Pediatric Gastroenterology

The Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition advances the treatment of pediatric gastrointestinal and liver disorders through the coordinated efforts of its patient care, research and educational activities. Gastrointestinal disease is one of the most common ailments affecting the health of infants and children worldwide. In the United States, one out of five children has chronic abdominal pain. Forty percent of children are significantly overweight or obese, and ten percent suffer from a failure to thrive.

Internationally recognized for its expertise in transplantation, gastroenterology and nutrition, the division’s clinical program at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital cares for more than 6,000 patients each year, making it one of the largest programs in the country. As part of an academic medical center, researchers and clinicians continually work together to advance the standard of care. Exploring the molecular and genetic origins of conditions ranging from GI infections to transplant rejection, they transform their findings into the most advanced diagnostics, drug therapies and procedures available today.

The division’s postdoctoral fellowship training program provides world-class instruction in the treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal and liver disease while encouraging fellows to conduct original research in areas of clinical interest. Division faculty also oversee nutrition courses serving health-care professionals throughout their careers. And the division has been instrumental in integrating nutrition concepts into the national medical curriculum.