Below is a list of five gastroenterology leaders in the U.S. who have made a positive impact on their organizations and the profession.
Editor’s note: This is not a list of top gastroenterologists, but rather a list highlighting professional accomplishments. Becker’s does not endorse any physicians featured on this list.
This is not an exhaustive list. To nominate a physician for future lists, please contact Sophie Eydis at seydis@beckershealthcare.com
- Joseph Cassara, MD. Gastroenterology of the Rockies (Denver): Dr. Cassara is board president of Gastroenterology of the Rockies and a practicing gastroenterologist with a specialty in advanced therapeutic endoscopic procedures. He has been nationally recognized for his leadership in advanced endoscopy, clinician-patient communication and physician leadership development. Dr. Cassara also founded a national center of excellence focused on clinician-patient communication and has led significant operational and systemwide improvements within large integrated care delivery models. He is committed to gastrointestinal cancer prevention and optimizing care for patients with pancreatic, esophageal, gastric and colorectal cancers.
- Aasma Shaukat, MD. NYU Langone Health (New York City): Dr. Shaukat is a gastroenterologist and outcomes researcher at NYU Langone. She has been nationally recognized for advancing colorectal cancer prevention, screening quality and early detection and has more than 15 years of experience in colonoscopy innovation, with a focus on improving procedure quality, developing advanced polyp removal techniques and integrating AI to enhance diagnostic accuracy. Dr. Shaukat leads research efforts to improve colon cancer risk assessment and develop new screening approaches for patients with personal or family histories of colorectal cancer. She has received multiple national honors for her research, mentorship and colorectal cancer awareness efforts, including the Healio Woman Disruptor of the Year Award and the American College of Gastroenterology’s SCOPY Award.
- Brian Jacobson, MD. Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston): Dr. Jacobson is a gastroenterologist and director of program development for the gastroenterology division at Massachusetts General Hospital, with expertise in advanced endoscopic procedures for the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal cancers. He has conducted NIH-funded, clinically impactful research focused on improving colonoscopy quality, effectiveness and patient outcomes. Dr. Jacobson has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and has co-authored guidelines and standards of practice.
- Douglas Rex, MD. Indiana University Health (Indianapolis): Dr. Rex is director of endoscopy at Indiana University Hospital. He has authored national colorectal cancer screening and colonoscopy quality guidelines for the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer. Dr. Rex has also published more than 250 original research articles and dozens of guideline and consensus papers and currently serves as chair of the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer.
- Rena Yadlapati, MD. UC San Diego Health: Dr. Yadlapati is medical director of the Center for Esophageal Diseases at UC San Diego Health and a nationally recognized leader in esophageal disorders, motility and reflux disease. She directs the GI motility lab and is an expert in advanced esophageal diagnostics, including high-resolution manometry, reflux monitoring and EndoFlip. Dr. Yadlapati is the lead author of the Chicago Classification version 4.0, the global standard for interpreting esophageal motility disorders, and a co-author of multiple national guidelines for GERD, achalasia, Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal physiologic testing. An NIH-funded investigator, she has published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and serves in national leadership and editorial roles.
