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?

Alisan Fathalizadeh, 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

11:50-12:15 p.m.

The Leader's Financial ToolKit: The Financial Decisions Leaders Can't Delegate

Latifat Akintade, MD (Kaiser) (Track Director: Nimisha Parekh, MD)

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)

2:45-3:00 p.m.

Q & A

Panel: All Speakers

3:00-3:15 p.m.

Break & Exhibit Hall

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 (Track Director: Nimisha Parekh, MD)

Dean Michael Stamos (UCI Health), 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:

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

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy

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

Summit Agenda

Digestive Health Summit

Agenda

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

Event Course Directors:

Leadership Track Director:

Location:

Sessions - choose from the list below to view full schedule

SESSION I | Foregut/Bariatrics

Session moderators:

SESSION II | Pancreaticobiliary

Session moderators:

SESSION III | Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Session moderators:

SESSION IV | Video Session: Lights, camera, action!

Session moderators:

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

Event Course Directors:

Leadership Track Director:

Location:

Sessions - choose from the list below to view full schedule

SESSION V | Colorectal

Session moderators:

SESSION VI | Hepatology

Session moderators:

SESSION VII | Functional GI & Pelvic Floor

Session moderators:

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

Session course director:

Location: