2nd World Congress of Pediatric Neurogastroenterology and Motility (PNM)

Catherine Krawczeski, MD, is physician-in-chief and chief of the Department of Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Krawczeski also serves as Chair of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Dr. Krawczeski served as division chief of cardiology and co-director of The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s from 2018 to spring 2022, and she also holds the Ann I. Wolfe Endowed Chair in Pediatric Leadership. At The Ohio State University College of Medicine, she is professor with tenure of pediatrics with co-appointments in Cardiology and Critical Care.

She has been the principal investigator or co-investigator for seven National Institutes of Health grants; author of more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and abstracts; and presenter at dozens of national and international conferences.

Among her many awards and honors, Dr. Krawczeski was most recently chosen as a 2020 fellow in the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine at Drexel University, designed for senior women health care faculty who are most likely to become executive leaders. She received her medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.

Desale Yacob, MD, was born in Eritrea and immigrated to the United States at the age of sixteen. He attended the University of Virginia for both college and medical school. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia, and his fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He is currently an associate professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, the medical director of the Center for Neurogastroenterology and Motility Disorders, and director of the Motility fellowship at Nationwide Children’s. He has co-authored multiple book chapters and over forty peer-reviewed journal articles. He enjoys spending time with his family, painting, running and socializing with friends.

Carlo Di Lorenzo, MD, is currently professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University and chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He holds the Robert F. and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation Endowed Chair in Pediatric Gastroenterology. He has published over 350 peer-reviewed and invited manuscripts and co-authored the only four books on pediatric gastrointestinal motility. He has served as President of NASPGHAN and has held leadership positions within ANMS (council member and secretary), AGA (chair of the GDCH section), Brain-Gut Club, AAP and American Board of Pediatrics. He has chaired both the Rome III and Rome IV Child-Adolescent committees and currently co-chairs one of the Rome V committees. He has received the Master Award in Gastroenterology from the AGA, the IFFGD Clinical Research in Pediatrics Award, the Rome Foundation/Torsoli Foundation Award, and the NASPGHAN Shwachman Award.

Lin Chang, MD, is a professor of Medicine and vice chief of the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She serves as the co-director of the G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience and director of the Clinical Studies and Database Core for the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center at UCLA. She is program director of the UCLA Gastroenterology Fellowship Program. Dr. Chang’s clinical expertise is in disorders of gut-brain interaction. Her research focuses on brain-gut interactions underlying irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), specifically, the pathophysiology of IBS related to early adverse life events, stress, sex differences, epigenetic factors, and gut microbiome and the treatment of IBS. She is a member of the Rome Foundation Board of Directors and previously served as president of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (ANMS) and the Clinical Research Councilor of the AGA Governing Board.

Karla Vaz, MD, MEd, graduated from the University of Florida College of Medicine and completed her residency and fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She is now an assistant professor at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and specializes in motility disorders, especially those of the colon. She is the associate program director for the GI fellowship and serves as the GI director of the Aerodigestive Program.

Ajay Kaul, MD, is the director of the Neuro-gastroenterology and Motility (NGM) Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) and developed the program from scratch. The NGM Center is now one of the leading centers in the nation. We have now hired four more faculty trained in the field to join the center. We have nine nurses and a program coordinator that help run the center. We collaborate with other programs/centers in the institution to provide our expertise. Our referral base extends beyond the primary and secondary catchment areas, and last year, patients came from 30 states and some from other countries. I have been active in teaching and educational pursuits at the local, regional and national levels as well as have given invited talks internationally. I started an Advanced Neurogastroenterology and Motility Fellowship in 2017. Founder and member of a core group that developed the Middle East Program of the International (now Global) Health Center of CCHMC (2009-2017).

Neetu Bali Puri, MD, MPH, is an attending pediatric gastroenterologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a member of the Motility Center. She is the associate program director of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility fellowship at Nationwide Children’s. She also co-directs the multidisciplinary clinic for disorders of gut-brain interaction. Dr. Puri graduated from Ross University School of Medicine, completed her residency at the University of Tennessee and pediatric GI fellowship at UCLA Medical Center. She also completed her fellowship in Neurogastroenterology and Motility at Nationwide Children’s. She is passionate about esophageal motility disorders and is actively involved in several research endeavors to further evaluate this in pediatric patients. She also has an interest and is involved in disorders of the brain-gut interaction.

Jose Garza, MD, is the medical director of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Program, and system

co-medical director of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Garza is a partner at GI Care for Kids in Atlanta.

Ajay Kaul, MD, is the director of the Neuro-gastroenterology and Motility (NGM) Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) and developed the program from scratch. The NGM Center is now one of the leading centers in the nation. We have now hired four more faculty trained in the field to join the center. We have nine nurses and a program coordinator that help run the center. We collaborate with other programs/centers in the institution to provide our expertise. Our referral base extends beyond the primary and secondary catchment areas, and last year, patients came from 30 states and some from other countries. I have been active in teaching and educational pursuits at the local, regional and national levels as well as have given invited talks internationally. I started an Advanced Neurogastroenterology and Motility Fellowship in 2017. Founder and member of a core group that developed the Middle East Program of the International (now Global) Health Center of CCHMC (2009-2017).

Neetu Bali Puri, MD, MPH, is an attending pediatric gastroenterologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a member of the Motility Center. She is the associate program director of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility fellowship at Nationwide Children’s. She also co-directs the multidisciplinary clinic for disorders of gut-brain interaction. Dr. Puri graduated from Ross University School of Medicine, completed her residency at the University of Tennessee and pediatric GI fellowship at UCLA Medical Center. She also completed her fellowship in Neurogastroenterology and Motility at Nationwide Children’s. She is passionate about esophageal motility disorders and is actively involved in several research endeavors to further evaluate this in pediatric patients. She also has an interest and is involved in disorders of the brain-gut interaction.

Jose Garza, MD, is the medical director of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Program, and system

co-medical director of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Garza is a partner at GI Care for Kids in Atlanta.

Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH, FASGE, is a pediatric interventional endoscopist with more than 10 years of experience as a pediatric gastroenterologist. Dr. Khan is one of very few physicians in the United States who performs per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) procedures for achalasia, congenital esophageal stricture, gastroparesis, and other similar motility disorders in children. Dr. Khan received his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees from The University of Utah. He completed his residency training at Eastern Virginia Medical School, his fellowship training at Stanford University, and his advanced endoscopy fellowship at HCA Florida Largo Hospital, a GME affiliate of the University of South Florida. He is a Fellow of both the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN). At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Dr. Khan serves as the Director of Interventional and Diagnostic Endoscopy.

Desale Yacob, MD, was born in Eritrea and immigrated to the United States at the age of sixteen. He attended the University of Virginia for both college and medical school. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia, and his fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He is currently an associate professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, the medical director of the Center for Neurogastroenterology and Motility Disorders, and director of the Motility fellowship at Nationwide Children’s. He has co-authored multiple book chapters and over forty peer-reviewed journal articles. He enjoys spending time with his family, painting, running and socializing with friends.

Katja Karrento, MD, is an associate professor of Pediatrics and director of Pediatric GI Motility and Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS) programs at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Through the CVS program, she routinely evaluates complex nausea and vomiting referrals from across U.S. and internationally. Dr. Karrento is the chair of the international task force for diagnosis and treatment of pediatric CVS. She is a member of the Rome V committee for pediatric upper GI disorders and the American Neurogastroenterology & Motility Society Council. She is funded by the NIH through K23 and R03 awards. Her research is focused on investigating brain-gut disorders in relation to autonomic and gastric motor disturbances and non-invasive neuromodulation therapy. She received the 2017 NASPGHAN Balistreri Prize for Excellence in Research, the 2018 International Foundation for Functional GI Disorders Pediatric Scientist award and the 2019 NASPGHAN Neurogastroenterology and 2022 CVS Abstract Awards.

B U.K. Li, MD, is an emeritus professor of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology) at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He established the first multidisciplinary pediatric Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS) Programs at Lurie Children’s and Children’s Wisconsin beginning in 2000. He co-organized three International Symposia (and edited the Proceedings) on CVS, chaired or co-chaired the guidelines committees for both Pediatric and Adult CVS. He continues to publish and lecture on various aspects of CVS. He remains dedicated to promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration and mentoring the next generation of clinician-investigators to solve the puzzle of CVS. He is a past-president of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.

Ashley Kroon Van Diest, PhD, is a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a clinical assistant professor through the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University. She specializes in gastroenterology psychology, with particular clinical expertise in neurogastroenterology and motility and disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs). Dr. Kroon Van Diest is the clinical lead for the Gastroenterology Psychology team at Nationwide Children’s. She is the lead psychologist for the Neurogastroenterology and Motility team and is a medical co-director of the rumination syndrome treatment program. Dr. Kroon Van Diest is also the track director of the Comprehensive GI Psychology Fellowship, and a member of the faculty for the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Fellowship.

Raul (Rudy) Sanchez, MD, is an attending pediatric gastroenterologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a member of the Motility Center. He is also an assistant professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Sanchez attended the University of Pittsburgh as an undergraduate and West Virginia University School of Medicine for his medical education. He completed his pediatric residency at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. He then completed his pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition and neurogastroenterology and motility fellowships at Nationwide Children’s. His clinical interests include all gastrointestinal disorders with a special interest in eosinophilic esophagitis and other esophageal diseases such as esophageal achalasia. Additional motility interests include gastroparesis, pediatric intestinal pseudo-obstruction, Hirschsprung disease and severe functional constipation.

Katja Karrento, MD, is an associate professor of Pediatrics and director of Pediatric GI Motility and Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS) programs at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Through the CVS program, she routinely evaluates complex nausea and vomiting referrals from across U.S. and internationally. Dr. Karrento is the chair of the international task force for diagnosis and treatment of pediatric CVS. She is a member of the Rome V committee for pediatric upper GI disorders and the American Neurogastroenterology & Motility Society Council. She is funded by the NIH through K23 and R03 awards. Her research is focused on investigating brain-gut disorders in relation to autonomic and gastric motor disturbances and non-invasive neuromodulation therapy. She received the 2017 NASPGHAN Balistreri Prize for Excellence in Research, the 2018 International Foundation for Functional GI Disorders Pediatric Scientist award and the 2019 NASPGHAN Neurogastroenterology and 2022 CVS Abstract Awards.

B U.K. Li, MD, is an emeritus professor of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology) at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He established the first multidisciplinary pediatric Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS) Programs at Lurie Children’s and Children’s Wisconsin beginning in 2000. He co-organized three International Symposia (and edited the Proceedings) on CVS, chaired or co-chaired the guidelines committees for both Pediatric and Adult CVS. He continues to publish and lecture on various aspects of CVS. He remains dedicated to promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration and mentoring the next generation of clinician-investigators to solve the puzzle of CVS. He is a past-president of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.

Ashley Kroon Van Diest, PhD, is a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a clinical assistant professor through the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University. She specializes in gastroenterology psychology, with particular clinical expertise in neurogastroenterology and motility and disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs). Dr. Kroon Van Diest is the clinical lead for the Gastroenterology Psychology team at Nationwide Children’s. She is the lead psychologist for the Neurogastroenterology and Motility team and is a medical co-director of the rumination syndrome treatment program. Dr. Kroon Van Diest is also the track director of the Comprehensive GI Psychology Fellowship, and a member of the faculty for the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Fellowship.

Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH, FASGE, is a pediatric interventional endoscopist with more than 10 years of experience as a pediatric gastroenterologist. Dr. Khan is one of very few physicians in the United States who performs per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) procedures for achalasia, congenital esophageal stricture, gastroparesis, and other similar motility disorders in children. Dr. Khan received his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees from The University of Utah. He completed his residency training at Eastern Virginia Medical School, his fellowship training at Stanford University, and his advanced endoscopy fellowship at HCA Florida Largo Hospital, a GME affiliate of the University of South Florida. He is a Fellow of both the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN). At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Dr. Khan serves as the Director of Interventional and Diagnostic Endoscopy.

Marc Benninga, MD, PhD, studied medicine at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. After receiving his medical degree, he worked as a research fellow at the department of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam. Subsequently, he was trained in paediatrics at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital in Utrecht, The Netherlands. After his paediatric training, he performed research at The Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide, Australia with Geoff Davidson and Taher Omari. In 1999 he became a staff member at the Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Centres. The focus of his current clinical and research work is gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, recurrent abdominal pain, constipation, functional non-retentive faecal incontinence and inflammatory bowel disease in childhood. Since 2003 he has been member of the pediatric Rome committee. He played in the Dutch national hockey team and competed at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

Rachel Rosen, MD, is the director of the Aerodigestive Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. She has NIH and foundation funding to determine the relationship between upper gastrointestinal dysmotility and the lungs. Apart from nurturing her love of motility disorders, Dr. Rosen spends her free time reading novels, baking gluten-free treats and pulling weeds in the garden.

Bruno Chumpitazi, MD, MPH, is a pediatric neurogastroenterologist (motilist) who recently completed being the inaugural director of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Program at Texas Children’s Hospital. He is now professor and division chief of Pediatric, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Duke University. During his training, Bruno saw the high prevalence and morbidity of disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) and motility disorders, and his academic career has focused on combatting these disorders. Dr. Chumpitazi’s clinical interests include developing multidisciplinary teams to care for children with DGBI and motility disorders. His research interests have focused on understanding and treating food-induced gastrointestinal symptoms in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders. He is also a co-principal investigator for pediatric-related research within the NIH/NIDDK-funded Gastroparesis Clinical Research Consortium. His research efforts have been funded by organizations, including the American College of Gastroenterology, the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and the NIH.

Miguel Saps, MD, is the chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, director of Pediatric Neurogastroenterology and Motility at Holtz Children’s Hospital of Miami and The George E. Bachelor Chair in Pediatrics and professor of Pediatrics at the University of Miami. Dr. Saps is co-chair of the Rome V Lower Gastrointestinal Committee. Dr. Saps has lectured at more than 150 national and international meetings in North America, Europe, Asia and South America. He has authored more than 170 peer-reviewed articles, invited reviews, editorials, and letters, and has written 30 book chapters.

Erick Toro-Monjaraz, MD, graduated as a medical doctor from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He studied at the National Institute of Pediatrics, specializing in Pediatrics and Pediatric Gastroenterology, in Mexico City. He completed a course in Gastrointestinal Motility at the National Institute of Nutrition, endorsed by the World Gastroenterology Organization. Dr. Toro Monjaraz pursued a master’s in Medical Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the National Institute of Pediatrics. He is a specialist in Gastroenterology at the National Institute of Pediatrics, where he is in charge of the Gastrointestinal Physiology and Motility Unit, in addition to running his private practice at Hospital Angeles in Mexico City. He has served as a tutor and mentor for pediatric and gastroenterology residents at the National Institute of Pediatrics in Mexico City.

Rachel Rosen, MD, is the director of the Aerodigestive Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. She has NIH and foundation funding to determine the relationship between upper gastrointestinal dysmotility and the lungs. Apart from nurturing her love of motility disorders, Dr. Rosen spends her free time reading novels, baking gluten-free treats and pulling weeds in the garden.

Bruno Chumpitazi, MD, MPH, is a pediatric neurogastroenterologist (motilist) who recently completed being the inaugural director of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Program at Texas Children’s Hospital. He is now professor and division chief of Pediatric, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Duke University. During his training, Bruno saw the high prevalence and morbidity of disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) and motility disorders, and his academic career has focused on combatting these disorders. Dr. Chumpitazi’s clinical interests include developing multidisciplinary teams to care for children with DGBI and motility disorders. His research interests have focused on understanding and treating food-induced gastrointestinal symptoms in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders. He is also a co-principal investigator for pediatric-related research within the NIH/NIDDK-funded Gastroparesis Clinical Research Consortium. His research efforts have been funded by organizations, including the American College of Gastroenterology, the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and the NIH.

Miguel Saps, MD, is the chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, director of Pediatric Neurogastroenterology and Motility at Holtz Children’s Hospital of Miami and The George E. Bachelor Chair in Pediatrics and professor of Pediatrics at the University of Miami. Dr. Saps is co-chair of the Rome V Lower Gastrointestinal Committee. Dr. Saps has lectured at more than 150 national and international meetings in North America, Europe, Asia and South America. He has authored more than 170 peer-reviewed articles, invited reviews, editorials, and letters, and has written 30 book chapters.

Miguel Saps, MD, is the chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, director of Pediatric Neurogastroenterology and Motility at Holtz Children’s Hospital of Miami and The George E. Bachelor Chair in Pediatrics and professor of Pediatrics at the University of Miami. Dr. Saps is co-chair of the Rome V Lower Gastrointestinal Committee. Dr. Saps has lectured at more than 150 national and international meetings in North America, Europe, Asia and South America. He has authored more than 170 peer-reviewed articles, invited reviews, editorials, and letters, and has written 30 book chapters.

Erick Toro-Monjaraz, MD, graduated as a medical doctor from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He studied at the National Institute of Pediatrics, specializing in Pediatrics and Pediatric Gastroenterology, in Mexico City. He completed a course in Gastrointestinal Motility at the National Institute of Nutrition, endorsed by the World Gastroenterology Organization. Dr. Toro Monjaraz pursued a master’s in Medical Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the National Institute of Pediatrics. He is a specialist in Gastroenterology at the National Institute of Pediatrics, where he is in charge of the Gastrointestinal Physiology and Motility Unit, in addition to running his private practice at Hospital Angeles in Mexico City. He has served as a tutor and mentor for pediatric and gastroenterology residents at the National Institute of Pediatrics in Mexico City.

Caterina Strisciuglio, MD, works in the field of pediatric gastroenterology since 2006. She is an associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli,”and currently responsible for the Outpatient Clinic of Pediatric Gastroenterology. She is secretary of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Pediatric Nutrition (SIGENP) and a member of the Editorial Board of the Italian Journal of Pediatrics. Her expertise is well recognized also abroad, indeed within the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN). She is co-chair of the special interest group of basic and translational science, a member of the Research Committee and also a member of the Gastroenterology Council. She has published more than one hundred papers in international journals. Her main expertise includes chronic inflammatory bowel disease, eosinophilic esophagitis and functional gastrointestinal disorders. She has joined and led several European Pediatric multicenter studies on pediatric FGIDs, and for one of these, she has also received an ESPGHAN networking grant.

Hannibal Person, MD, FAAP, is an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington (UW) in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He is the medical director of the Gut-Brain Health Program, director of GI JEDI, and serves as the chair of the UW Committee on Minority Faculty Advancement. His clinical passions include disorders of gut-brain interaction, particularly the use of psychological strategies in the management of children with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms. His research is focused on understanding racial health inequities in pediatric gastrointestinal disorders as well as formulating and testing educational interventions to facilitate antiracism praxis in healthcare.

John Fortunato, MD, is a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and director, Neurointestinal and Motility Program at Lurie Children’s Hospital. He trained at the University of Chicago in general/vascular surgery before changing to Pediatrics/Gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins University. His clinical interest is the care of children with complex motility and disorders of gut brain interaction (DGBI) taking a multidisciplinary team approach. His research explores relationships between autonomic nervous system dysregulation and motility/DGBI, specifically chronic nausea. His translational research and entrepreneurial goals focus on developing effective digital health tools that engage both patient and clinician using human-centered design (UCD). Dr. Fortunato has spent 20 years as a military medical officer - currently, an Air Force flight surgeon and Chief of Medical Staff with the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. He is in his last year at Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, focusing on healthcare strategy and technology innovation.

Peter L. Lu, MD, MS, is a pediatric gastroenterologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Lu attended Northwestern University for both his undergraduate and medical education before completing residency training in pediatrics, fellowship training in gastroenterology, and advanced fellowship training in gastrointestinal motility disorders at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Lu specializes in neurogastroenterology and motility disorders. He is the research director of the GI Motility Center and conducts research evaluating novel, technology-based diagnostic tests and treatments for children with these disorders. He has a particular interest in the use of neurostimulation in children, including gastric electrical stimulation and sacral nerve stimulation. He is the co-creator and host of “Bowel Sounds: The Pediatric GI Podcast,” the official podcast of the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN).

Raul (Rudy) Sanchez, MD, is an attending pediatric gastroenterologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a member of the Motility Center. He is also an assistant professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Sanchez attended the University of Pittsburgh as an undergraduate and West Virginia University School of Medicine for his medical education. He completed his pediatric residency at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. He then completed his pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition and neurogastroenterology and motility fellowships at Nationwide Children’s. His clinical interests include all gastrointestinal disorders with a special interest in eosinophilic esophagitis and other esophageal diseases such as esophageal achalasia. Additional motility interests include gastroparesis, pediatric intestinal pseudo-obstruction, Hirschsprung disease and severe functional constipation.

Peter L. Lu, MD, MS, is a pediatric gastroenterologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Lu attended Northwestern University for both his undergraduate and medical education before completing residency training in pediatrics, fellowship training in gastroenterology, and advanced fellowship training in gastrointestinal motility disorders at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Lu specializes in neurogastroenterology and motility disorders. He is the research director of the GI Motility Center and conducts research evaluating novel, technology-based diagnostic tests and treatments for children with these disorders. He has a particular interest in the use of neurostimulation in children, including gastric electrical stimulation and sacral nerve stimulation. He is the co-creator and host of “Bowel Sounds: The Pediatric GI Podcast,” the official podcast of the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN).

Karen A. Diefenbach, MD, is the director for Minimally Invasive Surgery at Nationwide Children's Hospital, and associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Diefenbach comes to Nationwide Children's from Yale University School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Children's Hospital where she was an attending surgeon, and an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery. Dr. Diefenbach completed her residency in general surgery at the University of Illinois, OSF St. Francis Medical Center. She completed her training in Pediatric Surgery at Yale University School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include minimally invasive surgical approaches to the correction of neonatal congenital anomalies such as tracheoesophageal fistulas and esophageal atresias, diaphragmatic hernias, intestinal atresias, and congenital lung lesions. She has a strong commitment to surgical education and has developed the first neonatal training devices for neonatal laparoscopy and thoracoscopy which are used in minimally invasive surgery courses here in the United States, as well as internationally. She is also the associate director of Surgical Education at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Peter L. Lu, MD, MS, is a pediatric gastroenterologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Lu attended Northwestern University for both his undergraduate and medical education before completing residency training in pediatrics, fellowship training in gastroenterology, and advanced fellowship training in gastrointestinal motility disorders at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Lu specializes in neurogastroenterology and motility disorders. He is the research director of the GI Motility Center and conducts research evaluating novel, technology-based diagnostic tests and treatments for children with these disorders. He has a particular interest in the use of neurostimulation in children, including gastric electrical stimulation and sacral nerve stimulation. He is the co-creator and host of “Bowel Sounds: The Pediatric GI Podcast,” the official podcast of the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN).

Nikhil Thapar, MD, FRACP, PhD, leads a specialist statewide multidisciplinary clinical service for children with gastrointestinal motility and functional disorders. He was previously Academic Lead for Paediatric Gastroenterology and head of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility service at Great Ormond Street Hospital (London, UK). His research program has focused on the pathogenesis and treatment of gut motility disorders, including the potential of regenerative medicine for the most severe disorders. Professor Thapar has published >150 original articles and is co-editor of the textbook of Paediatric Neurogastroenterology and associate editor (Neurogastroenterology and Motility) for the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Prof. Thapar chairs the paediatric faculty of the Gastroenterology Society of Australia. He sits on the Rome V committee (Paediatrics; lower GI) and council of the (chairs the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Sub-committee of the Asia Pan-Pacific Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. He previously chaired the Gastroenterology Committee and was a council member of ESPGHAN.

Jaime Belkind-Gerson, MD, MSc, is the director of the Neuro-gastroenterology and Motility program at Children’s Hospital, Colorado where he treats patients with a wide variety of sensory and motility disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. He is also an associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado, Denver where he also directs the Enteric Nervous System (ENS) basic research laboratory. He has been doing ENS research for more than 25 years and the focus of his NIH-sponsored research lab is to understand the mechanism that regulates neuronal and glial regeneration after intestinal injury as well as the mechanisms at play behind the brain-gut-microbiome axis.

Lusine Ambartsumyan, MD, is currently an associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington and the director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Program at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Her clinical interests include mechanisms of fecal continence and defecation disorders in children with anorectal malformations, post-surgical Hirschsprung disease, spinal cord dysraphism, and intractable constipation/fecal incontinence. She also specializes in the diagnosis and management of patients with gastroparesis, pseudo-obstruction, achalasia, systemic scleroderma and aerodigestive disorders. Her research focuses on the pathophysiology and management of defecation disorders in children. Her primary research involves the study of mechanisms of functional and organic fecal incontinence (anorectal malformations, Hirschsprung disease), spinal cord modulation of anorectal function (neurogenic bowel), and the physiological relationship between the anorectum and the bladder in children with and without spinal cord malformations. She is currently a principal investigator in multiple clinical research studies specifically exploring the anorectal function and predictors of successful bowel management in patients with functional and organic fecal incontinence.

Bruno Chumpitazi, MD, MPH, is a pediatric neurogastroenterologist (motilist) who recently completed being the inaugural director of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Program at Texas Children’s Hospital. He is now professor and division chief of Pediatric, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Duke University. During his training, Bruno saw the high prevalence and morbidity of disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) and motility disorders, and his academic career has focused on combatting these disorders. Dr. Chumpitazi’s clinical interests include developing multidisciplinary teams to care for children with DGBI and motility disorders. His research interests have focused on understanding and treating food-induced gastrointestinal symptoms in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders. He is also a co-principal investigator for pediatric-related research within the NIH/NIDDK-funded Gastroparesis Clinical Research Consortium. His research efforts have been funded by organizations, including the American College of Gastroenterology, the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and the NIH.

Carlo Di Lorenzo, MD, is currently professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University and chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He holds the Robert F. and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation Endowed Chair in Pediatric Gastroenterology. He has published over 350 peer-reviewed and invited manuscripts and co-authored the only four books on pediatric gastrointestinal motility. He has served as President of NASPGHAN and has held leadership positions within ANMS (council member and secretary), AGA (chair of the GDCH section), Brain-Gut Club, AAP and American Board of Pediatrics. He has chaired both the Rome III and Rome IV Child-Adolescent committees and currently co-chairs one of the Rome V committees. He has received the Master Award in Gastroenterology from the AGA, the IFFGD Clinical Research in Pediatrics Award, the Rome Foundation/Torsoli Foundation Award, and the NASPGHAN Shwachman Award.

Nikhil Thapar, MD, FRACP, PhD, leads a specialist statewide multidisciplinary clinical service for children with gastrointestinal motility and functional disorders. He was previously Academic Lead for Paediatric Gastroenterology and head of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility service at Great Ormond Street Hospital (London, UK). His research program has focused on the pathogenesis and treatment of gut motility disorders, including the potential of regenerative medicine for the most severe disorders. Professor Thapar has published >150 original articles and is co-editor of the textbook of Paediatric Neurogastroenterology and associate editor (Neurogastroenterology and Motility) for the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Prof. Thapar chairs the paediatric faculty of the Gastroenterology Society of Australia. He sits on the Rome V committee (Paediatrics; lower GI) and council of the (chairs the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Sub-committee of the Asia Pan-Pacific Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. He previously chaired the Gastroenterology Committee and was a council member of ESPGHAN.

Hayat Mousa, MD, is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, endowed chair, director of the Lustgarten GI Motility Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), director of the Frontier Program for Precision Medicine in Pediatric Motility Disorders and program director of the Advanced Training in Neurogastroenterology and Motility Disorders. She joined CHOP on September 1, 2020, from her previous role as the clinical director of Pediatric Gastroenterology and the director of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Center at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. She was trained at Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital with broad exposure to all gastrointestinal disorders, including liver disease, small bowel transplantation and gastrointestinal motility disorders. Subsequently, she joined the GI group at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where she started its Motility Center, served as the Medical Director for motility for 15 years, and served as the fellowship director of a GME-approved training program in pediatric motility disorders for 10 years.

Karla Vaz, MD, MEd, graduated from the University of Florida College of Medicine and completed her residency and fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She is now an assistant professor at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and specializes in motility disorders, especially those of the colon. She is the associate program director for the GI fellowship and serves as the GI director of the Aerodigestive Program.

Marc Benninga, MD, PhD, studied medicine at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. After receiving his medical degree, he worked as a research fellow at the department of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam. Subsequently, he was trained in paediatrics at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital in Utrecht, The Netherlands. After his paediatric training, he performed research at The Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide, Australia with Geoff Davidson and Taher Omari. In 1999 he became a staff member at the Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Centres. The focus of his current clinical and research work is gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, recurrent abdominal pain, constipation, functional non-retentive faecal incontinence and inflammatory bowel disease in childhood. Since 2003 he has been member of the pediatric Rome committee. He played in the Dutch national hockey team and competed at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

Hayat Mousa, MD, is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, endowed chair, director of the Lustgarten GI Motility Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), director of the Frontier Program for Precision Medicine in Pediatric Motility Disorders and program director of the Advanced Training in Neurogastroenterology and Motility Disorders. She joined CHOP on September 1, 2020, from her previous role as the clinical director of Pediatric Gastroenterology and the director of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Center at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. She was trained at Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital with broad exposure to all gastrointestinal disorders, including liver disease, small bowel transplantation and gastrointestinal motility disorders. Subsequently, she joined the GI group at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where she started its Motility Center, served as the Medical Director for motility for 15 years, and served as the fellowship director of a GME-approved training program in pediatric motility disorders for 10 years.

Karla Vaz, MD, MEd, graduated from the University of Florida College of Medicine and completed her residency and fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She is now an assistant professor at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and specializes in motility disorders, especially those of the colon. She is the associate program director for the GI fellowship and serves as the GI director of the Aerodigestive Program.

Marc Benninga, MD, PhD, studied medicine at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. After receiving his medical degree, he worked as a research fellow at the department of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam. Subsequently, he was trained in paediatrics at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital in Utrecht, The Netherlands. After his paediatric training, he performed research at The Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide, Australia with Geoff Davidson and Taher Omari. In 1999 he became a staff member at the Emma Children’s Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Centres. The focus of his current clinical and research work is gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, recurrent abdominal pain, constipation, functional non-retentive faecal incontinence and inflammatory bowel disease in childhood. Since 2003 he has been member of the pediatric Rome committee. He played in the Dutch national hockey team and competed at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

Richard Wood, MBChB, FCPS(SA), is the chief of Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery (CCPR) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and professor of Surgery at The Ohio State University. CCPR at Nationwide Children’s is a fully integrated multi-disciplinary team for the care of complex pelvic and colorectal problems and includes colorectal, urology, gynecology and GI motility. Richard’s interests include complex reconstructive surgery and outcomes research, notably quality of life outcomes and the integration of non-surgical modalities into the treatment of patients with anorectal malformation, Hirschsprung and colonic motility disorders.

Carlo Di Lorenzo, MD, is currently professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University and chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He holds the Robert F. and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation Endowed Chair in Pediatric Gastroenterology. He has published over 350 peer-reviewed and invited manuscripts and co-authored the only four books on pediatric gastrointestinal motility. He has served as President of NASPGHAN and has held leadership positions within ANMS (council member and secretary), AGA (chair of the GDCH section), Brain-Gut Club, AAP and American Board of Pediatrics. He has chaired both the Rome III and Rome IV Child-Adolescent committees and currently co-chairs one of the Rome V committees. He has received the Master Award in Gastroenterology from the AGA, the IFFGD Clinical Research in Pediatrics Award, the Rome Foundation/Torsoli Foundation Award, and the NASPGHAN Shwachman Award.

Kara Margolis, MD, is the director for brain-gut research and the associate director for clinical and translational research at the New York University (NYU) Pain Research Center. Prior to joining NYU, she held a tenured position as an associate professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center. She is a pediatric gastroenterologist with internationally recognized clinical and scientific expertise in disorders that affect the gut and brain, including disorders of gut brain interactions (DGBIs). As such, she currently serves on the Basic Science Committee for the Rome Foundation. Dr. Margolis’ specific research focuses are on the role of gut serotonin in mood dysfunction and related abdominal pain disorders and the effects of in-utero exposures on the development of DGBIs. She is funded by the NIH, Department of Defense, foundations and philanthropic support.

Nikhil Thapar, MD, FRACP, PhD, leads a specialist statewide multidisciplinary clinical service for children with gastrointestinal motility and functional disorders. He was previously Academic Lead for Paediatric Gastroenterology and head of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility service at Great Ormond Street Hospital (London, UK). His research program has focused on the pathogenesis and treatment of gut motility disorders, including the potential of regenerative medicine for the most severe disorders. Professor Thapar has published >150 original articles and is co-editor of the textbook of Paediatric Neurogastroenterology and associate editor (Neurogastroenterology and Motility) for the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Prof. Thapar chairs the paediatric faculty of the Gastroenterology Society of Australia. He sits on the Rome V committee (Paediatrics; lower GI) and council of the (chairs the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Sub-committee of the Asia Pan-Pacific Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. He previously chaired the Gastroenterology Committee and was a council member of ESPGHAN.

John Rosen, MD, is a pediatric neurogastroenterologist at Children’s Mercy Kansas City and professor of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His clinical and research interests focus on disorders of gut-brain interaction and the use of telehealth to expand the reach of high value subspecialty care to those who traditionally have limited access."

Carlo Di Lorenzo, MD, is currently professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University and chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He holds the Robert F. and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation Endowed Chair in Pediatric Gastroenterology. He has published over 350 peer-reviewed and invited manuscripts and co-authored the only four books on pediatric gastrointestinal motility. He has served as President of NASPGHAN and has held leadership positions within ANMS (council member and secretary), AGA (chair of the GDCH section), Brain-Gut Club, AAP and American Board of Pediatrics. He has chaired both the Rome III and Rome IV Child-Adolescent committees and currently co-chairs one of the Rome V committees. He has received the Master Award in Gastroenterology from the AGA, the IFFGD Clinical Research in Pediatrics Award, the Rome Foundation/Torsoli Foundation Award, and the NASPGHAN Shwachman Award.

Kara Margolis, MD, is the director for brain-gut research and the associate director for clinical and translational research at the New York University (NYU) Pain Research Center. Prior to joining NYU, she held a tenured position as an associate professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center. She is a pediatric gastroenterologist with internationally recognized clinical and scientific expertise in disorders that affect the gut and brain, including disorders of gut brain interactions (DGBIs). As such, she currently serves on the Basic Science Committee for the Rome Foundation. Dr. Margolis’ specific research focuses are on the role of gut serotonin in mood dysfunction and related abdominal pain disorders and the effects of in-utero exposures on the development of DGBIs. She is funded by the NIH, Department of Defense, foundations and philanthropic support.

Nikhil Thapar, MD, FRACP, PhD, leads a specialist statewide multidisciplinary clinical service for children with gastrointestinal motility and functional disorders. He was previously Academic Lead for Paediatric Gastroenterology and head of the Neurogastroenterology and Motility service at Great Ormond Street Hospital (London, UK). His research program has focused on the pathogenesis and treatment of gut motility disorders, including the potential of regenerative medicine for the most severe disorders. Professor Thapar has published >150 original articles and is co-editor of the textbook of Paediatric Neurogastroenterology and associate editor (Neurogastroenterology and Motility) for the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Prof. Thapar chairs the paediatric faculty of the Gastroenterology Society of Australia. He sits on the Rome V committee (Paediatrics; lower GI) and council of the (chairs the Neurogastroenterology and Motility Sub-committee of the Asia Pan-Pacific Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. He previously chaired the Gastroenterology Committee and was a council member of ESPGHAN.

John Rosen, MD, is a pediatric neurogastroenterologist at Children’s Mercy Kansas City and professor of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His clinical and research interests focus on disorders of gut-brain interaction and the use of telehealth to expand the reach of high value subspecialty care to those who traditionally have limited access."

Samuel Nurko, MD, MPH, is a professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Center for Motility and Functional Bowel Disorders at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Nurko is a recognized leader in the field and has distinguished himself as an academic, NIH-funded clinical researcher, teacher, ally and mentor. He has a long-standing dedication to patient-oriented research. Dr. Nurko has made major contributions to the understanding of neurogastroenterology. He has participated in many International Task Forces to establish standards for motility procedures and training neurogastroenterology. He was chair of the Rome IV neonatal and toddler committee and now is part of the Rome Board of Directors and a member of the editorial board of Rome V. He has been a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Mexican Society of Pediatric GI, the Senior Investigator Award from IFFGD, as well as the Research Mentor Award from the AGA.

Desale Yacob, MD, was born in Eritrea and immigrated to the United States at the age of sixteen. He attended the University of Virginia for both college and medical school. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia, and his fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He is currently an associate professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, the medical director of the Center for Neurogastroenterology and Motility Disorders, and director of the Motility fellowship at Nationwide Children’s. He has co-authored multiple book chapters and over forty peer-reviewed journal articles. He enjoys spending time with his family, painting, running and socializing with friends.

Miranda A.L. van Tilburg, PhD, is the research director at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in North Carolina. She also holds professor positions at the University of North Carolina, Marshall University and the University of Washington. Dr. van Tilburg is an expert in psychogastroenterology. She develops and tests Brain-Gut treatments for gastrointestinal diseases, particularly for children with abdominal pain. Dr. van Tilburg has over 250 publications in her name. She has advised the FDA, EMA, NIH, and Center for Medicaid/Medicare. Dr. van Tilburg was appointed to the Rome IV and Rome V committee which establishes diagnostic criteria for pediatric disorders of gut brain interaction. She is a previously elected council member for the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association and current chair of the Ethics Committee of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition.

Desale Yacob, MD, was born in Eritrea and immigrated to the United States at the age of sixteen. He attended the University of Virginia for both college and medical school. He completed his residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia, and his fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He is currently an associate professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, the medical director of the Center for Neurogastroenterology and Motility Disorders, and director of the Motility fellowship at Nationwide Children’s. He has co-authored multiple book chapters and over forty peer-reviewed journal articles. He enjoys spending time with his family, painting, running and socializing with friends.

Samuel Nurko, MD, MPH, is a professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Center for Motility and Functional Bowel Disorders at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Nurko is a recognized leader in the field and has distinguished himself as an academic, NIH-funded clinical researcher, teacher, ally and mentor. He has a long-standing dedication to patient-oriented research. Dr. Nurko has made major contributions to the understanding of neurogastroenterology. He has participated in many International Task Forces to establish standards for motility procedures and training neurogastroenterology. He was chair of the Rome IV neonatal and toddler committee and now is part of the Rome Board of Directors and a member of the editorial board of Rome V. He has been a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Mexican Society of Pediatric GI, the Senior Investigator Award from IFFGD, as well as the Research Mentor Award from the AGA.

Miranda A.L. van Tilburg, PhD, is the research director at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in North Carolina. She also holds professor positions at the University of North Carolina, Marshall University and the University of Washington. Dr. van Tilburg is an expert in psychogastroenterology. She develops and tests Brain-Gut treatments for gastrointestinal diseases, particularly for children with abdominal pain. Dr. van Tilburg has over 250 publications in her name. She has advised the FDA, EMA, NIH, and Center for Medicaid/Medicare. Dr. van Tilburg was appointed to the Rome IV and Rome V committee which establishes diagnostic criteria for pediatric disorders of gut brain interaction. She is a previously elected council member for the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association and current chair of the Ethics Committee of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition.

Richard Wood, MBChB, FCPS(SA), is the chief of Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery (CCPR) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and professor of Surgery at The Ohio State University. CCPR at Nationwide Children’s is a fully integrated multi-disciplinary team for the care of complex pelvic and colorectal problems and includes colorectal, urology, gynecology and GI motility. Richard’s interests include complex reconstructive surgery and outcomes research, notably quality of life outcomes and the integration of non-surgical modalities into the treatment of patients with anorectal malformation, Hirschsprung and colonic motility disorders.

Richard Wood, MBChB, FCPS(SA), is the chief of Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery (CCPR) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and professor of Surgery at The Ohio State University. CCPR at Nationwide Children’s is a fully integrated multi-disciplinary team for the care of complex pelvic and colorectal problems and includes colorectal, urology, gynecology and GI motility. Richard’s interests include complex reconstructive surgery and outcomes research, notably quality of life outcomes and the integration of non-surgical modalities into the treatment of patients with anorectal malformation, Hirschsprung and colonic motility disorders.

Carlo Di Lorenzo, MD, is currently professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University and chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He holds the Robert F. and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation Endowed Chair in Pediatric Gastroenterology. He has published over 350 peer-reviewed and invited manuscripts and co-authored the only four books on pediatric gastrointestinal motility. He has served as President of NASPGHAN and has held leadership positions within ANMS (council member and secretary), AGA (chair of the GDCH section), Brain-Gut Club, AAP and American Board of Pediatrics. He has chaired both the Rome III and Rome IV Child-Adolescent committees and currently co-chairs one of the Rome V committees. He has received the Master Award in Gastroenterology from the AGA, the IFFGD Clinical Research in Pediatrics Award, the Rome Foundation/Torsoli Foundation Award, and the NASPGHAN Shwachman Award.