Program Co-Chairs:
David T. Rubin, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP
The Joseph B. Kirsner Professor of Medicine
Chief, Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
The University of Chicago Medicine
Chicago, IL

William J. Sandborn, MD
Professor of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Surgery
Chief, Division of Gastroenterology
Director, UCSD IBD Center
University of California, San Diego and UC San Diego
Health System
La Jolla, CA

Program Host:
Jack A. Di Palma, MD
Professor of Medicine
Director, Division of Gastroenterology
University of South Alabama College of Medicine
Mobile, Alabama

Dr. Di Palma trained in medicine at New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York and did a residency in Internal Medicine at USAF Medical Center, Keesler, Biloxi, Mississippi. After completing his fellowship in gastroenterology at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, he served on their teaching faculty. In 1987, Dr. Di Palma established the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of South Alabama which he still directs.
Dr. Di Palma's scholarly interests are in various areas of digestive disorders and physiology. He has contributed over 350 published articles, reviews, book chapters and abstracts. Dr. Di Palma directs the gastroenterology fellowship training program and the division is known for teaching to medical students, residents, physician's assistants and nurse practitioners. He was recognized as “Best Clinical Teacher” by the 1996 College of Medicine students and by “Best Doctors” in “Mobile/Baldwin counties”, “Alabama” and “America.” The USA Gastroenterology Division was voted the best clinical elective in 1998 by the medical students.
Dr. Di Palma is active in the gastroenterology associations and organized medicine. He served on the Board of Censors of the Medical Society of Mobile County and was the Chairman of the Mobile County Board of Health. Dr. Di Palma is the Past-President of the American College of Gastroenterology. He is currently the Treasurer of the Foundation Board of the World Gastroenterology Organization.

Faculty Presenter:
Bincy P. Abraham, M.D., M.S.
Director, Fondren IBD Program at the
Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders
Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston, TX
Dr. Abraham is the director of the Fondren Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at the David Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders at Houston Methodist Hospital. Dr. Abraham earned her medical degree from University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, where she continued with residency training in internal medicine and fellowship in gastroenterology. During fellowship, she received specialized training in inflammatory bowel disease and earned her degree in Masters of Clinical Investigation. She also completed a National Visiting Fellow Inflammatory Bowel Disease Rotation program through the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America in Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. Her particular interest in inflammatory bowel
disease includes the transition of adolescent IBD patients from pediatric to adult care as well as women’s issues and pregnancy in IBD. She also directs the Gastroenterology Fellowship program at Houston Methodist.

Faculty Financial Disclosure Statements
The planning committee and presenting faculty reported the following:
Dr. Sandborn is a consultant for AbbVie, Janssen, UCB Pharmaceuticals, Takeda, Pfizer, Genentech, Amgen and Receptos. He has received grant support from AbbVie, Janssen, UCB Pharmaceuticals, Takeda, Pfizer, Genentech, Amgen, and Receptos.
He does not hold stock options in these companies.
Dr. Sandborn is not a member of speaker bureaus or advisory boards.
Dr. Rubin is a consultant for AbbVie, Janssen, UCB Pharmaceuticals, Takeda, Pfizer, Genentech, Amgen, Prometheus Laboratories, Shire, Emmi, Telsar Pharmaceuticals, and Santauras/Salix. He has received grant support from AbbVie, Janssen, UCB Pharmaceuticals, Takeda, Genentech, Prometheus Laboratories, and Shire.
Dr. Rubin is not a member of speaker bureaus or advisory boards.
He does not hold stock options in these companies.
Dr. Di Palma is a promotional speaker for Janssen.
He does not hold stock in Janssen.
Dr. Abraham is on the advisory boards for Janssen, UCB Pharmaceuticals, and Takeda. She is also a consultant for Celgene, and is a speaker for AbbVie, Prometheus and Salix.
Dr. Abraham does not hold stock or options for these companies.
 

Education Partner Financial Disclosure Statements
Faculty and staff involved in the planning and review of this activity have nothing to disclose.

Disclosure
As a provider accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education’s (ACCME), The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine requires everyone who is in a position to control the content of an education activity to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest. The ACCME defines "relevant financial relationships" as financial relationships in any amount, occurring within the past 12 months, including financial relationships of a spouse or life partner, which could create a conflict of interest.
Additionally, The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine requires Authors to identify investigational products or off-label uses of products regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration at first mention and where appropriate in the content.
In compliance with the ACCME updated accreditation criteria, presentations of those with reported potential conflicts were reviewed prior to presentation.