Medical and Scientific Advisors

Dawn W. Adams MD, MS is Associate Professor of Medicine, Medical Director, Center for Human Nutrition, and Director & Founder of Celiac Clinic at Vanderbilt Medical Center. She is a board certified gastroenterologist specializing in Celiac disease and other small bowel disorders, and malnutrition including use of nutrition support.

Shayna Coburn, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Children’s National Hospital and assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Dr. Coburn is in charge of psychosocial services in the Celiac Disease Program, which offers consultations and empirically-supported interventions to help families navigate the challenges of diagnosis and management of the gluten-free diet. She is also contributing to the local and national celiac disease community through her development of support and coping skills groups, educational programming, advocacy and research.

Her areas of expertise include coping and resilience in families with chronic illness, improving dietary adherence and promoting positive and constructive doctor-patient communication. Dr. Coburn earned her Ph.D. at Arizona State University and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

World-renowned pediatric gastroenterologist, research scientist, and entrepreneur Alessio Fasano, M.D., founded the Center for Celiac Research in 1996. The Center offers state-of-the art research, clinical expertise, and teaching for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and wheat allergy.

Trained in Naples, Italy, as a pediatric gastroenterologist, Dr. Fasano was recruited to the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1993 and founded its Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Puzzled by the absence of children exhibiting symptoms of celiac disease in the clinic, he resolved to uncover the mystery of missing American “celiacs.” His perseverance in the face of skepticism about celiac disease in the U.S. eventually led to his publication of the groundbreaking study in 2003 that established the rate of the autoimmune disorder at one in 133 Americans.

In early 2013, Dr. Fasano was appointed Division Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. He brought the Center for Celiac Research to Boston, where he and his team of clinicians treat patients of all ages. Dr. Fasano also heads the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, based in Charlestown, and is Associate Chief for Basic, Clinical and Translational Research for the Department of Pediatrics at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. He is a Visiting Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Peter HR Green, MD, is Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University in New York and the Phyllis and Ivan Seidenberg Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. He is also Attending Physician at the New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Green received his medical degree from the University of Sydney. He completed Residency and Gastrointestinal Fellowship in Sydney and became a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School and at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. Subsequently he moved to the Columbia University Medical Center where he has remained.

Celiac disease has been his clinical and research focus for the last thirty years. He started the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center and it has risen to National and International preeminence since its inception in 2001. Both adult and pediatric gastroenterologists see thousands of patients annually in the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.

Dr. Green has authored over 300 research publications on celiac disease and lectured widely to medical students, medical professionals and the public about gluten-related disorders. He performs clinical, epidemiological and basic research on celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders. He has authored many of the most recent medical reviews on celiac disease, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, The BMJ, Annals of Internal Medicine and JAMA.

In 2007 he was awarded a Mentors Research Scholar Award from the American Gastroenterology Association and Master Endoscopist Award from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. He is a previous president of the New York Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and is a recent President of the North American Society for the Study of Celiac Disease (NASSCD). He is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the American College of Gastroenterology as well as a member of the American Gastroenterological Association and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

He has co-authored two books for the public: Celiac Disease, a hidden epidemic, and Gluten Exposed: The Science Behind the Hype and How to Navigate to a Healthy, Symptom-Free Life, both published by Harper Collins.

Dr. Green is on the scientific and medical advisory board of several companies developing pharmaceutical therapies for celiac disease.

Dr. Jericho is a pediatric gastroenterologist and the Inaugural Medical Director of the Celiac Disease Program at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. Her unique balance of innovative, cutting edge research and patient-centric clinical care establishes her as an expert in the field of pediatric gastroenterology, with an emphasis on the diagnosis and management of celiac disease.

Dr. Jericho grew up in New London, CT in a physician-family, and completed the exclusive eight-year combined degree program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) at the Ivy League’s Brown University for college and medical school, graduating in 2006. She completed her pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in 2009, and both her pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and her Master’s of Science in Clinical Investigation at Northwestern University in June 2012, all top programs in her field. She joined the faculty at the University of Chicago Medical Center later that year, drawn by its world-renowned celiac disease center.

Her interest in pediatrics, nutrition, and patient-centric care started during medical school where she founded Fast Food Facts, a youth nutrition program to help increase children’s awareness of exercise, the body, and healthy food choices at home and when visiting fast food restaurants. This program is a predecessor to the nation-wide posting of fast food nutritional information. At every level of her academic and professional career, Dr. Jericho is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2003 American Medical Student Association National Jumpstart Grant, the 2010 Clinical Departments of Children’s Memorial Hospital and Children’s Memorial Research Center Tuition Scholarship, the 2014 UChicago Medicine Pediatric Faculty Scholar Program, the 2020 Medtronic External Research Grant and the 2021 RBC Race for the Kids at Comer Children’s Hospital Grant.

Dr. Jericho was appointed the Director of Pediatric Clinical Research at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center in 2014 in addition to founding the non-invasive video capsule endoscopy (VCE) program, for which she was routinely called upon to consult with other hospitals for initiation of similar programs. In 2020 Dr. Jericho was additionally appointed Co-Director of Pediatric Endoscopy and under her vision and direction, the VCE program was expanded to become a part of the formal pediatric gastroenterology fellowship training program.

Dr. Jericho is deeply involved in both local community and national professional societies. She was the Director of the Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance (CCHA) endoscopy committee as well as a member of the CCHA celiac committee. She is a member of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) celiac special interest group as well as a member of CeliacKids (a pediatric multi-center celiac research focused collaborative), the Standards-Based Active Guideline Environment (a committee responsible for the establishment of guidelines for accommodating children with celiac disease within school settings across the United States), and the NASPGHAN Endoscopy committee.

Dr. Jericho’s clinical work and research in the field of pediatric celiac disease (CeD) is internationally recognized resulting in numerous publications, peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She has been an invited speaker at local CeD symposiums including the internationally attended, in-person and online, University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center educational preceptorship programs in 2014, 2016 and 2018, the annual celiac blood screening, the annual University of Chicago Lab Schools Health Fairs as well as a moderator and speaker at celiac symposiums at national meetings including the NASPGHAN annual meeting and Beyond Celiac.

Dr. Kelly earned his medical degree from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland where he was a Foundation Scholar and recipient of numerous academic awards. Dr. Kelly has also received postgraduate clinical and research awards from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the National Institutes of Health. He is an American Gastroenterology Association Fellow and a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology.

Dr. Kelly has served as a committee member of the NIH, Center for Scientific Review as well as FDA, CDC and NIH committees on celiac disease and C. difficile infection. Dr. Kelly is the author of more than 300 clinical and basic research book chapters, invited reviews, and original research articles appearing in medical and scientific journals including Gastroenterology, Vaccine, Infection & Immunity, The Journal of Clinical Investigation, The Lancet, and The New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Kelly has engaged in patient care and research in Celiac disease for more than 25 years. He is an internationally recognized expert in the diagnosis and management of celiac disease and, in his clinical practice, specializes in difficult-to-treat enteropathies. He also leads research programs on the pathogenesis of celiac disease, its diagnosis, and new approaches to treatment.

Anne R. Lee, EdD, RDN, LD, Instructor in Nutrition Medicine is the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University’s nutritionist. Dr. Lee is one of a handful of experts in the United States on nutritional management on celiac disease. Please call the clinical office directly (212) 305-5590 to schedule a nutritional consultation.

Daniel Leffler, MD, MS currently serves as the Director of Research at the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, as the Director of Quality Improvement for the Division of Gastroenterology at BIDMC and is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Leffler currently divides his time between patient care, quality improvement initiatives and clinical and translational research in celiac disease and other digestive disorders. To continue his work in celiac disease, Dr. Leffler has been awarded a five year career development grant from the National Institute of Health and has been the recipient of multiple foundation and industry sponsored grants for the advancement of digestive health. He lectures nationally and internationally on these topics and has co-authored a book for patients entitled: Real Life with Celiac Disease. Troubleshooting and Thriving Gluten Free, published by the American Gastroenterological Association.

Edwin Liu, MD, serves as the Taplin Endowed Chair for Celiac Disease and Director of the Colorado Center for Celiac Disease at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dr. Liu is also a Professor of Pediatrics, specializing in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the University of Colorado Hospital. Dr. Liu received his undergraduate degree from Boston University in 1992 and graduated from the Boston University School of Medicine in 1996. Dr. Liu has authored and co-authored many publications, including the TEDDY (The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young) and DAISY (Diabetes Autoimmunity Study of the Young) studies, long-term prospective birth cohorts examined for the development of Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease due to a genetic risk identified at birth.

Dr. Malahias is a graduate of Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine and completed a one year residency in general dentistry at St Charles hospital and Rehabilitation center in Port Jefferson NY. He spent several years working overseas and in the western United States before returning to the East Coast. Dr. Malahias has spent several years working on behalf of the celiac community researching the dental implications of celiac disease. He is also a Diplomate of the American Academy of Dental sleep Medicine which focuses on the treatment of sleep apnea patients with an oral appliance.

Joseph A. Murray, M.D. serves as a Gastroenterologist in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He founded a celiac disease clinic at the University of Iowa in 1992. In 1998, Dr. Murray joined the staff of Mayo clinic, where he runs the celiac disease research and clinical program that focuses on epidemiology, complications and mouse models of gluten sensitivity. In addition, Dr. Murray is a Professor of Medicine at the Mayo clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He serves as a Consultant to several companies and has broad experience with clinical trials. Dr. Murray is an Associate Editor of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology as well as an expert reviewer for many scientific journals. He has published over 100 scientific articles and has several patents on novel devices for the treatment of GI disorders. He has a large clinical practice widely focused on celiac disease and has been elected to the Best doctors in America from 2001 to 2006. He received his medical training in Ireland and GI training from the University of Iowa.

Janelle is a registered dietitian nutritionist with expertise in both gastrointestinal disorders and eating disorders. She was motivated to become a dietitian when she was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2009. She believes that understanding the individualized effects of food in the body is an empowering part of treatment. Janelle utilizes mindfulness and self-compassion in addition to diet changes to help patients minimize diet restrictions and live a fulfilling life.

Janelle received her masters of science in nutrition and dietetics from California State University Northridge, then trained at the Veterans Health Association in Los Angeles. She is a certified eating disorder dietitian through the organization, International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP). She is a leader within the community of celiac patients and professionals, advocating for faster diagnosis, better care and improved quality of life.

Dr. Verdu received an MD degree and trained in Internal Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires. She received further training in Gastroenterology and Clinical Research at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. She earned a doctoral degree in Human Physiology for her thesis on the interaction between chronic H. pylori infection and inhibition of gastric acid secretion under the direction of Prof. Andre Blum. She then undertook PhD studies in Microbiology and Gnotobiology at the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, where she investigated the role of commensal bacterial sonicates in the modulation of experimental colitis, under the supervision of Prof. Helena Tlaskaova. Her post-doctoral training with Prof. Stephen Collins at McMaster University focussed on the role of probiotic bacteria in mouse models of gut dysfunction.

In 2006 she became Assistant Professor at McMaster University, was promoted  to Associate Professor in 2011, and to full Professor in 2018. Since 2010, she directs the Axenic Gnotobiotic Unit established by Prof. Andrew Macpherson at McMaster University.

Ritu Verma, MD, Medical Director of the University Chicago Celiac Disease Center, is a highly respected pediatric gastroenterologist who provides compassionate, comprehensive care to children suffering from complex gastroenterology conditions. Dr. Verma is a leading expert in celiac disease and works closely with her patients and their families to manage this condition. She is also committed to ensuring pediatric gastroenterology patients have a seamless continuum of care throughout their journey, which includes a coordinated transition from pediatric to adult gastroenterology programs.

In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Verma is also passionate about creating a holistic approach to research that merges adult and pediatric robust basic science research in celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and food allergies with clinical research so that all of gastroenterology is marching towards to the same goal, providing our patients with the latest therapies and access to innovative treatments.

Dr. Verma takes her responsibilities as educator seriously, and she has served as a course instructor, delivers lectures and participates in rounds to teach medical students, residents and fellows about current pediatric gastroenterology care. Dr. Verma has also been published in several peer-reviewed journals, such as the American Journal of Gastroenterology, Journal of Pediatrics, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Gastroenterology, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Pediatric Diabetes and Nature Genetics.

Dr. Weiss practices general gastroenterology, with particular focus on gluten-associated disorders, mainly celiac disease, non/slow-responsive celiac disease, refractory celiac disease, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS); food allergies and sensitivities; eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGID) including eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), eosinophilic gastritis (EoG), eosinophilic enteritis (EoN), and eosinophilic colitis (EoC); lymphocytic gastritis; autoimmune atrophic gastritis; microscopic colitis including lymphocytic and collagenous colitis; autoimmune enteropathy; mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and inflammatory bowel diseases. His research focuses on adherence to medical therapy and diet, gluten-associated disorders, and outcomes research. Dr. Weiss studied in the combined BMedSc/MD program at the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel. He completed his internal medicine training at SUNY Buffalo, NY and served as a chief resident during his third year. He subsequently completed his gastroenterology fellowship at UCLA. During his training, Dr. Weiss developed the UCLA Celiac Collective and later joined the Westwood faculty as the UCLA Celiac Program leader.