I am an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Medical Director of the Schubert-Martin IBD Center, and the Program Director for Advanced Pediatric Gastroenterology IBD Fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. I am board certified in general pediatrics and pediatric gastroenterology. I have a specific clinical interest in the management of children and young adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). As a member of the Schubert-Martin IBD team, I primarily focus on providing evidence-based care for children and young adults with IBD by participating in pre-visit planning, multiple quality improvement projects and alongside a multidisciplinary team of IBD-focused pathologists, radiologists, surgeons, registered dieticians, behavioral health specialists, social workers and nurse experts. The primary focus of my research is to further advance the application of personalized medicine in the care of patients with IBD through the discovery of surrogate biomarkers of intestinal inflammation. We have developed a sensitive and specific pharmacodynamic biomarker, neutrophil CD64, which continues to provide objective data to accurately monitor our patient’s response to treatment. We are also conducting studies to identify biomarkers and molecular signatures of treatment response/nonresponse using novel plasma proteomic platforms. Finally, we have developed an innovative clinician decision support tools to simplify dose optimization strategies and deliver precision care for patients receiving biologic medications. In my personal life, I enjoy playing sports in the backyard with my family, vacationing on the beach (anywhere) and enduring the challenges of adventure hikes and outdoor camping. My latest passion is pickleball!
