirner L, Sorbo J, Zar-Kessler C, Baker C, Hartnick CJ. Modified external approach to the pediatric cricopharyngeal myotomy: A case series. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2020 Jan 24;132:109899.

Katherine Baldwin, MD
Current Position: Connecticut Children’s Hospital
Research while at MGfC:To determine the roles of PAK-1 phosphorylation in experimental colitis and to determine the role of MIP-1α and MIP-1β in experimental colitis
Publications:
Baldwin KR, Kaplan JL. Medical management of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2017 Dec;26(6):360-366.
Lyons J, Brubaker DK, Ghazi PC, Baldwin KR, Edwards A, Boukhali M, Strasser SD, Suarez-Lopez L, Lin YJ, Yajnik V, Kissil JL, Haas W, Lauffenburger DA, Haigis KM. Integrated in vivo multiomics analysis identifies p21-activated kinase signaling as a driver of colitis. Sci Signal. 2018 Feb 27;11(519).
Lyons J, Ghazi PC, Starchenko A, Tovaglieri A, Baldwin KR, Poulin EJ, Gierut JJ, Genetti C, Yajnik V, Breault DT, Lauffenburger DA, Haigis KM. The colonic epithelium plays an active role in promoting colitis by shaping the tissue cytokine profile. PLoS Biol. 2018 Mar 29;16(3):e2002417.

Kayla Hartjes, MD
Medical School: University of Massachusetts Medical School
Residency: University of Massachusetts Medical School
Current Research Interests: Histology and gene expression in pediatric NAFLD
Research Mentors: Tracey Simon, MD and Raymond Chung, MD
SOC Chairperson / Advisor: Qian Yuan, MD

Awab Ali Ibrahim, MD
Medical School: Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
Residency: University of South Alabama
Current Research Interests: Impact of healthy dietary interventions on the gut microbiome and how it relates to weight and cognitive function.
Research Mentor: Alessio Fasano, MD
SOC Chairperson / Advisor: Gary Russell, MD

Logan Jerger, MD
Current Position: Connecticut Children’s Hospital
Research while at MGfC: Re-programming bacteria to interrogate and potentially treat gastrointestinal disease
Publications:
Mimee M, Nadeau P, Hayward A, Carim S, Flanagan S, Jerger L, Collins J, McDonnell S, Swartwout R, Citorik RJ, Bulović V, Langer R, Traverso G, Chandrakasan AP, Lu TK. An ingestible bacterial-electronic system to monitor gastrointestinal health. Science. 2018 May 25;360(6391):915-918.

Batul Kaj, MD
Additional Training After MGfC Fellowship: Transplant Hepatology Fellowship, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Current Position: Lurie Children’s Hospital
Research while at MGfC: Determining the role of microRNA in modulating liver disease
Publications:
Duan X, Liu X, Li W, Holmes JA, Kruger AJ, Yang C, Li Y, Xu M, Ye H, Li S, Liao X, Sheng Q, Chen D, Shao T, Cheng Z, Kaj B, Schaefer EA, Li S, Chen L, Lin W, Chung RT. Microrna-130a Downregulates HCV Replication through an atg5-Dependent Autophagy Pathway. Cells. 2019 Apr 10;8(4).
Di Lorenzo C, Kaj B, Krishnan K, Moran CJ, Goldstein AM, Gee MS, Masia R. Case 29-2019: A 14-Month-Old Boy with Vomiting. N Engl J Med. 2019 Sep 19;381(12):1159-1167.

Shifra Koyfman, MD
Current Position: Associate Fellowship Program Director, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
Research while at MGfC: To define the role of a high fat diet in neurogenesis in a murine model
Publications:
Koyfman S, Swartz K, Goldstein AM, Staller K. Laparoscopic-Assisted Percutaneous Endoscopic Cecostomy (LAPEC) in Children and Young Adults. J Gastrointest Surg. 2017 Apr;21(4):676-683.

Mark Kusek, MD
Additional Training After MGfC Fellowship: Motility Fellowship, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Current Position: Children’s Hospital and Medical Center - Omaha
Research while at MGfC: Using optical coherence tomography to study neutrophil migration through mucosal surfaces
Publications:
Chu KK, Kusek ME, Liu L, Som A, Yonker LM, Leung H, Cui D, Ryu J, Eaton AD, Tearney GJ, Hurley BP. Illuminating dynamic neutrophil trans-epithelial migration with micro-optical coherence tomography. Sci Rep. 2017 Apr 3;8:45789.
Kusek ME, Pazos MA, Pirzai W, Hurley BP. In vitro coculture assay to assess pathogen induced neutrophil trans-epithelial migration. J Vis Exp. 2014 Jan 6;(83):e50823.

Maureen Leonard, MD
Current Position: Clinical Director of Celiac Disease Program, MassGeneral Hospital for Children
Research while at MGfC: To determine pathophysiologic drivers of celiac disease in an at-risk birth cohort
Publications:
Leonard MM, Serena G, Sturgeon C, Fasano A. Genetics and celiac disease: the importance of screening. Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2015 Feb;9(2):209-15.
Leonard MM, Camhi S, Huedo-Medina TB, Fasano A. Celiac Disease Genomic, Environmental, Microbiome, and Metabolomic (CDGEMM) Study Design: Approach to the Future of Personalized Prevention of Celiac Disease. Nutrients. 2015 Nov 11;7(11):9325-36.
Leonard MM, Weir DC, DeGroote M, Mitchell PD, Singh P, Silvester JA, Leichtner AM, Fasano A. Value of IgA tTG in Predicting Mucosal Recovery in Children With Celiac Disease on a Gluten-Free Diet. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2017 Feb;64(2):286-291.
Leonard MM, Cureton P, Fasano A. Indications and Use of the Gluten Contamination Elimination Diet for Patients with Non-Responsive Celiac Disease. Nutrients. 2017 Oct 18;9(10).

Alejandro Llanos-Chea, MD
Current Position: Jackson Health System
Research while at MGfC: To engineer a pathogen-specific bacteriophage to treat enteric infection using a human organoid model
Publications:
Szabady RL, Louissaint C, Lubben A, Xie B, Reeksting S, Tuohy C, Demma Z, Foley SE, Faherty CS, Llanos-Chea A, Olive AJ, Mrsny RJ, McCormick BA. Intestinal P-glycoprotein exports endocannabinoids to prevent inflammation and maintain homeostasis. J Clin Invest. 2018 Aug 31;128(9):4044-4056.
Llanos-Chea A, Fasano A. Gluten and Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders in Children. Nutrients. 2018 Oct 12;10(10).
Llanos-Chea A, Citorik RJ, Nickerson KP, Ingano L, Serena G, Senger S, Lu TK, Fasano A, Faherty CS. Bacteriophage Therapy Testing Against Shigella flexneri in a Novel Human Intestinal Organoid-Derived Infection Model. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2019 Apr;68(4):509-516.
Chanin RB, Nickerson KP, Llanos-Chea A, Sistrunk JR, Rasko DA, Kumar DKV, de la Parra J, Auclair JR, Ding J, Li K, Dogiparthi SK, Kusber BJD, Faherty CS. Shigella flexneri Adherence Factor Expression in In Vivo-Like Conditions. mSphere. 2019 Nov 13;4(6). pii: e00751-19.

Victoria Martin-Mackenzie, MD
Current Position: Co-Director, Pediatric Food Allergy Center, MassGeneral Hospital for Children
Research while at MGfC: To study the incidence and pathophysiology of infantile allergic colitis in a birth cohort
Publications:
Martin VM, Virkud YV, Seay H, Hickey A, Ndahayo R, Rosow R, Southwick C, Elkort M, Gupta B, Kramer E, Pronchick T, Reuter S, Keet C, Su KW, Shreffler WG, Yuan Q. Prospective Assessment of Pediatrician-Diagnosed Food Protein-Induced Allergic Proctocolitis by Gross or Occult Blood. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020 May;8(5):1692-1699
Su KW, Patil SU, Stockbridge JL, Martin VM, Virkud YV, Huang JL, Shreffler WG, Yuan Q. Food aversion and poor weight gain in food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome: A retrospective study. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020 May;145(5):1430-1437
Martin VJ, Shreffler WG, Yuan Q. Presumed Allergic Proctocolitis Resolves with Probiotic Monotherapy: A Report of 4 Cases. Am J Case Rep. 2016 Aug 29;17:621-4.
Martin VJ, Leonard MM, Fiechtner L, Fasano A. Transitioning From Descriptive to Mechanistic Understanding of the Microbiome: The Need for a Prospective Longitudinal Approach to Predicting Disease. J Pediatr. 2016 Dec;179:240-248.

Katherine Olshan, MD
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
Residency: University of Massachusetts Medical School
Current Research Interests: Role of breast milk composition on the development of celiac disease in at risk infants.
Research Mentor: Maureen Leonard, MD, MMSc, and Alessio Fasano, MD
SOC Chairperson / Advisor: Navneet Virk Hundal, MD

Desiree Sierra-Velez, MD
Medical School: University of Puerto Rico Medical School
Residency: Nicklaus Children's Hospital
Current Research Interests: Evidence-based interventions for management of pediatric obesity.
Research Advisor: Lauren Fiechtner, MD, MPH and Elsie Taveras, MD, MPH
SOC Chairperson / Advisor: Harland Winter, MD

Rajitha Venkatesh, MD
Current Position: Duke University School of Medicine
Research while at MGfC: Studying the risk factors involved in the development of celiac disease and assessing the value of e-consults in gastroenterology care
Publications:
Venkatesh RD, Campbell EJ, Thiim M, Rao SK, Ferris TG, Wasfy JH, Richter JM. e-Consults in gastroenterology: An opportunity for innovative care. J Telemed Telecare. 2019 Sep;25(8):499-505.

Navneet Virk Hundal, MD
Current Position: Co-Director, Pediatric Food Allergy Center, MassGeneral Hospital for Children
Research while at MGfC: Studying the role of T cell receptor rearrangement in eosinophilic esophagitis
Publications:
Katz A, Virk Hundal N, Yuan Q, Shreffler W. Cow's milk allergy: a new approach needed? J Pediatr. 2013 Sep;163(3):620-2.

Claire Zar-Kessler, MD
Current Position: Director of Neurogastroenterology, MassGeneral Hospital for Children
Research while at MGfC: Determining the role of anorectal manometry in pediatric defecatory disorders
Publications:
Zar-Kessler C, Karaa A, Sims KB, Clarke V, Kuo B. Understanding the gastrointestinal manifestations of Fabry disease: promoting prompt diagnosis. Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2016 Jul;9(4):626-34.
Zar-Kessler CAM, Belkind-Gerson J, Bender S, Kuo BM. Treatment of Functional Abdominal Pain With Antidepressants: Benefits, Adverse Effects, and the Gastroenterologist's Role. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2017 Jul;65(1):16-21.
Zar-Kessler C, Kuo B, Belkind-Gerson J. Botulinum toxin injection for childhood constipation is safe and can be effective regardless of anal sphincter dynamics. J Pediatr Surg. 2018 Apr;53(4):693-697.
Zar-Kessler C, Kuo B, Cole E, Benedix A, Belkind-Gerson J. Benefit of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy in Pediatric Patients with Dyssynergic Defecation Constipation. Dig Dis. 2019;37(6):478-485.

Dr. Christopher Moran is the Program Director of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship. He has been a life-long resident of Massachusetts, completing his undergraduate work at Boston College and his medical school training at Tufts University. After completing residency at Mass General for Children, he began his Pediatric GI fellowship at MGfC and focused his research on studying inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). His current research is focused on the genetics of very early onset IBD (VEO-IBD) and histologic and radiologic biomarkers for IBD severity. He and his wife spend their free time with their two young children, teaching them about the folklore of the Boston Red Sox.

Dr. Victoria Martin completed her pediatric residency at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and her pediatric gastroenterology fellowship training at Mass General for Children. Her research during fellowship focused on studying the epidemiology and pathophysiology of allergic proctocolitis and she has led the GMAP study which follows children from birth to determine microbial and metabolomic causes of allergic proctocolitis. In addition to her role as associate fellowship program director, she is also the co-director of the GI Section of the Pediatric Food Allergy Center at Mass General for Children.

Our fellowship program accepts applicants with U.S. citizenship or ECFMG certified J1 visas without bias towards visa status. There must be a minimum of three years remaining on the applicant’s visa in order to complete fellowship training. Our institutional Graduate Medical Education and ACGME accreditation requirements specify that all applicants must be board eligible/certified in pediatrics as determined by the American Board of Pediatrics.

The Harvard Medical School Program in Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition at Mass General for Children was accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) as an independent program in July 2006. The program provides three years of progressive educational experience, which includes the development of procedural skills, responsibility for patient care, and participation in research that meets the program requirements of the ACGME and board eligibility in pediatric gastroenterology by the ABP for trainees completing the program.