Summit Agenda

Digestive Health Summit

Agenda

Fri., March. 27, 2026 | Day 1 | Educational sessions

Event Course Directors:

Catherine Zhu, MD; Jason Samarasena, MD; John Lee, MD; Skandan Shanmungan, MD;

Leadership Track Director:

Nimisha Parekh, MD, MPH

Location:

Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa
21500 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, CA 92648

7-7:45 a.m.
Registration, Breakfast & Exhibit Hall
7:50-8:00 a.m.
Opening Remarks

Sessions - choose from the list below to view full schedule

Session moderators:

Sharvani Reddy, MD & Shaun Daly, MD

8:00-8:05 a.m.
Session Introduction
Sharvani Reddy, MD (UCI Health) & Shaun Daly, MD (UCI Health)
8:05-8:15 a.m.
Current Issues in the Surgical Management of GERD
Shaun Daly, MD (UCI Health)
8:20-8:30 a.m.
GERD after Sleeve Gastrectomy: What’s a Surgeon to Do?
Annie Wang, MD (UCI Health)
8:35-8:45 a.m.
Pearls in Managing Esophageal Motility Disorders
Elliot Yu, MD (UCI Health)
8:50-9:00 a.m.
Contemporary management of Barrett's Esophagus
Shravani Reddy, MD (UCI Health)
9:05-9:15 a.m.
Advances in Esophageal Cancer Oncologic Therapy
Farshid Dayyani, MD (UCI Health)
9:15-9:30 a.m.
Q&A
Panel: All Speakers
9:35-10:00 a.m.
Digital Empowerment: Using AI to Reduce Physician Burnout
Sidhartha Sinha, MD (Stanford University) (Track Director: Nimisha Parekh, MD)
10:00-10:15 a.m.
Break & Exhibit Hall
 

Session moderators:

David Imagawa, MD, PhD & Christopher Paiji, MD

10:15-10:20 a.m.
Session Introduction
David Imagawa, MD, PhD (UCI Health) & Christopher Paiji, MD (UCI Health)
10:20-10:30 a.m
Twenty Years of Pancreatic Cyst Surveillance: Lessons Learned
David Imagawa, MD, PhD (UCI Health)
10:35-10:45 a.m.
Update on the Treatment of Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Nadine Abi-Jaoudeh, MD (UCI Health)
10:50-11:00 a.m.
Managing Difficult Biliary Cannulation
John Lee, MD (UCI Health)
11:05-11:15 a.m.
Advances in Altered Anatomy ERCP
Christopher Paiji, MD (UCI Health)
11:20-11:30 a.m.
Development of a Same-Day Multi-Disciplinary Pancreatic Cancer Clinic
Arsen Osipov, MD (Cedars Sinai)
11:30-11:45 a.m.
Q&A
Panel: All Speakers
12:15-1:15 p.m.
Lunch & Exhibit Hall
 

Session moderators:

Robert Fearn, MD & Valery Vilchez, MD

1:15-1:20 p.m.
Session Introduction
Robert Fearn, MD (UCI Health) & Valery Vilchez, MD (UCI Health)
1:20-1:30 p.m.
Game Changers in Medical Management of IBD
Mark Salem, MD (UCI Health)
1:35-1:45 p.m.
Surgical emergencies in IBD - when is it needed?
Richard Straker, MD (UCI Health)
1:50-2:00 p.m.
Surgical Management of UC 
Steven Mills, MD (UCI Health)
2:05-2:15 p.m.
IUS and Advances in Imaging in IBD
Phillip Gu, MD (Cedars Sinai)
2:20-2:45 p.m.
Case Discussions
Robert Fearn, MD (UCI Health) & Valery Vilchez, MD (UCI Health)
2:50-3:15 p.m.
The Leader's Financial ToolKit: The Financial Decisions Leaders Can't Delegate
Latifat Akintade, MD (Kaiser) (Track Director: Nimisha Parekh, MD)

Session moderators:

Frances Dang, MD & Annie Wang, MD

3:15-3:20 p.m.
Session Introduction
Frances Dang, MD (UCI Health) & Annie Wang, MD (UCI Health)
3:20-3:30 p.m.
Multi-specialty Applications for ICG
Annie Wang, MD (UCI Health)
3:45-3:55 p.m.
Robotic Transanal Surgery with Da Vinci Single Port Platform
Catherine Zhu, MD (UCI Health)
4:00-4:10 p.m.
Robotic Pancreaticoduodenectomy
Reed Ayabe, MD (UCI Health)
4:15-5:00 p.m.
Advanced Endoscopic Procedures: EDGE Procedure (ERCP), Endohepatology, Cryotherapy for Esophageal Cancer, Interventional EUS, POEM, ESD, Endobariatrics Case
Jason Samarasena, MD (UCI Health), Frances Dang, MD (UCI Health), Shravani Reddy, MD (UCI Health), Christopher Paiji, MD (UCI Health)
5:05- 5:25 p.m.
Leadership Panel Discussion (Session Director: Nimisha Parekh, MD)
Dr. Joseph Carmichael (UCI Health), Tatyana Popkova (UCI Health), Randolph Siwabessy (UCI Health), Laurie Johnson (UCI Health)
5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Cocktail Reception
 

Sat., March. 28, 2026 | Day 2 | Didactic Sessions

Event Course Directors:

Catherine Zhu, MD; Jason Samarasena, MD; John Lee, MD; Skandan Shanmungan, MD;

Leadership Track Director:

Nimisha Parekh, MD, MPH

Location:

Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa
21500 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, CA 92648

7:00 -7:45 a.m.
Registration, Breakfast & Exhibit Hall
7:50-8:00 a.m.
Opening Remarks

Sessions - choose from the list below to view full schedule

Session moderators:

Skandan Shanmugan, MD & Jaehyun Kim, MD

8:00-8:05 a.m.
Session Introduction
Skandan Shanmugan, MD (UCI Health) & Jaehyun Kim, MD (UCI Health)
8:05-8:15 a.m.
Updates on the Management of Rectal Cancer
Matthew Whealon, MD (UCI Health)
8:20-8:30 a.m.
Immunotherapy for dMMR/MSI-H Colorectal Cancers
April Choi, MD (UCI Health)
8:35-8:45 a.m.
Rebuilding the Postoperative Gut Microbiome: From Mechanistic Insight to Therapeutic Innovation
Cyrus Jahansouz, MD (University of Minnesota)
8:50-9:00 a.m.
High Risk Genetic Testing for GI Patients
William Karnes, MD (UCI Health)
9:05-9:15 a.m.
Advances in Colonoscopy and Polyp Resection
Frances Dang, MD (UCI Health)
9:20-9:30 a.m.
What’s New in Diverticulitis?
Tara Russell, MD, MPH, PhD (UCLA)
9:30-9:45 a.m.
Q&A
Panel: All Speakers
9:50-10:15 a.m.
The Business of Healthcare: Insights for the Future
John Hong, MD (UMD President and CEO) (Track Director: Nimisha Parekh, MD)
10:15-10:30 a.m.
Break & Exhibit Hall
 

Session moderators:

Ke-Qin Hu, MD & Zeljka Jutric, MD

10:30-10:35 a.m.
Session Introduction
Ke-Qin Hu, MD (UCI Health) & Zeljka Jutric, MD (UCI Health)
10:35-10:45 a.m.
Updates on the Natural History and Management of MASLD
Beshoy Yanny, MD (UCI Health)
10:50-11:00 a.m.
Diagnosis and Surgical Management of Cholangiocarcinoma
Reed Ayabe, MD (UCI Health)
11:05-11:15 a.m.
Long-term Hepatology Management after Liver Transplantation
Harry Nguyen, MD (UCI Health)
11:20-11:30 a.m.
IR Advances in Portal Hypertension Management
Rebecca Bennett, MD (UCI Health)
11:35-11:45 a.m.
Panel Discussion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
David Imagawa, MD, PhD (UCI Health) & Rebecca Bennett, MD (UCI Health)
11:45-12:00 p.m.
Q&A
Panel: All Speakers
12:05-12:30 p.m.
Build Your Own Ladder: Evolve Your Career One Stage At A Time
Sonia K. Narang (Track Director: Nimisha Parekh, MD)
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Lunch & Exhibit Hall
 

Session moderators:

Kiran Sachdev, MD & Richard Straker, MD

1:30-1:55 p.m.
Personal Branding in Medicine
Austin Chiang, MD (Medtronic CMO - Thomas Jefferson) (Track Director: Nimisha Parekh, MD)
2:00-2:05 p.m.
Session Introduction
Kiran Sachdev, MD (UCI Health) & Richard Straker, MD (UCI Health)
2:05-2:15 p.m.
Fecal Incontinence
Joseph Carmichael, MD (UCI Health)
2:20-2:30 p.m.
Management Updates in Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Jaehyun Kim, MD (UCI Health)
2:35-2:45 p.m.
Anterior Compartment Prolapse
Olivia Chang, MD (UCI Health)
2:50-3:00 p.m.
Aging and the Gut Microbiome
Kiran Sachdev, MD (UCI Health)
3:05-3:15 p.m.
Neuro-Physical Synergy: Integrating Biofeedback for Improved Outcomes
Risha Strople, PT, DPT, PRPC (Specialized PT)
3:15-3:30 p.m.
Q&A
Panel: All Speakers
3:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks | Meeting Adjourn
Jason Samarasena, MD (UCI Health) & Catherine Zhu, MD (UCI Health)

Sun., March. 29, 2026 | Day 3 | Hands-on session

Session course director:

Frances Dang, MD and Jason Samarasena, MD

Location:

UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center
101 The City Drive South, Building 22C, Orange, CA 92868

*Registration required, limited seats available, physician only

7:30-8 a.m.
Breakfast, Welcome & Introductions
8 a.m.- Noon
Hands-on Workshop
Training Station Assignment: Details to come
10:45 a.m
Brunch service begins
Noon
Closing & Hands-on Workshop Adjourn