The members of the HMS Celiac Research Program come from multidisciplinary backgrounds and bring unique strengths to the team. The diverse group includes gastroenterologists, pediatric gastroenterologists, dietitians, nurses and researchers, as well as educators, social workers and specialists. They all come together with a shared passion for improving the quality of life for patients living with conditions on the gluten-related disorders spectrum. The three participating institutions, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), are world renowned and consistently provide outstanding, patient-centered medical care. According to one of the program’s founders, Dr. Ciarán Kelly of BIDMC, uniting compassionate and dedicated individuals from each of these institutions promotes shared expertise and accelerated progress:
Each program has strengths in different academic areas. The Celiac Center at BIDMC has a deep clinical research portfolio. The Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at MGHfC is a world leader in basic research on celiac disease and intestinal permeability. The Celiac Disease Program at BCH is superb at educational initiatives. By combining our groups, the sum becomes much greater than the parts.
Ciarán P. Kelly, MD
Dr. Alessio Fasano of MGH, a second program founder, agrees. “Our goals are the same,” says Dr. Fasano. “Improving the lives of people with celiac disease and gluten-related disorders—whether through clinical trials of a drug to help people with celiac disease avoid cross-contamination, or basic molecular research to find a diagnostic biomarker for gluten sensitivity, or the education of parents and children about the gluten-free diet—We are all on the same page about making things easier for our patients.”
Dr. Alan Leichtner of BCH is the third founder of the program. He is highly involved in the educational components of the program and notes, “Patient and parent education, implemented through a variety of outreach initiatives, is a vital part of our mission.”
Learn more about the incredible people of the HMS Celiac Research Program by clicking on the separate institutional links in the sidebar.