Faculty Accomplishments
M Health GI ranked as the 2024 Top GI health system in the state of Minnesota by Castle Connolly
Castle Connolly Accolades recognizes the top health systems, hospitals and physician practices with the most Castle Connolly-recognized physicians in gastroenterology. The list also names the top health system for GI care in every state, including the M Health GI team in Minnesota in 2024. Read more
2024 Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine Rising Stars
Congratulations to our physicians who made the 2024 Top Doctors Rising Stars list from Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine:
- Dr. Elizabeth Aby
- Dr. Joshua Sloan
- Dr. Christopher Steevens
- Dr. Mary Thomson
- Physicians: Aby, Azeem, Howard, Leventhal, Lim, Mallery, Shmidt, Sloan, Thompson, Thomson
Dr. Alexander Khoruts and Dr. Byron Vaughn receive $3M grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust
Dr. Khoruts and Dr. Vaughn received a $3M grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust to conduct a multi-center Microbiota Therapeutics Transplant clinical trial in Crohn's disease. They will be comparing two regimens of MTT in the major subtypes of Crohn's disease. UMN will be the central site. Other clinical sites include Indiana University, Henry Ford Health in Michigan, Mount Sinai in NY, Cornell University in NY, and Brigham and Women's Hospital in MA. Biospecimens collected in the course of the trial will allow further mechanistic research.
Dr. Martin Freeman receives the ASGE Rudolf Schindler Award
Dr. Martin Freeman is honored with the ASGE Rudolf Schindler Award at the 2024 Digestive Diseases Week meeting. The Schindler Award is named for the founder of the American Gastroscopic Club, the predecessor to ASGE, and is the ASGE's highest distinction.
2024 Clinical Excellence Honorees
Congratulations to our physicians and APPs who were honored as a 2024 Clinical Excellence Honoree:
- APPs: Affeldt, Hjeltness, Pitzl, Stangenes
2024 Castle Connolly Top Doctors
Castle Connolly Top Doctors are peer-nominated, and thoroughly vetted by a physician-led research team. These doctors are best-in-class healthcare providers, embodying excellence in clinical care as well as interpersonal skills. Congratulations to GI's physicians who made the list:
- Dr. Martin Freeman
- Dr. Jack Lake
- Dr. Shawn Mallery
- Dr. Eugenia Shmidt
- Dr. Christopher Steevens
- Dr. Guru Trikudanathan
Dr. Guisheng Song and Dr. Elizabeth Aby named Hepatology Communications Top Reviewers by AASLD
Dr. Guisheng Song and Dr. Elizabeth Aby were both named 2023 Top Reviewers for Hepatology Communications by AASLD.
Dr. Alexander Khoruts recognized as a 2023 Highly Cited Researcher
Dr. Alexander Khoruts was recognized as a 2023 Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate. Highly Cited Researchers are recognized for their exceptional research influence, demonstrated by the production of multiple highly-cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year in the Web of Science.
Dr. Martin Freeman honored as Wall of Scholarship Recipient
Dr. Martin Freeman has been honored as a Wall of Scholarship Recipient by the Medical School for the second time in his career! Learn more
Dr. Thomas Leventhal and Dr. Mohammad Bilal honored with Office of GME Clinical Teaching Excellence Awards
Dr. Thomas Leventhal and Dr. Mohammad Bilal were selected as recipients of the University of Minnesota’s Office of GME Clinical Teaching Excellence Award. This award is granted annually to clinical faculty who have scored in the TOP 10% on the standardized trainee evaluation of faculty performance administered by the Office of Graduate Medical Education during the past academic year.
Dr. Guru Trikudanathan assumes role of Section Lead for the GI Division’s Advanced Endoscopy section
Dr. Guru Trikudanathan has assumed the role of Section Lead of the Advanced Endoscopy section. Leading by example, Dr. Trikudanathan will continue promoting and advancing the section through clinical, educational, and research excellence. Thank you to Dr. Freeman who has spent over 14 years leading our group of advanced endoscopists, advocating for both faculty and patient well-being!
Dr. Thomas Leventhal will be named new the Medical Director of the University of Minnesota Donor Center
Dr. Thomas Leventhal will is named the new Medical Director for the new University of Minnesota Donor Center. Check out the recent Star Tribune Article on the donor center, "Minnesota transplant centers seek to reduce delays, deaths through donor units."
Dr. Jack Lake honored with AST Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Jack Lake was honored with the 2023 American Society of Transplantation’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This is AST's most prestigious award, which honors a senior investigator who has made significant contributions to the field of transplantation and AST over the course of their membership. Congratulations to Dr. Lake for this amazing, well-deserved honor!
Dr. Nabeel Azeem and Dr. Joshua Sloan honored with GI’s 2023 Outstanding Junior Faculty Award
Dr. Nabeel Azeem and Dr. Joshua Sloan were the recipients of our 2023 Outstanding Junior Faculty Award. Winners of this award represent the best of who we are in terms of our three pillars of patient care, teaching, and research.
Faculty honored with awards at 2023 Fellow Graduation Ceremony
Dr. Shawn Mallery received the Teacher of the Year Award at this year’s graduation ceremony. >Dr. Mohamed Hassan was honored with the Extraordinary Commitment to Excellence in Teaching and Mentorship Award. Dr. Michael Levitt (VAMC) was honored with our Lifetime Achievement Award.
2023 Faculty Promotions
Dr. Stuart Amateau promoted to Professor of Medicine
Dr. Eugenia Schmidt promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine
Dr. Thomas Leventhal promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine
GI Faculty recognized in Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine 2023 Top Doctors List
9 GI faculty recognized in Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine’s 2023 Top Doctors List.
Top Doctors: Stuart Amateau, MD, PhD, Mohamed A. Hassan, MD, John R. Lake, MD, Thomas M. Leventhal, MD, Nicholas Lim, MD, J. Shawn Mallery, MD, Guru Trikudanathan, MBBS
Top Doctors Rising Stars: Mary Thomson, MD, Christopher Steevens, MD
Dr. Byron Vaughn selected as Fulbright U.S. Scholar for 2023-2024 for Uganda
Dr. Byron Vaughn was selected as the 2023-2024 Fulbright U.S. Scholar. Fulbright Scholar Awards are prestigious and competitive fellowships that provide unique opportunities for scholars to teach and conduct research abroad. Fulbright scholars also play a critical role in U.S. public diplomacy, establishing long-term relationships between people and nations. Alumni include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and thousands of leaders and world-renowned experts in academia and many other fields across the private, public, and non-profit sectors.
Dr. Guisheng Song becomes Fellow of AASLD
Dr. Guisheng Song becomes a Fellow of AASLD. The Fellows Program bestows honorary recognition upon AASLD members who have made a significant contribution to the knowledge and/or practice of liver and biliary diseases, and are considered leaders in the field. Congratulations, Dr. Song!
GI Division Faculty Honored with Office of Graduate Medical Education Clinical Teaching Excellence Awards
Dr. Shahnaz Sultan, Dr. Nabeel Azeem, and Dr. Kristin McBeath were awarded the Clinical Teaching Excellence Award. This award is granted annually to clinical faculty who have scored in the top 10% on the standardized trainee evaluation of faculty performance administered by the Office of Graduate Medical Education during the past academic year.
M Physicians Clinical Excellence Honorees
M Physicians’ Clinical Excellence Program honors those nominated for excellence in their clinical practice. The GI Division had 19 recipients of this award: Dr. Stuart Amateau, Dr. Nabeel Azeem, Dr. Martin Freeman, Dr. Justin Howard, Dr. Alexander Khoruts, Dr. Thomas Leventhal, Dr. Nicholas Lim, Dr. James Mallery, Dr. Eugenia Shmidt, Dr. Joshua Sloan, Dr. Mary Thomson, Dr. Guru Trikudanathan, Dr. Byron Vaughn, Dr. Kimberly Viskocil, Dr. James Wise, Amanda Hjeltness, Andrea Pitzl, Hanaa Tahir, and Jessica Stangenes
GI Fellowship Program appoints two new Associate Program Directors
The GI Fellowship Program has appointed two new Associate Program Directors from the VA, Dr. Jennifer Haglund and Dr. Mohammad Bilal.
Dr. Thomas Leventhal received Educational Excellence Award
Dr. Thomas Leventhal was honored with the University of Minnesota Medical School Department of Medicine’s Educational Excellence Award at the Fall Faculty Recognition Reception.
Dr. Alexander Khoruts recognized as a 2022 Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher
Dr. Alexander Khoruts is one of 30 UMN Twin Cities investigators across disciplines who received this honor. This group is recognized by Clarivate for their exceptional research influence, demonstrated by the production of multiple highly-cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year in the Web of Science. In 2022, fewer than 7,000, or about 0.1%, of the world's researchers have earned this exclusive distinction.