About Gastroenterology

The Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology is the second busiest clinical service in the Department of Pediatrics. The Division sees about 1,200 new patients per year and accounts for 3,600 total patient visits. A full range of specialized pediatric gastrointestinal procedures are offered, including endoscopy, gastric acid studies and gastrointestinal manometry.

The clinical care of a large patient population of children with inflammatory bowel disease, as well as other acute and chronic gastrointestinal and hepatic conditions in childhood drives the research agenda of the Division.

This work is strengthened by the presence of the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Institute at McMaster University Medical Centre. This Centre of Excellence was initially founded as the Intestinal Disease Research Program, one of two basic and Clinical Digestive Disease Research Centres in Canada. The program has a core of sixty faculty and staff who study digestive disease in the laboratory, at the bedside and in the community. The Intestinal Disease Research Program has consistently been ranked in the top five worldwide for studies in Digestive Disease with special interest in brain gut physiology, motility and mucosal immunology.

In addition to work with the Farncombe Institute, the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology works collaboratively with other individuals in areas of excellence across the campus, including Nutrition (Dr. S. Atkinson), Nuclear Medicine (Dr. C. Webber), Cardiac Physiology (Dr. M. Kamath), and Social Work (Dr. N. Gold) Anthropology (Dr. Tina Moffitt) and Exercise Physiology (Dr. B. Timmons).

A Gastroenterology Fellowship Training Program is offered within the Division.

Special research interests include studies in inflammatory bowel disease, bone and mineral metabolism, brain gut communication and cyclic vomiting syndrome, and the psychosocial aspects of chronic illness.

Four pediatric gastroenterologists, Dr. Robert Issenman, Dr. Elyanne Ratcliffe and Dr. Herbert Brill are the physician members of a team which includes nurses, nutrition, social work, child life and other professionals.

Division Members

Dr. Robert Issenman
Division Head
Professor

Dr. Herbert Brill
Assistant Professor

Dr. Elyanne Ratcliffe
Associate Professor

Dr. Mary Sherlock
Assistant Professor

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