Truly honored to be recognized as a 2025 Social Media Influencer by Healio Disruptive Innovators in collaboration with Healio Community.

Social media has evolved into a powerful tool for medical education — a place to learn, teach, connect, and advocate. For me, it’s about o meaningful clinical impact, amplifying credible voices, and supporting the IBD and GI community worldwide.

I am grateful for the colleagues, mentors, trainees, and patients who engage, challenge, and inspire me every day. This recognition reaffirms that when used with purpose and integrity, digital platforms can drive real-world change in healthcare.

Looking forward to participating as an international invited speaker at the 52nd Chilean Congress of Gastroenterology, November 10 to 13, 2026, in beautiful Viña del Mar, Chile! 🇨🇱

Excited to share perspectives and engage with colleagues on two important topics shaping the ogy:

🔬 1. The Future of IBD Management: Precision Medicine, Biomarkers, and Personalized Treatment

El futuro del manejo de la EII: medicina de precisión, biomarcadores y tratamiento personalizado.

🚀 2. The Gastroenterologist of the Future: Skills Beyond Clinical Excellence

El gastroenterólogo del futuro: habilidades más allá de la excelencia clínica.

Both presentations explore how our specialty is evolving, from delivering more personalized care to developing the skills needed to lead the next generation of gastroenterology.

Grateful to the Sociedad Chilena de Gastroenterología for the kind invitation. Looking forward to learning, exchanging ideas, and reconnecting with colleagues from across the Americas!

#Gastroenterology #IBD #PrecisionMedicine #HealthcareLeadership #GastroenterologyOfTheFuture #Chile2026

A prescription moved from “not covered” to “criteria not met” to “approved” in just a few days.
Behind each changing decision is a person waiting, a care team trying to help, and time filled with uncertainty and frustration. Even when approval comes, the process can leave her their care plan will be respected.
Patients deserve timely decisions, clear explanations, and a review process that recognizes the clinician’s knowledge of the person in their care.
Navitus, you can do better.

#RespectMyPrescription

One of the most valuable lessons from my MBA Economics class this semester has been learning to look at healthcare leadership decisions through an economic lens.

As physicians and healthcare leaders, we often focus on patient volumes, staffing shortages, and financial performance. But understanding labor market trends, unemployment, workforce participation, and productivity gives us a broader perspective.

It has made me think differently about a simple question: Do we always need more resources, or can we create greater value by using our existing resources more effectively?

I wanted to connect some of these classroom lessons with the real challenges we face in healthcare.

Sharing my latest article on how labor data can help healthcare leaders make smarter workforce decisions, improve efficiency, and ultimately improve patient care.

Learning economics is one thing. Applying it to healthcare leadership is where it becomes meaningful.

#HealthcareLeadership #MBAJourney #HealthcareEconomics #HealthcareProductivity

linkedin.com/posts/healthca…

Newly Diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis? Start Here.

A new diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can bring uncertainty, questions, and concerns about the future.

Understanding your condition is an important first step toward taking control of your health.

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation @CrohnsColitisFn offers valuable educational resources to help patients and families better understand IBD, explore treatment options, prepare for medical appointments, and navigate life after diagnosis.

Knowledge empowers patients, and no one should have to navigate IBD alone.

📚 Explore the resources:

crohnscolitisfoundation.org/patientsandcar…

Understanding IBD is the first step toward living better with it.

For someone newly diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, the journey can feel overwhelming. Understanding what IBD is, why it happens, and how we monitor and treat it can make a meaningful difference.

Patient education has always been close to my heart. I believe that when patients understand their disease, they are better equipped to participate in decisions about their care.

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation @CrohnsColitisFn continues to do wonderful work making reliable, understandable information accessible to patients and families.

I was glad to contribute to this educational video explaining the basics of IBD, and I hope it helps someone who is just beginning their journey.

🎥 Watch here: youtu.be/YfvIms-GsFs

🎓 IBD Goes to College: Same Dreams. Extra Challenges.

College is an exciting chapter of independence and new opportunities. But for students living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, it comes with unique challenges that often go unnoticed.

From shared bathrooms and medication management to mental health, social life, and navigating healthcare independently, there is much more to IBD care than achieving remission.

📚 In our latest IBD Library™ article, Dr. @Naueen Chaudhry explores these challenges and what we can do to help students not just manage IBD, but truly thrive in college.

💡 Because IBD shouldn't stand in the way of a student's dreams.

@CrohnsColitisFn @CCYANetwork @IBDProNews @CrohnsColitisUK @getgutsycanada @HealioGastro @WorldGastroOrg @gastroendonews @gastrogirl

linkedin.com/posts/ibd-libr…

🔥 HOT FROM ACG 2026 | NASHVILLE
Five IBD Studies Worth a Closer Look!

Another exciting ACG meeting, another opportunity to reflect on where IBD care is heading.

From innovative drug delivery strategies to better symptom control, complex patient populations, and reproductive tinues to evolve.

For this special edition of IBD Library™, we invited Dr. @AsadurRahman87 , Medical Director of the IBD Center and Associate Program Director of the GI Fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Florida, to review five interesting studies presented at ACG 2026.

🔬 What's inside?

💉 Subcutaneous vs IV infliximab: Could route of administration influence outcomes in ileal Crohn's disease?

💊 Risankizumab AFFIRM trial: Another step toward an entirely subcutaneous treatment strategy.

🌙 Obefazimod in UC: Because bowel urgency and uninterrupted sleep matter to our patients.

🩺 JAK inhibitors in PSC associated IBD: Exploring options for a particularly challenging population.

👶 Fertility and IBD: Encouraging insights from the WIsDoM cohort on assisted reproductive technology.

Innovation in IBD is no longer just about introducing another effective molecule. It is also about how we deliver treatment, what outcomes we prioritize, and how we address the needs of patients often underrepresented in clinical trials.

Of course, conference abstracts generate important questions, but not necessarily immediate changes in practice.

A special thank you to Dr. Asad ur Rahman for contributing his expertise to this edition of IBD Library™.

📖 Enjoy the review, and let us know:

Which of these five studies caught your attention the most?

#IBDLibrary #ACG2026 #CrohnsDisease #UlcerativeColitis #IBD #Gastroenterology #ClinicalResearch #MedicalEducation

🚨 Exciting news in Crohn’s disease care!

FDA approves subcutaneous SKYRIZI induction, offering patients greater flexibility and convenience.

A welcome step toward making effective IBD treatment fit patients’ lives!

#IBD #CrohnsDisease #IBDLibrary

linkedin.com/posts/ibd-croh…

A welcome step forward in Crohn’s disease care!

I am excited about the FDA approval of subcutaneous induction with risankizumab (SKYRIZI) for Crohn’s disease.

Having cared for patients with IBD for many years, I have seen how the burden of treatment extends well beyond the disease itself. Traveling to infusion centers, taking time away from work, arranging transportation, and balancing treatment with everyday life can be challenging.

The ability to initiate treatment at home offers patients something valuable: greater flexibility, convenience, and potentially more control over their treatment journey.

The encouraging clinical and endoscopic outcomes from the AFFIRM trial make this development even more meaningful.

Of course, convenience must be accompanied by efficacy, safety, affordability, and access.

I see this as another positive step toward making effective IBD care fit better into patients’ lives, rather than asking patients to continually rearrange their lives around treatment.

Innovation in IBD should not only improve outcomes. It should also improve the patient experience.

#IBD #CrohnsDisease #SKYRIZI #PatientCenteredCare #IBDLibrary

linkedin.com/posts/ibd-libr…

Good morning, America! 🇺🇸☀️
A breathtaking sunrise, a beautiful skyline, and the promise of a new day.
Every sunrise brings new hope, new opportunities, and a reason to be grateful.
📸 Beautifully captured by Ms. Pertister.

STRIDE III - Strikes

One of the things I enjoy about studying economics is discovering how closely these concepts relate to decisions we make every day in healthcare.

Take, for example, expanding an endoscopy unit. As physicians, our first instinct is often to improve access, reduce wait times, and l important goals.

But the leadership question goes a little further: Does the additional benefit justify the additional cost?

This is where marginal analysis becomes valuable.

I am increasingly realizing that being a good physician and a good healthcare leader require different but complementary ways of thinking.

Clinical excellence tells us what our patients need. Economic thinking helps us determine how to deliver it sustainably.

And sometimes, the smartest decision is not simply to do more, but to make better use of what we already have.

What Can Gastroenterologists Learn From Economics?

More than we might think!

As I revisit Mankiw’s 10 Principles of Economics during my MBA studies, I am struck by how closely these concepts relate to our everyday decisions in gastroenterology.

From managing endoscopy capacity ity to understanding opportunity costs, incentives, workforce challenges, and reimbursement, economics influences nearly every aspect of clinical practice.

Good clinical decisions require medical knowledge. Good healthcare leadership requires economic understanding as well.

I put together this simple infographic to connect these 10 economic principles to real examples from gastroenterology.

Which principle resonates most with your practice?

#HealthcareLeadershipBlueprint #Gastroenterology #HealthEconomics #PhysicianLeadership #HealthcareManagement

ACG 2026 IBD Updates | Abstract P1076

IV vs. SC Therapy in IBD: Is Convenience Becoming a Clinical Advantage?

🔬 In a US survey of 92 healthcare professionals (39 gastroenterologists and 53 APPs), 49% perceived fewer induction delays with SC therapy compared with IV, increasing to 61% during maintenance. Approximately 62% perceived SC induction as less burdensome for patients.

💊 Clinical implications: SC administration may reduce infusion scheduling challenges, travel burden, and treatment disruption. Route of administration is becoming an important consideration in shared decision making, particularly as SC induction options expand.

⚠️ Limitations: Small, industry sponsored, cross sectional survey based on clinician perceptions rather than measured treatment delays or patient reported outcomes. No direct evidence of improved adherence, clinical efficacy, or disease control.

💡 My takeaway: The best treatment is not just the one that works, but one patients can access and sustain. However, convenience alone should not determine treatment selection. Efficacy, pharmacokinetics, disease severity, patient preference, and insurance access all matter.

Source: Kachroo et al. ACG 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting, Abstract P1076.

IBD Library™ | Research Updates

Healthcare Professionals' Perceptions of Intravenous and Subcutaneous Treatment Administration for Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Re... cdmcd.co/WyQnvE

ACG 2026 IBD Updates | Abstract P1060 🏆 Presidential Poster Award

Ileal Crohn’s Disease: Does Risankizumab Just Need More Time?

🔬 In this post hoc analysis of the SEQUENCE extension (224 patients), risankizumab demonstrated sustained clinical benefit through Week 148. Although endoscopic outcomes initially lagged in ileal and ileocolonic disease compared with colonic disease, rates improved over time and became numerically comparable across locations.

💊 Clinical implications: These findings suggest that continued IL 23 inhibition may provide additional endoscopic benefit in ileal Crohn’s disease, even after initial clinical improvement. Disease location alone may not predict long term treatment success.

⚠️ Limitations: Only 35 patients had isolated ileal disease at extension entry. The analysis was exploratory, without a concurrent comparator, and subject to selection bias and attrition. Numerical convergence does not establish equivalent efficacy across disease locations.

💡 My takeaway: Clinical remission may come early, while endoscopic healing takes longer, particularly in ileal disease. However, persistent inflammation should prompt objective reassessment rather than automatic continuation of ineffective therapy.

Source: Dulai et al. ACG 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting, Abstract P1060. SEQUENCE Open Label Extension.

IBD Library™ | Research Updates

Efficacy of Risankizumab by Crohn's Disease Location Through 148 Weeks of Treatment: Results from the SEQUENCE Open-Label Extension Study cdmcd.co/jP8wBX

ACG 2026 IBD Updates | Abstract P1058 🏆 Presidential Poster Award

Risankizumab in Fistulizing Crohn’s Disease: Encouraging 5 Year Data.

🔬 In this post hoc analysis of the FORTIFY extension, 74.5% (41/55) of evaluable patients receiving risankizumab had no draining fistulas at approximately 5 years, compared with 57.5% at extension entry.

💊 Clinical implications: These findings suggest sustained improvement in fistula drainage with prolonged IL 23 inhibition, supporting further investigation of risankizumab in fistulizing Crohn’s disease.

⚠️ Limitations: Small sample (73 patients at extension entry), no control group, and an as observed analysis vulnerable to selection and survivor bias. Importantly, absence of drainage on examination does not establish deep fistula healing on MRI. Fistula location and complexity were not adequately characterized in the abstract.

💡 My takeaway: Promising long term results, but fistula closure is not necessarily fistula healing. We need prospective studies incorporating MRI healing, durability, and surgical outcomes before drawing conclusions about comparative effectiveness.

Source: Dulai et al. ACG 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting, Abstract P1058.

IBD Library™ | Research Updates
Risankizumab for Fistulizing Crohn's Disease: Post Hoc Analysis of Up to 5 Years of Treatment From the FORTIFY Open-Label Extension cdmcd.co/ABZm5Q

ACG 2026 IBD Updates | Abstract P1057

Obefazimod in UC: A New Mechanism With a Promising Safety Profile?

🔬 An integrated analysis of two Phase 3 ABTECT induction trials (1,272 patients) evaluated obefazimod, an oral therapy that enhances microRNA 124 expression. Serious adverse events were comparable to placebo (2.2% to 3.1% vs. 3.2%), with no apparent signal for serious or opportunistic infections during 8 weeks.

💊 Clinical implications: A novel approach to immune modulation beyond traditional cytokine blockade. If sustained efficacy and safety are confirmed, obefazimod could expand oral treatment options for UC.

⚠️ Limitations: Only 8 weeks of exposure. The 50 mg group experienced more overall adverse events than placebo (60.2% vs. 50.8%). Rare infections, malignancies, and long term safety risks cannot be adequately assessed from these induction data.

💡 My takeaway: The absence of an early infection signal is reassuring, but 8 weeks without a safety signal is not evidence of long term safety. Maintenance and extended exposure data will be critical in defining its clinical role.

Source: Dulai et al. ACG 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting, Abstract P1057. Integrated safety analysis of ABTECT Phase 3 induction trials.

IBD Library™ | Research Updates

Favorable Safety Profile of Obefazimod With No Increased Risk of Infection: Integrated Analysis of Phase 3 Induction Trials in Ulcerativ... cdmcd.co/JQBaxm

ACHE of Oklahoma | November 13 | Tulsa | 8:30 AM–12:30 PM eventbrite.com/e/ache-of-okla…

ACG 2026 IBD Updates | Abstract P1053

Icotrokinra in UC: Can an Oral Peptide Deliver Mucosal Healing?

🔬 In the Phase 2b ANTHEM UC trial, once daily oral icotrokinra, a selective IL 23 receptor antagonist, demonstrated improvements in histologic and endoscopic outcomes versus placebo at Week 12, with further numerical improvements through Week 28.

💊 Clinical implications: Particularly exciting is the potential to achieve stringent objective endpoints, including complete endoscopic remission (Mayo 0), with an oral therapy targeting the IL 23 pathway. The 400 mg dose showed the largest numerical treatment differences at Week 12.

⚠️ Limitations: These were exploratory endpoints, and the abstract does not provide numerical response rates or statistical significance for individual comparisons. Week 28 interpretation is complicated by treatment adjustments at Week 16. Longer duration, Phase 3 efficacy and safety data are needed.

💡 My takeaway: The innovation here is not simply another IL 23 therapy, but delivering targeted receptor blockade through an oral peptide. The key question is whether this approach can consistently deliver deep, durable remission comparable to established advanced therapies.

Source: Chachu et al. ACG 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting, Abstract P1053.

IBD Library™ | Research Updates

Histologic and Endoscopic Efficacy of Icotrokinra, a First-in-Class Targeted Oral Peptide That Precisely Blocks the IL-23 Receptor, in U... cdmcd.co/qdyAKy

ACG 2026 IBD Updates | Abstract P1052

Vedolizumab vs. Infliximab: Which Should Be the First Biologic?

🔬 A meta analysis of 10 retrospective studies in biologic naive IBD patients found comparable clinical remission rates, but vedolizumab was associated with greater treatment persistence at 1 year (OR 2.82), less dose escalation (OR 0.51), and fewer reported adverse events (OR 0.59).

💊 Clinical implication: Vedolizumab may be an attractive initial option for selected patients, particularly when long term tolerability is a priority. However, disease severity, phenotype, and the need for rapid disease control remain important considerations.

⚠️ Limitations: All studies were retrospective, with potential selection bias and confounding by indication. Combining Crohn’s disease and UC may obscure important differences. Treatment persistence is not equivalent to objective disease control, and endoscopic healing was not evaluated.

💡 My takeaway: An interesting signal favoring vedolizumab for treatment durability, but not proof of superior efficacy. Choosing the first biologic should remain individualized rather than based on pooled persistence rates.

Source: Alabdallat et al. ACG 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting, Abstract P1052.

IBD Library™ | Research Updates

Choosing the First Biologic in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Comparative Evidence for Vedolizumab and Infliximab cdmcd.co/pMLapb