GI Fellows

Gastroenterology Fellows

Heidi S. Ahmed, MD

Medical School: University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
Residency: University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics
Year Started Fellowship: 2018
Grants/Academics: NIH T32 training grand;currently enrolled in Boston University School of Public Health-Masters of Science in Population Health Research, Epidemiology
Areas of Interest: NAFLD, chronic liver disease, general GI
BUMC Research Mentor: Dr. Michelle Long
Currently Scholarly Work:
– Development and validation of the NAFLD decompensation risk score to predict patients with early NAFLD are at highest risk of developing cirrhosis and liver-related complications
– Evaluation of the association between hepatic steatosis and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality in the Framingham Heart Study, Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) and the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study
– Evaluation of the association between liver stiffness and etiology of cirrhosis on liver-related outcomes and mortality
– Evaluation of two-tiered risk stratification methods using transient elastography to identify non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Fun Facts: Enjoys playing lots of music, reads too many books, still can’t figure out how to go on a run with her cat.

Brisas M. Flores, MD

Medical School: University of Miami-Miller School of Medicine
Residency: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Year Started Fellowship: 2018
Areas of Interest: IBD, IBS, malabsorption and malnutrition, quality improvement and medical education
BUSM Research Mentor: Dr. Sharmeel K. Wasan
Current Scholarly Work: Research and organizer, IBD Qorus, Multicenter quality improvement project aiming at improving health and decreasing hospitalizations of patients with IBD
-Active organizer and attendee of GMC Crohn’s and Colitis Biweekly High Risk Meeting
– Educator and Researcher, Preventative healthcare of the patient with IBD: a medical education initiative for primary care providers

Flores B, Wasan S. “Common Clinical Manifestations of Gastrointestinal Disease: Malabsorption” Cecil Essentials of Medicine, 10th ED. Schiffman F, Sessa B, and Carvalho K.
Fun Facts: In her spare time, she spends time with her husband and her mini Aussiedoodle, Dragon!

Dionne U. Rebello, MD

Medical School: University of Maryland School of Medicine
Residency: Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital Lifespan
Year Started Fellowship: 2018
Areas of Interest: Colorectal cancer, socioeconomic and racial disparities in colon cancer, surveillance colonoscopy guidelines as well as nutrition and obesity medicine.
BUMC Research Mentors: Dr. Paul Schroy and Dr. Hemant K. Roy
Current Scholarly Work: – Clinical Characteristics Predict Failure of Moderate Sedation for Endoscopic Procedures
– The Prevalencee of Metachronous Advanced Colorectal Neoplasia Among Whites and Blacks Undergoing Post-Polypectomy Surveillance Colonoscopy, manuscript in process
– Novel Approaches to Colorectal Cancer, book chapter in Advances in Cancer Research, manuscript in process
– Precursor lesions predicting dysplasia and neoplasia in IBD patients, data gathering
Fun Facts: In her spare time, she performs and teaches classical violin and piano.

Laura S. Chiu, MD

Medical School: Albany Medical College
Residency: Boston University Medical Center
Year Started Fellowship: 2019
Areas of Interest: Hepatology, GI malignancies, public health
BUMC Research Mentors: Dr. Michelle Long, Dr. Paul Schroy
Current Scholarly Work: – NAFLD and subclinical cardiovascular outcomes
– Delayed diagnosis in early age onset colorectal cancer
– Increasing colorectal cancer screening in a safety net hospital
Fun Facts: cooking, yoga fanatic, enjoys hiking with her Newfoundland dog, former child model (math textbooks included)

 James J. Connolly, MD

Medical School: Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University
Residency: Yale-New Haven Hospital
Year Started Fellowship: 2019
Areas of Interest: General GI, advanced Endoscopy, critical care and GI, medical education
Current Scholarly Work: – Untold sequelae and impact on GI practice during the Covid-19 pandemic
– Longitudinal impact of new guideline-driven CRC surveillance intervals following Covid-19
Fun Facts: Proud papa to a boxer-mix rescue named Apollo, who forever believes he is a puppy.

 Brian C. Surjanhata, MD

Medical School: Wayne State University School of Medicine
Residency: Boston University Medical Center
Year Started Fellowship: 2019
Areas of Interest: Gastroparesis, Constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Research Mentors: Dr. Braden Kuo (MGH), Dr. Hiroshi Mashimo (VA Boston)
Current Scholarly Work: – Blunted Colonic Fed Response in Slow Transit Constipation Compared to Normal Transit Patients Measured by Ambulatory Wireless Motility Capsule, abstract submitted to United European Gastroenterology Week 2020
– Comparison of Impaired Small Bowel and Colonic Postprandial Responses Measured by Wireless Motility Capsule and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Upper GI Symptoms, abstract submitted to ACG 2020
Fun Facts: Indoor rock climbs on days off, obsessed with Sous Vide cooking.

Neal D. Dharmadhikari, MD

Medical School: Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Residency: Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital Lifespan
Year Started Fellowship: 2020
Areas of Interest: inflammatory bowel disease, pancreaticobiliary disease, gastrointestinal malignancies
Current Scholarly Work:-“Predictors of OPAN Radiographic Findings in Crohn’s Disease Patients who present  to the Emergency Department”, data analysis
– “Esophageal Disorders”, book chapter in Andreoli and Carpenter’s Cecil Essentials of Medicine, accepted, pending publication
Fun Facts:In his spare time, Neal enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling, and co-managing a small online business.

Alexander M. Goldowsky, MD

Medical School: NYU School of Medicine
Residency: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Year Started Fellowship: 2020
Areas of Interest: inflammatory bowel disease, medical education in gastroenterology, inflammatory bowel disease guideline and quality metric development
Current Scholarly Work: – Are Quality Metrics in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Rooted on Substantial Quality Evidence? A Systematic Review
– The Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Patients With a History of Malignancy
-Rapid fire hepatology: A study of a near-peer, speed-teaching hepatology curriculum in a busy tertiary care academic medical center, manuscript in process
– The Overall Quality of Evidence Surrounding Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines, manuscript in process
– Is there a standardized practice for the development of international ulcerative colitis and crohn’s disease treatment guidelines?, submission pending
Fun Facts: When he has some down time, Alex enjoys cheering on the New York Mets and Jets. He is also a fan of trivia and running.

Venkata R. Satyam, MD

Medical School: Boston University School of Medicine
Residency: Boston Medical Center
Year Started Fellowship: 2020
Areas of Interest: Inflammatory Bowel Disease, General GI, Medical Education
Current Scholarly Work: Immunogenicity of herpes zoster subunit vaccine among ulcerative colitis patients treated with Tofacitinib and other immunosuppressive regimens, data gathering
Fun Facts: He likes to study jazz guitar and cook new dishes in his free time