2024
Nov. 8: Dr. Fouad Jaber won first place at the fellows case presentation competition at the Texas Gulf Coast Gastrointestinal Society Meeting. The first place is shared with Dr. Michael Shi, a second year IM resident, who represented Baylor Hepatology.
Primary Mentorship for Dr. Jaber: Dr. Fares Ayoub, and Dr. Wasseem Skef
Mentorship for Dr. Shi: Dr. Prasun Jalal and Dr. George Cholankeril
Drs. Jaber and Shi would also like to thank Dr. Kalpesh Patel, Dr. Jordan Sparkman, Dr. Robert J. Sealock, Dr. Milena Gould Suarez, Dr. Natalia Khalaf and Dr. Jinna Chu.
2023
Dr. Freddie Peng Successfully Completed Certificate of Added Qualification in Healthcare Improvement Program
Nov. 24: Dr. Freddie Peng, PGY-5 fellow, successfully completed the Certificate of Added Qualification in Healthcare Improvement Program from the Institute for Continuing Professional Development in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety. His work on palliative hepatology practices at MEDVAMC, improves the care of Veterans with decompensated cirrhosis.
Dr. Conrad Fernandes Receives Award for Fellow of the Block for Block 5
Nov. 17: Dr. Conrad Fernandes received the award for "Fellow of the Block for Block 5" from Department of Medicine at Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.
Nov. 16: Dr. Vincent Wong was our invited speaker for Hepatology GI Grand Rounds. He was awarded The Distinguished Visiting Professor award.
Gastroenterology Fellow Competition Event and Dinner
Every year Texas Gulf Coast Gastroenterological Society organizes Gastroenterology Fellow Competition Event and Dinner. One fellow representing respective GI fellowship program presents an interesting case and each presentation is evaluated by a panel of independent judges. The annual event is highly competitive, great fun and very popular among the fellows.
This year we got our trophy back!
Our fellow Jinna Chu did it! Her presentation was the ranked as the best and secured the first prize, with UT being a close second.
She was supported by Drs. RJ Sealock, Scott Larson, Milena Gould Suarez and Suneal Agarwal, and other fellows.
Congratulations to Jinna for representing us and her great achievement. She worked hard and made us proud.
Dr. Peng succeeds at scavenger hunt
Oct. 6 : Dr. Frederick Peng successfully identified all the hunt hints at the AGA Leadership Summit. The Learning and Engagement scavenger hunt was a new activity offered this year. Leaders learned about AGA governance, as well as opportunities to get involved with AGA political action committee (PAC), AGA Journals, the GI Opportunity Fund, speaker’s bureau and more. Learn more.
Aug. 31: On Thursday, Aug. 31 we held the inaugural GI Fellows' Research Retreat. Eighteen faculty members showcased their diverse research projects to GI fellows, detailing opportunities for fellow involvement and mentorship. The meeting was an inspiring and enriching event that highlighted the excellent scholarly work being conducted in the department. For the fellows, this was an exceptional opportunity to explore various research avenues and identify potential mentors who could guide them in their academic journey. Overall, the research retreat was a resounding success, fostering mentorship relationships and empowering fellows to participate in academic research with confidence and enthusiasm. The meeting will be held annually, and we look forward to its continued success.
July 15: The Texas Interventional Endoscopy Group (TxIEG) hosted its annual First Year Fellows Course in the Texas Medical Center. 45 fellows and 18 faculty from all over the state of Texas participated. A range of endoscopy techniques and tools were taught using 12 different endoscopy stations.
Dr. Ajayi accepted to Advanced Motility Program
June 19, 2023: Dr. Teminioluwa Ajayi was accepted to the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (ANMS) Advanced Motility Program for Fellows. This is a mentorship program that culminates in a funded trip to the ANMS Annual Conference in August.
Dr. Nagasri Shankar will be joining our program AY 24-25
May 19: BCM ACGME Transplant Hepatology Fellowship is proud to match with Dr. Nagasri Shankar who is in GI fellowship at UT San Antonio. Dr. Shankar will be joining our program AY 24-25. She has several important publications related to liver transplant and cirrhosis outcomes. We are excited to have her here as she comes with the strongest recommendations from her program.
May 12: The Baylor GI team made up of Team Captain: Nathaniel Spezia-Lindner (1st Year Fellow) and Teammates: Ashwin Rao (1st Year Fellow) and Gabriel Sandoval (1st Year Fellow) will advance to the semi-finals for ASGE's 2023 Golden Scope Award. Out of 66 internationally competing teams, they made the cut of the top 12. The semi-finals will take place in August 2023.
May 12: BCM GI Chief Fellows for AY 2023-2024 will be Dr. Shivani Kastuar and Dr. Anthony Xu. Shivani completed her IM residency at University of Pennsylvania and Tony completed his IM residency at BCM. We are very happy and excited that both Shivani and Tony have accepted the invitation; they will play a vital role in advising the program leadership on fellows' educational needs.
We also would like to thank our outgoing Chief Fellow, Ahana Sen for a job well done, especially given the challenges of this year.
Dr. Frederick Peng invited to American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute committee
April 7: Dr. Frederick (Freddie) Peng has been invited to serve as the trainee member of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute Quality Committee & Trainee and Early Career Committee for a 2-year term. This is an opportunity for him to advance high-value care for gastroenterology and hepatology by developing new and revising existing quality measures. He will also develop programs, products and services to meet the educational needs of fellows and early career GIs.
Dr. Shaleen Vasavada has been selected for the 2023 American Gastroenterological Association Innovation Fellows Program
Jan. 2023: Dr. Shaleen Vasavada (GI Fellow) has been selected for the 2023 American Gastroenterological Association Innovation Fellows Program. The program includes complimentary registration, travel, and lodging for the 2023 AGA Tech Summit; An exclusive behind-the-scenes “Immersion Day” program at the Medtronic Innovation HQ in Santa Clara; and many other events throughout the year.
Jan. 27: The 6th Annual 1st-Year GI Fellows' Retreat
The retreat focused on reflecting and reconnecting with individual purpose and with one another. The retreat included inviting a patient to share how fellows impacted their care, re-reading personal statements, sharing positive attributes of one another and fellow / faculty speed dating to discuss work-life balance. Second- and third-year fellows covered clinical duties the following weekend to allow for much-needed rest.
2022
2023 Incoming Gastroenterology Fellowship Class
Dec 1: The Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Incoming 2023 Gastroenterology Fellows.
- Basim Ali (IM BCM)
- Conrad Fernandes (IM UPennsylvania)
- Fransciska Gudenkauf (IM John Hopkins Hospital)
- Disha Kumar (IM BCM)
- Emmanuel Palomera Tejada (IM Cook County Health & Hospital Sys.)
- Taylor Riggs (IM UVanderbilt)
- Jinna Chu (IM BCM MeRIT) -- T32 Research Track
Dr. Peng Received DxQI Seed Grant Program Funding
Sept. 22: Dr. Frederick Peng, first year gastroenterology fellow, and his colleagues through the Chief Resident in Quality and Patient Safety program and IQuESt received funding from the DxQI Seed Grant Program for the project titled “Identifying current clinical care processes to reduce delays in colorectal cancer diagnosis.” ($50,000, one year).
Dr. Faisal Aljohani Joins ACGME Transplant Hepatology Fellowship
July 1: Dr. Faisal Aljohani will be joining our ACGME Transplant Hepatology Fellowship for 2023-24. Faisal completed his IM residency at University of Toronto and he is completing his GI fellowship at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Faisal was very highly recommended by faculty and he comes from programs with liver transplant services.
2022 Incoming Gastroenterology Fellowship Class
June 30: The Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology welcomed the 2022 Gastroenterology Fellowship Class.
- Kristeen Onyirioha (IM UTSouthwestern)
- Frederick Peng (IM BCM)
- Gabriel Sandoval (IM Vanderbilt)
- Nathaniel Spezia - Lindner (IM BCM)
- Shaleen Vasavada (IM BCM)
- Jake Jacob (IM BCM)
- Ashwin Rao (IM UTSouthwestern) -- T32 Research Track
- Fares Ayoub (IM UChicago) -- Advanced Endoscopy
Drs. Ahana Sen and Cassandra Gandle Complete Medicine Fellow's Quality Academy
June 27: Second-year fellows Drs. Ahana Sen and Cassandra Gandle completed the Medicine Fellow's Quality Academy. Ahana Sen and Cassandra Gandle both led QI projects that were selected for presentation to the Academy. Ahana's project on Optimizing Inpatient Colonoscopy Prep and Cassandra's QI on Gastric Ulcer Surveillance are both ongoing with several publications anticipated.
Dr. Hyunseok Kim Received 2022 Joseph Bloomer Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Award
June 24: Dr. Hyunseok Kim is selected to receive the 2022 Joseph Bloomer Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Award by American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Foundation. The Joseph Bloomer Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Award provides $4,000 in travel funds to fourth year Transplant Hepatology fellows or third year GI/Hepatology dual certification program fellows in accredited U.S., Canadian, or Mexican programs to attend The Liver Meeting® and one additional educational meeting related to their hepatology training. Awardees will also receive enhanced professional development opportunities to further their careers, including participation as an ex officio member of an AASLD/AASLD Foundation Committee or a SIG Steering Committee and opportunity to cooperatively present an AASLD webinar on a clinical topic with mentorship from senior AASLD/AASLD Foundation leadership.
2022 Gastroenterology and Hepatology 2022 Graduation Celebration
June 10: The Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology celebrated the 2022 Gastroenterology Fellowship Class Graduation.
Gastroenterology Fellowship
- Kati Choi
- Juan Gomez Cifuentes
- Emily Mao
- Sarah Marucci
- Talha Qureshi
- Shashank Sarvepalli
Advanced Gastrointestinal Research Fellowship
- Hyunseok Kim
Advance Endoscopy Fellowship
- Tara Keihanian
BCM GI Fellows Placed on Top Twelve Teams
June 1: 39 GI Fellow Teams participated in the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy’s 2022 Golden Scope. BCM Fellows placed on the top twelve teams (Ten U.S. and two International) and are advancing to the semi-finals in August 2022.
- Team Captain: Tariq Salim (2nd-Year Fellow)
- Teammates: Peter Nguyen (1st-Year Fellow) and Tony Xu (1st-Year Fellow)
Dr. Ahana Sen Named 2022-2023 Gastroenterology Chief Fellow
May 10: Ahan Shen, M.D., completed her Internal Medicine residency at UT Southwestern. Dr. Sen will play a vital role in advising the program leadership on fellows’ education needs.
Dr. Hyunseok Kim’s Abstract Selected for AASLD Foundation Abstract Award
April 22: Dr. Hyunseok Kim’s abstract was selected for an AASLD Foundation Abstract Award for the 2022 Digestive Disease Week conference. This award recognizes excellence in research performed by early-career investigators and are intended to support travel-related costs for the presenter to attend the meeting and present their work to an international audience. Dr. Kim received $1,000 travel grant. The abstract is entitled, “Prognosis and clinical correlates of outcomes in U.S. Patients with indeterminate phase chronic hepatitis B Virus Infection.
Dr. Temini Ajayi Selected for AGA Institute Investing in the Future Training Program
March 18: Dr. Temini Ajayi has been selected to participate in the AGA Institute Investing in the Future: Advancing Diversity in GI Training Program to be held in conjunction with DDW. This fellowship provides 10 awards at $5,000 for underrepresented minority undergraduate and medical school students to perform eight to 10 weeks of research related to digestive diseases or nutrition. Highly qualified students will travel out of state to work with top investigators in the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology.
5th Annual 1st-Year GI Fellows' Retreat
Feb. 25: The 5th Annual 1st-Year GI Fellows' Retreat was held Feb 25. The retreat focused on reflecting and on reconnecting with individual purpose and with one another. The retreat included inviting a patient to share how fellows impacted her care, re-reading personal statements, sharing positive attributes of one another, fellow/faculty speed dating to discuss work-life balance, games and ended with a pizza lunch. Second- and 3rd-year fellows covered clinical duties the following weekend to allow for much-needed rest
2022 Incoming Gastroenterology Fellowship Class
Feb 22: The Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology welcomed the 2022 Gastroenterology Fellowship Class.
- Kristeen Onyirioha (IM UTSW)
- Frederick Peng (IM BCM)
- Gabriel Sandoval (IM Vanderbilt)
- Nathan Spezia-Lindner (IM BCM)
- Shaleen Vasavada (IM BCM)
- Ashwin Rao (IM UTSW) -- T32 Track
2021
BCM GI Fellowship Team Qualified for Final of the American College of Gastroenterology Jeopardy Competition
Nov. 30: The BCM GI fellowship team qualified to the final of the American College of Gastroenterology jeopardy competition that was held in Las Vegas with a live audience. The BCM team, represented by Talha Qureshi and Shashank Sarvepalli, fellows, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, won second place out of 149 GI fellowships from around the country.
Sarah Marucci, fellow, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Talha Qureshi qualified to the finals (top 12 among 300) of the EndoTitans, an endoscopic skills competition. Participants were encouraged to bring a GI faculty to serve as endoscopy technician for the hands-on challenges testing a wide range of endoscopic skills. Talha and Sarah were wearing Texas capes that Dr. RJ Sealock, assistant professor, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, brought. Talha Qureshi, with the support of Dr. Sealock, won the competition! The winner gets a travel grant for ACG 2022.
BCM Fellows Received ASGE Golden Scope Competition First Prize
Aug. 24: Third year GI Fellows Sarah Marucci, Kati Choi and Talha Qureshi received first-place finish in the ASGE Golden Scope Competition held in Downers Grove, IL. They competed against 11 other teams of GI fellows from across the country in a preliminary Jeopardy competition and a virtual reality endoscopy challenge, and then advanced to the final Jeopardy competition in which they beat Emory University and University of Buffalo for the championship.
Sarah, Kati, and Talha are so excited to have had the opportunity to represent BCM GI on the national level and bring home the Golden Scope!
GI Fellows Qualified for EndoTitans Finals
July 23: Drs. Talha Qureshi, fellow, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Sara Marucci, fellow, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, qualified in the top six GI fellows to participate in the EndoTitans finals this October at the American College of Gastroenterology, which will be a live hands-on competition involving various endoscopy skills.
Dr. Shashank Sarvepalli Received ANMS Travel Award
July 16: Dr. Shashank Sarvepalli, fellow, Gastroenterology and Hepatology has been awarded the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society Travel Award for the 2021 ANMS Scientific Meeting, to be held Aug 13-152, 2022 in Boston.
2021 Incoming Gastroenterology Fellowship Class
June 21: The Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology welcomed the 2021 Gastroenterology Fellowship Class.
- Farid Abushamat (IM UCSD)
- Temini Ajayi (IM Vanderbilt)
- Shivani Kastuar (IM UPenn)
- Peter Nguyen (IM UPMC)
- David Szafron (IM BCM)
- Tony Xu (IM BCM) -- T32 Research Track
BCM Fellow and Faculty Received Teaching Awards
June 18: The Teaching Awards were hosted June 17, 2021
Dr. Mimi Tan received the Fellows' Teaching Award: This award is voted on and given by the fellows every year to an outstanding faculty educator for their commitment and dedication to fellow education.
Dr. Chris Pappas received the Master Educator Award: This award honors faculty who have made an enduring impact on fellow education and training.
GI Fellows Placed Sixth in 2021 Golden Scope Gaming Event
May 11: Congratulations to the 50 GI Fellow teams who participated in round one of the ASGE’s debut gaming event: 2021 Golden Scope. Baylor College of Medicine Gastroenterology placed number sixth among the top 12 teams at the 2021 Golden Scope.
Baylor College of Medicine Team Captain: Talha Qureshi (2nd Year Fellow) and Teammates: Sarah Marucci (2nd Year Fellow) and Kati Choi (2nd Year Fellow)
Dr. Theresa Nguyen Received Master's in Public Health
May 24: Dr. Theresa Nguyen, fourth-year T32 fellow, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, graduated with a Master’s in Public Health from the University Of Texas School Of Public Health.
2020
Dr. Jessica Bernica Featured in American Gastroenterological Association
Sept. 2: Dr. Jessica Bernica, clinical post-doc fellow, was recently featured on the American Gastroenterological Association website for her VA H. pylori QI project, which she also won the BCM Fellows' QI prize for. In addition, she was recognized by the AGA as one of 25 fellows across the nation. Read the AGA article.
2019
Dr. Jordan Sparkman Selected as 2019-2020 Chief Fellow
March 26: The BCM GI Chief Fellow for academic year 2019-2020 will be Dr. Jordan Sparkman. Dr. Sparkman also completed his internal medicine residency at Baylor College of Medicine. He will play a vital role in advising the program leadership on fellows' educational needs as the Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology plan the schedule for next year. Thank you to outgoing Chief Fellow, Dr. Sunina Nathoo.
Dr. Vinshi Khan Accepted Offer at Transplant Hepatology Program
March 26: Dr. Vinshi Khan has accepted an offer for the Transplant Hepatology Program at Columbia University Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital starting in July 2020. The Transplant Hepatology Program is a bi-campus program formed by merger of Columbia and Cornell universities.
AASLD Event Highlights Emerging Liver Scholar Program and GI Fellowship
March 1: An event sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases was held Feb. 27 at the McNair Campus to highlight the Emerging Liver Scholar program and the GI fellowship, as part of the AASLD fellow ambassadorship program. Residents from Baylor, UT Houston, Methodist Hospital and UT Medical Branch attended. Dr. Hyunseok Kim, clinical postdoc fellow, introduced the Emerging Liver Scholar program and covered his experience in the program. A panel discussion provided information about fellowship applications. Panelists included: Dr. Yamini Natarajan, assistant professor, Dr. Ruben Hernaez, assistant professor, Dr. Clark Hair, assistant professor, Dr. Mimi Tan, assistant professor and Dr. Rehman Sheikh, clinical postdoc fellow. Topics covered mentorship, life as an academic transplant hepatologist, fellowship interview/selection processes, information about the T32/research track and experiences as Baylor College of Medicine residents, chief resident, fellows, and faculty.