JANUARY 31, 2026
San Diego Marriott La Jolla
4240 La Jolla Village Dr, La Jolla, CA 92037
The UC San Diego Division of Gastroenterology strives to be nationally recognized through its faculty as well as innovations that will improve the care of patients with gastrointestinal and liver diseases nationwide. The mission of the UC San Diego Division of Gastroenterology is to provide the best clinical care to those afflicted with gastrointestinal and liver diseases, investigate at the clinical and basic levels the best way to improve those diseases, and educate trainees on how to best approach the care of patients with those diseases.
Course Directors
Pranab M. Barman, MD
Transplant Hepatologist
UC San Diego
San Diego, CA
Brigid Boland, MD
Associate Professor
UC San Diego ACTRI
La Jolla, CA
Rohit Loomba, MD
Professor of Medicine
UC San Diego
San Diego, CA
Agenda
6:45–7:00 AM
Registration and Breakfast
7:00–7:40 AM
Industry-Sponsored Event
8:10 AM
Welcome
BLOCK A: INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE — Session Chairs: Brigid Boland, MD and Angelina Collins, NP
8:10–8:30 AM
New Advances in IBD in 2025 — Bruce Sands, MD, MS
8:30–8:45 AM
Keeping IBD Patients Healthy — Preetika Sinh, MD
8:45–8:55 AM
Panel Discussion
8:55–9:15 AM
Clinical Case Presentation
9:15–9:20 AM
Q&A
9:20–9:40 AM
Break
BLOCK B: GENERAL GASTROENTEROLOGY — Session Chairs: Michael Docherty, MD and Denise Kalmaz, MD
9:40–10:00 AM
Novel Stool and Blood-Based Biomarkers for Colon Cancer Detection — Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH
10:00–10:15 AM
Constipation Therapeutics Update — David Kunkel, MD
10:15–10:25 AM
Panel Discussion
10:25–10:45 AM
Clinical Case Presentation — Fellow: Jonathan Dounel, MD; Mentor: Michael Docherty, MD
10:45–10:50 AM
Q&A
10:50–11:05 AM
Diverticulitis: A Surgeon’s Approach — Nicole Lopez, MD
11:05–11:20 AM
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors GI Toxicities — Matthew Tsai, MD, PhD
11:20–11:30 AM
Panel Discussion
11:30–11:50 AM
Clinical Case Presentation
11:50–11:55 AM
Q&A
12:00–1:00 PM
Lunch
12:25–1:05 PM
Industry-Sponsored Event
1:05 - 1:35 PM
Break
BLOCK C: HEPATOLOGY — Session Chair: Pranab Barman, MD
1:35–1:55 PM
New Treatments for MetALD and ALD — Michael Lucey, MD
1:55–2:10 PM
PBC: New Kids on the Block — Selena Kuo, MD
2:10–2:20 PM
Panel Discussion
2:20–2:40 PM
Clinical Case Presentation
2:40–2:45 PM
Q&A
2:45–3:05 PM
Break
BLOCK D: ENDOSCOPY — Session Chair: Tom Savides, MD
3:05–3:25 PM
Indications for ESD in Gastric Cancer — Teppei Masunaga, MD, PhD
3:25–3:40 PM
Gastric Cancer Prevention and Early Detection: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go — Shailja Shah, MD, MPH
3:40–3:50 PM
Panel Discussion
3:50–4:10 PM
Clinical Case Presentation — Fellow: Omar Belfaqeeh, MD; Mentor: Syed Abbas Fehmi, MD
4:10–4:15 PM
Q&A
4:15–4:30 PM
Closing Remarks