The following gastroenterologists lead departments at hospitals ranked in the top 10 for gastroenterology and GI surgery by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-26, following a previous look at the leaders of the top-five programs.
Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore)
U.S. News rank: 6
James Hamilton, MD, is the interim director of gastroenterology and hepatology and director of hepatology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. He also serves as an associate professor of medicine and of physiology, pharmacology and therapeutics. Dr. Hamilton is a national expert in liver disease and his clinical and research work focuses on Wilson’s disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. He leads the James Hamilton Lab, which studies the molecular mechanisms of liver fibrosis and develops early detection biomarkers for liver cancer. Dr. Hamilton has been recognized as a Top Doctor by Baltimore Magazine and is a member of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the American Gastroenterological Association.
Houston Methodist Hospital
U.S. News rank: 7
Eamonn Quigley, MD, is chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at Houston Methodist Hospital. He is a past president of the American College of Gastroenterology and the World Gastroenterology Organization. Dr. Quigley is internationally recognized for his research on irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease and the gut microbiome. His work focuses on how gut bacteria influence digestive health and the development of new biomarkers and probiotic-based treatments for functional GI disorders. Dr. Quigley has authored more than 800 publications and is a former editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
UCLA Medical Center (Los Angeles)
U.S. News rank: 8
Eric Esrailian, MD, is chief of the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian division of digestive diseases and director of the Melvin and Bren Simon Digestive Diseases Center at University of California Los Angeles. He also holds the Lincy Foundation chair in clinical gastroenterology and serves as a health sciences clinical professor of medicine. Dr. Esrailian’s work focuses on advancing biomedical innovation, value-based health care and patient-centered initiatives. He is involved in strategic planning and community engagement for UCLA Health and the David Geffen School of Medicine. A co-founder and founding president of the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Dr. Esrailian was named a UCLA Optimist and received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2025.
Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston)
U.S. News rank: 9
Wolfram Goessling, MD, PhD, is chief of gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he holds the Jules L. Dienstag, MD, and Betty and Newell Hale endowed chair in gastroenterology. He is also the Robert H. Ebert professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. Dr. Goessling is a physician-scientist whose clinical practice focuses on chronic liver disease and liver cancer. His research explores the molecular mechanisms regulating liver development, regeneration and cancer formation. He is actively involved in medical education and mentors students and trainees across Harvard Medical School and Mass General.
Northwestern Medicine-Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago)
U.S. News rank: 10
John Pandolfino, MD, is chief of gastroenterology and hepatology and the Hans Popper Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. A leading expert in esophageal physiology, Dr. Pandolfino’s research focuses on the biomechanics of swallowing and gastrointestinal motility disorders, including gastroesophageal reflux disease, achalasia and eosinophilic esophagitis. He founded the Esophageal Center at Northwestern Medicine, a top national referral center for complex esophageal diseases. Dr. Pandolfino has authored more than 200 scientific publications and national guidelines on esophageal disorders and is funded by the National Institutes of Health and industry partners to advance diagnostic and therapeutic technologies in gastrointestinal motility.
