IBD Research

IBD CLINICAL RESEARCH GROUP

Meet our Clinical Research Team

Physicians

Dr. Angela Pham, M.D. 

Angela Pham, GI Fellow

Dr. Naueen Chaudhry, MD 

Naueen Chaudhry

Dr. Chaudhry completed fellowship training in Gastroenterology at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fl. Prior to fellowship, she was exclusively dedicated to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) research for three years in her capacity as a post-doctoral fellow at UF. During this time, she also obtained her Masters of Science degree from the University of Florida with a major in Clinical and Translational Sciences. She has published on a variety of topics, including the role of cross-sectional imaging in the management of IBD, the experience of college aged IBD populations, and the use of big data to study healthcare utilization and patient outcomes. Dr Chaudhry believes in a team-based approach for improving quality of patient care and clinical outcomes for IBD patients. She remains actively involved with ongoing clinical research projects at UF.

Dr. Ellen Zimmermann, MD 

Dr. Z headshot

Dr. Ellen Zimmermann has 20 years experience in academic medicine at the University of Michigan. At the University of Michigan, Dr. Zimmermann built a vibrant basic and translational research program, built a national reputation in IBD and grew a clinical and research interest in the needs of college-aged patients with IBD. Dr. Zimmermann moved to the University of Florida in 2013, where she continued her passion of treating and researching IBD. Dr. Zimmermann is the current Vice Chair for Academic Affairs for the UF College of Medicine, along with being an active researcher and practicing physician.

Study coordinators

April Goddard

April Goddard PA-C Email: April.Goddard@medicine.ufl.edu

Becky Brown: Becky.Brown@medicine.ufl.edu

Alex Emile: Alexandra.Emile@medicine.ufl.edu

IBD Patient Navigator

Karen Yung Headshot

Karen Yung graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Food Science and a B.A. in French. She is the IBD Patient Navigator for the UF Department of Gastroenterology and is involved in a study regarding Parkinson’s Disease and inflammation in the GI tract, in addition to another project investigating the impact of gut bacteria on IBD.  

Projects Investigator-Initiated Research College students with Crohn’s and Colitis This collaborative project includes pediatric and adult GI physicians and trainees and aims to improve the outcomes for college students with IBD. This project is funded by a grant from Arena Pharmaceuticals to Dr. Zimmermann and Dr. Pham.

Chaudhry NA, Pham A, Flint A, Molina I, Zaidi Z, Zimmermann EM, Behar-Horenstein L. College students with inflammatory bowel disease: a qualitative study of challenges associated with college transition and self-care. Health Equity 4:190-197, 2020. PMID: 32440616

Project ECHO Project ECHO is patterned off of the diabetes initiative and aims to link university-based IBD docs to community physicians in underserved areas. The goal is to improve communication and streamline care of IBD patients. This project is funded by a grant from Pfizer Pharmaceuticals to Dr. Pham

Cross sectional Imaging in IBD Cross sectional imaging including CT and MRI are commonly used in the care of IBD patients. This project aims to utilize imaging information to predict disease complications before they happen and improve patient outcomes.

Chaudhry NA, Riverso M, Grajo JR, Moser PP, Zou F, Homsi M, Punglia DR, Zimmermann EM. A fixed stricture on routine cross sectional imaging predicts disease-related complications and adverse outcomes in patients with Crohn’s disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis 23:641-649, 2017. PMID: 28267043.

Lambrou T, Chaudhry NA, Grajo JR, Moser P, Riverso M, Mramba, LK, Zimmermann EM. Small bowel stricture is associated with abnormal motility on the cine MRI sequence in patients with Crohn’s disease. Euro J Rad 118;264-270, 2019.

Flint A, Chaudhry NA, Riverso M, Pham, A, Moser PP, Mramba LK, Zimmermann EM, Grajo JR. Effective communication of cross-sectional imaging findings in Crohn’s disease: comparing conventional EMR reporting to a published scoring system. Abdom Radiol 43; 1798-1806, 2018. PMID: 29075825

Big Data in IBD The goal of this project is to use large datasets to ask fundamental questions about medication use, medication safety, healthcare utilization, and disease outcomes. This work is in collaboration with the School of Public Health.

Chen C, Hartzema A, Xiao H, Wei YJ, Chaudhry N, Ewelukwa O, Glover S, Zimmermann EM. Real-world patterns of biologic use in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: treatment persistence, switching, and importance of concurrent immunosuppressive therapy. Inflamm Bowel Dis 25:1417-1427, 2019.

Clinical Trials The IBD team is a site for several national pharmaceutical-sponsored clinical trials. Our professional study team of doctors, nurses, and coordinators will help direct patients to studies that will lead to new innovations and therapies for IBD.