Dr. Heifert joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor with the Division Pediatric Gastroenterology on February 12, 2024. Dr. Heifert earned her medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, completed her pediatric residency at the Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, and completed her subspecialty training in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD. Most recently she has been Staff Pediatric Gastroenterologist and Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, NC.  Welcome Theresa!

Tina Greeson, an Advanced Practice Practitioner in the Division of Gastroenterology, recently successfully defended her doctoral dissertation! Tina earner her doctorate in nursing while working her full time clinical job with Pediatrics. She is a wonderful example of what a nurse practitioner can do in an academic setting. Congratulations Dr. Greeson!

UNC Pediatric Gastroenterology was well represented at the North American Society For Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition (NASPGHAN) Annual Meeting in San Diego, October 4-7, 2023.

Michael Kappelman, MD, MPH, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Gastroenterology, has received a CDC Cooperative Agreement Awards (U01) award entitled “Improving Outcomes and Reducing Disparities for Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease through Epidemiology, Enhanced Disease Management, Dissemination, and Education”. This will be a 5-year, $3.75 million award starting September 30, 2023. UNC is the Prime recipient. It is a multiple PI award with Dr. Kappenman as Lead PI along with adult GI colleagues Dr. Sid Singh at UCSD and Dr. Meena Bewtra at UPenn.

We are excited to welcome to the newest group of fellows/subspecialty residents to UNC Children’s! Our fellowship programs are committed to fostering the development of future generations of physicians and scientists who will go on to improve the health of children in North Carolina and across the globe.

Michael Kappelman, MD, MPH, was the lead PI on the clinical trial, which followed nearly 300 children with Crohn’s to evaluate how their conditions changed in response to anti-TNF biologic treatments alone or in combination with a second immune suppressive medication.

Dr. Erica Brenner joined the Department of Pediatrics as an Assistant Professor is the Division of Gastroenterology on July 1, 2022. Dr. Brenner received her MD from SUNY Upstate Medical University in 2015. She also received a Master of Clinical Research Degree from the UNC Gillings School of Public Health in 2021. Dr. Brenner completed her Pediatric Residency in 2018 and her Fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology in 2020, both at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. She completed an Advanced Inflammatory Bowel Disease Fellowship at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2022. Welcome Erica!

Jessica Owens joined Pediatric Gastroenterology on October 18th. Ms. Owens received her BSN from Queens Univeristy of Charlotte – Presbyterian School of Nursing in 2013 and went on to completed her MSN at the Duke University School of Nursing in 2018. Beginning in 2013, she worked for 6 years as a nurse on a variety of services at Duke University Medical Center.  Since 2019, she has worked as Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Growing Child Pediatrics in Clayton, NC.  Welcome Jessica!

Dr. Rudra joined the Pediatrics Division of Gastroenterology as faculty on October 4, 2021. Dr. Rudra received her BS from Duke University in 2010 and her MD from the University of Texas School of Medicine in San Antonio in 2015. She completed her pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 2018. Dr. Rudra has just recently completed a fellowship in Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Welcome Sharmisthai!

Ajay Gulati, MD, Division of Gastroenterology, was promoted to Professor of Pediatrics as of June 1, 2021. Dr. Gulati is a long-standing researcher in the UNC Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease (CGIBD).