The division of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center Dallas is committed to improving the health of infants, children and young adults by providing quality clinical services, furthering the understanding of gastrointestinal and liver disease through original research, and participating in the education of physicians at all levels of training.

Eight full time faculty members with a variety of specific interests including clinical and translational research as well as basic science comprise the division along with 6 fellows, 3 nurse practitioners, 10 nurses and a dietician.  Additional clinical support is provided by a research coordinator, 3 medical assistants, a social worker and a child life specialist.

The division provides comprehensive, state of the art diagnostic and therapeutic services for pediatric patients with gastrointestinal and liver disease, including liver transplantation.   A comprehensive program to provide all treatment options (parenteral nutrition, adaptation protocols, bowel surgery, small bowel transplantation) to short bowel syndrome patients is the only such program in Texas.  Technology is available on site for diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, colonoscopy, and liver biopsy, ERCP, capsule endoscopy, esophageal pH and impedance studies as well as breath testing.

Research interest in the division is varied and includes single and multi-center projects involving ion transport across cholangiocyte membranes, acute liver failure, liver transplantation, inflammatory bowel disease and capsule endoscopy.  

The faculty in pediatric gastroenterology is uniformly committed to physician education and training and administers a post-doctoral fellowship program accepting two fellows per year.  Pediatric residents and medical students are actively involved in the care of hospitalized patients with gastrointestinal and liver diseases, and an outpatient elective is also offered.