Kenneth R. DeVault, MD, Chair
Dr. DeVault is Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at Mayo Clinic Florida. He is a member of the Executive Operating Team of Mayo Clinic in Florida. Dr. DeVault is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.
Prior to becoming Chair of Medicine, Dr. DeVault was Chair of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic Florida from 2005-2010. He served as a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine’s Gastroenterology Board and became chair in 2023. Dr. DeVault is a Fellow of and past president of the American College of Gastroenterology. He is also a member of the American Gastroenterological Association and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and a fellow of the American College of Physicians.
Dr. DeVault conducts research on disorders affecting all aspects of the esophagus and has written more than 250 book chapters, abstracts, editorials and original articles on subjects ranging from treatment of GERD, dysphagia, esophagitis and Barrett's esophagus to laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery and managed care issues in the treatment of GERD. He also has interest in gastrointestinal health in developing nations, improving professionalism in both trainees and practicing physicians and in the development of a diverse and effective health care work force.
He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee and his medical degree from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Vanderbilt University and completed a combined clinical and research fellowship at Jefferson Medical College.
As of May 2023, Dr. DeVault reported no ongoing external relationships.
Nikhil Bhargava, DO
Dr. Bhargava is a partner at Digestive Disease Consultants in Bourbonnais, Illinois. He is dually board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Gastroenterology (2018) and Internal Medicine (2015).
His professional appointments include Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois and Program Director for the Gastroenterology Fellowship at Riverside Medical Center. He is actively involved in clinical research and trains medical students, residents and fellows.
He is a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterology Association and the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. He is also a member of the Illinois State Medical Society and the Kankakee County Medical Society. He serves on the Medical Advisory Committee for the Great Lakes Division of the American Liver Foundation.
Dr. Bhargava attended medical school at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in Downers Grove, Illinois. He then completed internal medicine residency at McGaw Medical Center at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He finished his medical training with the completion of gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Wisconsin/Aurora Sinai Medical Center, Milwaukee Campus.
As of July 2021, Dr. Bhargava reported the following external relationships:
Dr. Bhargava serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- The American Osteopathic Association, without compensation.
- The Illinois Osteopathic Medical Society, Delegate, without compensation.
- Riverside Medical Center, leading quarterly leadership retreat with administrators and physicians, and Fellowship Program Director, receiving honoraria.
Andres Duarte-Rojo, MD, MS, Ph.D., FAASLD
Dr. Duarte-Rojo is a clinical investigator and a Professor of Medicine and Surgery at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He is the Director of Liver Transplantation and Living Liver Donor for the Comprehensive Transplant Center at Northwestern Medicine. Dr. Duarte-Rojo is board certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology, and serves as a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Gastroenterology Board. He has served on multiple editorial boards for prestigious journals in his field of expertise, and various committees for the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the American Society of Transplantation.
Dr. Duarte-Rojo is an active mentor and advisor for undergraduate and graduate trainees with more than 15 years of experience. He also serves as a Core Mentor for the T32 Transplant Surgery Scientist Training Program at Northwestern University. He is a National Institutes of Health-funded investigator, conducting research focused on disorders of physical fitness and exercise training in cirrhosis, health care informational technology, clinimetrics (mainly noninvasive liver disease assessment) and clinical outcomes in liver transplantation. He is widely published with over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and is sought after as an invited lecturer at national and international meetings.
Dr. Duarte-Rojo obtained his medical degree from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico and continued his clinical training with a residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Gastroenterology at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán in Mexico, followed by subspecialty fellowships in Clinical Hepatology at the University of Toronto and Transplant Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. His academic training includes a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in clinical investigation from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
As of October 2021, Dr. Duarte-Rojo reported the following external relationships:
Dr. Duarte-Rojo serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
Preclinical research, with funding for research staff and expenses, from the following company.
- Axcella
Service on a research-related expert panel or advisory board for the following company, with honoraria:
- Axcella
Hannah M. Herrington, MPH, CPH, CHES
Ms. Herrington is currently a Health Communication Manager, consulting with government agencies and health industry clients on how to best engage people, patients, and caregivers in their health care, utilizing health literacy and clear communication best practices.
She has been working in the healthcare field for over a decade, from humanitarian organizations and insurance companies to corporate wellness firms. Ms. Herrington serves as a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Gastroenterology Board. She was previously the Senior Manager of Patient Communications at the American Gastroenterological Association, setting up their first-ever patient engagement initiative, drafting and overseeing their 25-topic gastrointestinal (GI) patient education digital library.
Ms. Herrington has a personal connection to GI health as a long-time patient herself. She has had Crohn's disease for over 20 years, diagnosed as a teen. She's spent time educating herself about IBD research and new treatments, and staying involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) advocacy and patient support organizations.
She received her master of public health degree, with a concentration in behavioral science and health education, from Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Ms. Herrington is also certified in Public Health and a Certified Health Education Specialist.
As of May 2023, Ms. Herrington reported no ongoing external relationships.
Divyanshoo R. Kohli, MD
Dr. Kohli is an interventional endoscopist working at Providence Digestive Health Institute in Spokane, Washington. Prior to his current position, he served as the Director of Endoscopy at the Kansas City VA Medical Center in Missouri and as Adjunct Faculty for the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship Program at Kansas University School of Medicine in Kansas.
Dr. Kohli has served the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in multiple roles including as a member of the standard setting panel, member and pod leader of the item-writing taskforce, and member of the governance board. He has also received a commendation from the ABIM for his extraordinary performance and exemplary work. Dr. Kohli also serves on the standards of practice committee at the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy where he is involved in developing guidelines and best practices for clinicians. He has been recognized for his outstanding public service and professionalism by the Veterans Health Administration and is a recipient of Saul Zuckerman Humanitarianism in Medicine Award for outstanding scholarship and compassion. He has authored over 60 research papers and has received multiple awards for his leading-edge clinical research.
He received his medical degree from Government Medical College Chandigarh, India, and completed his internship and residency in internal medicine from Georgetown University-Washington Hospital Center, Washington DC. He then completed his fellowship in gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, where he also served as Chief Fellow. He then went on to complete an advanced endoscopy fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona.
As of July 2022, Dr. Kohli reported the following external relationships:
Funding for clinical trial expenses and staff, paid to Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, from the following company:
- Olympus
Dr. Kohli serves in significant roles with the following organization, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Standards Practice Committee, Member, without compensation.
Scharles Konadu, MD
Dr. Konadu is a general gastroenterologist and consultant for the multi-specialty group Huguley Medical Associates in Burleson Texas. Prior to her current position she served as faculty and consultant in gastroenterology with Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina and Duke Raleigh Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.
She serves as a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Gastroenterology Board and serves on the American Gastroenterology Association's international committee. She also serves on the board and as secretary for the West African Institute for Liver and Digestive Diseases. She was honored by her colleagues as Tarrant County Top Doctor in Gastroenterology 2020.
Her main clinical interests are in colon cancer prevention and irritable bowel syndrome. She has a passion for global health and some of her most esteemed experiences include her time educating and observing in Beijing and Ghana.
She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin and obtained her medical degree from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. She completed both her residency and fellowship at Duke University Medical Center in Durham North Carolina.
As of April 2022, Dr. Konadu reported the following external relationships:
Dr. Konadu serves in significant roles with the following organization, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- American Gastroenterological Association, International Committee Member, without compensation.
Richard K. Sterling, MD
Dr. Sterling is currently a Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Hepatology Professor of Medicine in the Divisions of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and Infectious Diseases, Section Chief of Hepatology and Medical Director of Viral Hepatitis and Transplant Hepatology Fellowship Director. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, and Liver Transplantation, and serves as a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Gastroenterology Board. His research interest is in HIV-liver disease which is supported by several NIH grants. He is site Principle Investigator (PI) for the Hepatitis B Research Network and was PI for the HALT-C trial. Other research interests include biomarkers for non-invasive assessments of liver disease, viral hepatitis, and liver transplantation.
He has published over 200 papers and serves on several prominent committees in the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), and the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and has served on study sections of the NIH. He is on several AASLD committees including the AASLD Transplant Hepatology Pilot Steering Committee, the Development Committee, the Education Committee, as well as on the Liver-Biliary Council of the AGA and has served as the ACG Governor for Virginia for six years.
Dr. Sterling received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and natural science from Muhlenberg College (1982), a master’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Texas in Austin (1984), a medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia (1988) and a master’s of science in biostatistics and clinical research from VCU (2007). After completing an internship and residency in internal medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), he went on to complete a fellowship in gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at VCU, which includes specialized training in transplant hepatology in 1994.
As of August 2022, Dr. Sterling reported the following external relationships:
Funding for clinical trial expenses, salary support and staff, paid to Virginia Commonwealth University, from the following companies:
- Abbott, for a hepatitis B clinical trial.
- AbbVie, for two hepatitis C clinical trials.
- Gilead, for two hepatitis C clinical trials.
- Roche, providing test kits for hepatitis B testing in support of a research project grant.
Service on data and safety monitoring boards for the following companies, with compensation for travel expenses and honoraria:
- AskBio
- Pfizer
Continuing medical education supported by the following, with honoraria:
- Practical Reviews in Gastroenterology, for preparing a short synopsis of three articles every three months.
Dr. Sterling serves in significant roles with the following organization, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- The American Gastroenterological Association, Liver Biliary Council Chair for Digestive Disease Week, receiving reimbursement for travel expenses.
Laura D. Wingate, BA
Ms. Wingate is the Executive Vice President, Education, Support, & Advocacy for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, where she oversees patient and professional education, state and federal advocacy, and support programming for the Foundation. She works in conjunction with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation National Scientific Advisory Committees and numerous patient volunteers on developing all programs and resources.
Prior to this, Ms. Wingate was Director of Operations for Clown Care & Vaudeville Caravan Programs, where she worked for eight years in providing professional entertainers to pediatric and geriatric centers across the United States. She began her career at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she advised and implemented quality improvement initiatives including the redesign of the outpatient center focused on streamlining the patient’s experience.
She currently serves as a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Gastroenterology Board.
Ms. Wingate holds a bachelor's degree in arts, health and society from the University of Rochester, and has completed master’s degree coursework at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School for Public Service.
As of May 2023, Ms. Wingate reported the following external relationships:
Ms. Wingate serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, Executive Vice President, Education, Support & Advocacy, receiving salary support.
- Food and Drug Institute, Advisor, without compensation.
Ms. Wingate also serves on Act4Biosimilars and Pfizer advisory boards.