Mission

     The mission of the section is to cure digestive disease in children through state-of-the-art patient care, excellence in education and cutting edge research.

In 1970 the Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition in the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital was founded by Dr. Buford L. Nichols. Since that time, there have been only three additional Section Heads, Dr. William J. Klish (1983-2004), Dr. Robert J. Shulman (2004-2005) and now, Dr. Mark A. Gilger. The section currently consists of 27 faculty members and a support staff of 75, all of whom are dedicated to providing the highest standard of clinical care, research, and education.

The section sees an average of 12,000 outpatient visits and 6,000 inpatient contacts per year. These include abdominal pain, gastroesophageal reflux, inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease including liver transplant, chronic constipation, nutritional problems and disorders, feeding disorders, as well as gastrointestinal, liver, and nutrition problems associated with other disease processes.

Basic science research programs include gastrointestinal stem cell research, gastrointestinal development, liver disease, and liver transplant. Clinical research programs can be found in gastrointestinal development and function, inflammatory bowel disease, gastroesophageal reflux, Helicobacter pylori infection, liver disease and liver transplant, obesity, and abdominal pain. These programs are supported, in part, by funding from the National Institutes of Health, private foundations, the United States Department of Agriculture, and private donations.

The section participates actively in the education of medical students, residents, fellows, dietitians, physicians, and families. Fellows in gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition are supported, in part, by a National Institutes of Health training grant. Our fellowship offers extensive opportunities for both clinical and research training. Potential fellowship candidates should consult our brochure (PDF).

We work everyday to improve the healthcare of children with digestive disease. We look forward to the next 35 years of providing outstanding care to patients, pushing forward the boundaries of knowledge through research, and creating the next generation of healthcare providers and researchers through education.