Pediatric Gastroenterologists near Elmhurst, NY

Biography: Dr. Ali Andre Mencin, a general pediatric gastroenterologist, is the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at NewYork-Presbyterian & Columbia University Irving Medical Center as well as the Director of the Pediatric Fatty Liver Clinic and Pediatric Endoscopy at Columbia. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia, and is recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor and a New York Super Doctor. Dr. Mencin sees children with a range of digestive diseases including fatty liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, eosinophilic esophagitis, reflux, abdominal pain, constipation, cyclic vomiting syndrome, feeding difficulties, and polyposis syndromes.

Biography: With a rare combination of board certification in pediatric gastroenterology and a PhD in nutrition, Dr. Neal LeLeiko is an authority on the role of nutritional therapy as a component of treatment for children and adolescents with IBD and other digestive disorders. Dr. LeLeiko joined NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital as Director of the Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Program and as an Attending Physician. He joined the Columbia University faculty in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases as a Professor of Pediatrics. Dr. LeLeiko comes from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where he was Professor of Pediatrics and Director, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Diseases at Hasbro Children's Hospital. Before that he served as Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City for 23 years.

Biography: Dr. Elizabeth Berg, MD is a Gastroenterology Specialist who practices in New York, NY. Dr. Elizabeth Berg, MD is affiliated with Newyork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center.

Care Philosophy: We are committed to delivering the best care and an exceptional patient experience. We are devoted to providing services that are patient-centered and compassionate, and care for you as a person.

Biography: As a pediatric gastroenterologist, I am dedicated to improving the lives of children and adolescents with complex disorders of the gastrointestinal system. I have a special interest and clinical expertise in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. These diseases, which involve the multifaceted relationship between the immune system and GI tract, greatly affect children's and families' quality of life and impact children's growth and development. They are also often difficult to identify and treat. As director of Columbia's Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGIDs) Program, my team and I offer the highest quality care to children with EGIDs, which include eosinophilic esophagitis, eosinophilic gastritis, eosinophilic enteritis, eosinophilic colitis, and oral immunotherapy associated EGIDs. I also treat children with food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome and food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis of infancy. Through the multi-disciplinary EGIDs program, gastroenterologists, allergists, nutritionists, psychologists, pathologists, and social workers, as well as language pathologists, child life specialists, endocrinologists, and ENT specialists, work together to provide personalized care for each child. We incorporate the latest evidence-based advances, state-of-the-art procedures for diagnosis and management, and offer the potential to participate in clinical trials for treatment of these disorders. Our team believes in creating a medical home for each child within our center of excellence for patients, families, and providers. In addition to directing the EGIDs Program, I am a clinician-scientist and principal investigator studying esophageal development and eosinophilic esophagitis at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. It is my vision to further our understanding of eosinophilic esophagitis and to develop novel therapeutics using novel 3D organoid model systems and innovative murine models of pediatric eosinophilic esophagitis. I also have had the privilege of mentoring future physicians and junior scientists on their journey toward academic success. Several of my mentees have pursued degrees in medicine and philosophy, and have been recipients of prestigious awards.

Biography: I provide the full spectrum of digestive care to children of all ages, from babies with reflux and feeding problems, to school-aged children with abdominal pain and constipation, to adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome, to children with celiac disease, food allergies, and inflammatory bowel disease. I also have special expertise in the gastrointestinal manifestations of cystic fibrosis; I completed the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Developing Innovative GastroEnterology Specialty Training (DIGEST) Program, and serve as the gastroenterology representative on the Program Planning Committee for the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference. My primary practice is located in Stamford, Connecticut, where I see patients in the office and perform procedures such as endoscopies and colonoscopies. I see patients with cystic fibrosis at both the Northern Manhattan Columbia campus and in Stamford. I value working closely with families and their pediatricians, as well as other subspecialists, to provide compassionate and coordinated care for my patients, and really enjoy serving the families of Fairfield and Westchester counties and beyond. As the director of fellowship training for the Department of Pediatrics, I am very involved in graduate medical education. I am not only the director of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship Training Program at Columbia, but I also oversee all of the fellowship programs in the department. As director, I established the Pediatric Fellows' Academy, a shared curriculum that promotes the professional development of pediatric fellows.I have been involved in many educational initiatives for pediatric residents and gastroenterology fellows through the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN). I am currently Vice-Chair of NASPGHAN's Training Committee and recently served as the co-chair of NASPGHAN's Teaching and Tomorrow program for pediatric residents interested in specializing in gastroenterology. I am also the editor of PREP® GI, a peer-reviewed online education program administered by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Biography: Dr. Arielle Bergman is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and an Assistant Attending Pediatrician at New York-Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center.She is board certified in Pediatric Gastroenterology and General Pediatrics.After receiving her B.A. in Biology and Women/Gender Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, she went on to earn her M.D. at Drexel University College of Medicine. She then completed her pediatrics residency at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she also served as chief resident. After residency, she completed her fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at New York University. During her fellowship, Dr. Bergman focused her research on Eosinophilic Esophagitis. She investigated possible stool markers in Eosinophilic Esophagitis and additionally researched the overlap between Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Celiac Disease.

Care Philosophy: From the start of my medical career, I have always understood that building strong relationships between physicians, patients, and their family is integral to the success of treating chronically ill children. Children with gastrointestinal disorders, acute or long-term, can be difficult for both the patient and their families. My utmost priority is to understand my patient's needs and create a supportive and warm environment of mutual understanding and strong communication between myself and families By working together and evaluating and treating the patient holistically, I am able to provide the best medical care for my patients to optimize their health and happiness.

Biography: Dr. Kenny Castro is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and an Assistant Attending Pediatrician at New York-Presbyterian/Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. She is board certified in Pediatrics. Dr. Castro obtained her medical degree (M.D.) from the Central University of Venezuela. After receiving her M.D., she worked as a community doctor in her home country, Venezuela, providing medical care to low-income and minority populations. Seeking further expertise, she immigrated to the United States and pursued her medical training at Lincoln Medical Center, completing a three-year residency in pediatrics. Following that, she accomplished a three-year fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, where she was also inducted as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. During her fellowship training, Dr. Castro actively engaged in various research projects, focusing on clinical research and quality improvement. She contributed to studies exploring the public health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Inflammatory Bowel Disease presentation in pediatric patients in the New York City area and enhancing patient experience during colonoscopy procedures. Dr. Castro is fluent in English and Spanish, and her clinical interests include abdominal pain, constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, gastroesophageal reflux, eosinophilic esophagitis, eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease, celiac disease, poor weight gain, obesity, nausea, and vomiting.

Biography: Ms. Silvia Delgado completed both her undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science Nurse Practitioner Degree from Columbia University. She is certified as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB).Ms. Delgado was previously a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner for five years. She worked in San Antonio, Texas where she focused on taking care of refugees and immigrant children. After two years, Ms. Delgado came back to New York City and transitioned to a practice treating patients from birth to 18 years of age. She provides care for patients with a variety of gastrointestinal conditions with a focus on inflammatory bowel disease and GI dysmotility.Ms. Delgado is fluent in Spanish.

Biography: Adriana Perez, M.D., M.S. is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine. She is also an attending pediatrician at New York Presbyterian Komansky Children's Hospital. She is board-certified in General Pediatrics and board-eligible in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology. She earned her M.D. degree at the 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic in 2011. Afterwards, she spent several years working as clinical researcher and translational scientist. She studied the effects of platelet clotting at NYU Langone Medical Center, newborn sepsis at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and diagnostic improvements of fatty liver disease in children at Children's Hospital at Montefiore. Dr. Perez completed pediatric residency in Medisys Health Network (Flushing Hospital and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center) in New York followed by three-year fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Children's Hospital at Montefiore. During her fellowship, she received her M.S. degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Clinical Research Methods. Passionate about liver disease, Dr. Perez completed advanced fellowship in Pediatric Transplant Hepatology at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia.

Care Philosophy: Treating children with gastrointestinal and nutritional disorders is extremely rewarding nbsp;My job allows me to work closely with patients and families to improve the health and quality of life of children and adolescents with gastrointestinal diso

Biography: Dr. Aliza Solomon is Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and Fellowship Director of the Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Training Program. She is also an Associate Attending Pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian Phyllis and David Komansky Children's hospital. Dr. Solomon is board-certified in Pediatric Gastroenterology. Her clinical expertise includes all aspects of pediatric gastroenterology with a clinical focus on Eosinophilic Esophagitis/Allergic GI Disorders and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. She is the Director of the Eosinophilic GI Disorders Program. She created and is the Director of the Food Allergy and InTolerance Support Group. Dr. Solomon also established an unsedated Transnasal Endoscopy Program for children at Weill Cornell.In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Solomon serves as the Director of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship Program. She currently divides her time between patient care, clinical research, and mentoring residents and fellows. In 2016 she received the Teri Li Award in Education from the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition in Montreal Canada. In 2021, Dr Solomon received the Distinguished Physician Award from the Crohn's and Colitis Foudation.Dr. Solomon received her B.A. in Psychology from Queens College in 1997. She completed her training in osteopathy at New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, earning her D.O. degree in 2002. After completing a three-year residency in pediatrics at Infants and Children's Hospital of Brooklyn, Maimonides Medical Center in 2005, Dr. Solomon was selected for a Fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, which she completed in 2008. Also that year, Dr. Solomon completed the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society's clinical training program at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.Dr Solomon is an appointed member of the Board of Health in Englewod, NJ and is currently serving as the Vice President.Dr. Solomon is actively involved in clinical research as well as education. She has worked closely with Dr. Robbyn Sockolow to develop the innovative "jelly bean test," a technique to help children swallow pills and successfully undergo capsule endoscopic procedures.Dr Solomon is currently enrolling subjects and conducting research in the following studies:Observational registry of children with Crohn's DiseaseA Phase 3, Multicenter, Randomized, Platform Study of P19Inhibition of the IL-23 Pathway to Establish Efficacy in Pediatric Crohn's Disease Click here for more informationNatural Disease Course and Vitamin Deficiencies in patients with Eosinophilic EsophagitisDR. SOLOMON'S VIDEOSThe Jellybean Test:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohi9Mox7jt8Food Intolerance (w/Shara):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXy4QekDTycCow's Milk Protein Allergy in Infants:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJfoB1xksMIFeeding Problems in Infancy and Childhood:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FbMDS0aUxUDR. SOLOMON IN THE NEWSNYP Research Spotlight: Pediatric EoE Correlation with Seasonal Airborne Allergieshttp://www.nyp.org/cadc/research-spotlight/cadc-news-archive/pediatric-eoe-correlation-with-seasonal-airborne-allergens

Biography: Elliott Gordon, M.D., M.Sc. is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College and an Attending Pediatrician at New York Presbyterian/Komansky Children's Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center. He is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in General Pediatrics and board-eligible in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. After receiving his Honors Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health Sciences from York University (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), Dr. Gordon attended the University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario, Canada) where he was conferred a Master of Science in Child and Youth Health for his research in pediatric obesity. Dr. Gordon went on to earn his M.D. degree from St. George's University School of Medicine.He then completed his pediatrics residency training at Mercer University School of Medicine (Macon, Georgia), followed by his fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical College, where his research focused on understanding the mechanisms of iron deficiency anemia in quiescent pediatric Crohn's disease. This research was supported by Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Pediatrics Fellowship Small Research Grant and was recognized with the Weill Cornell Medicine Komansky Children's Hospital Fellows' Research Award for Basic & Translational Research Dr. Gordon's clinical interests include treating children with a variety of gastrointestinal complaints including abdominal pain, feeding disorders, failure to thrive, poor weight gain or weight loss, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease and eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders. Dr. Gordon's expertise focuses in the area of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Very-Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease (VEOIBD). Dr. Gordon works closely with a multidisciplinary team that includes dieticians, patient navigators, social workers, psychologists, research coordinators, as well and other pediatric subspecialists to ensure excellence in patient care and comprehensive treatment of complex gastrointestinal disorders. Dr. Gordon engages in regional and national clinical and research initiatives to improve the care of children living with inflammatory bowel disease and other complex gastrointestinal illnesses through his work with the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition's Public Affairs and Advocacy Committee, the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation's NationalScientific Advisory Committee (NSAC), and as the Associate Editor of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD Journal). Dr. Gordon believes that the key to strong partnerships within the patient-family-physician triad lays in effective communication. He strives to understand his patient's needs, which starts with open lines of communication and a supportive and inviting environment. This allows for the building of trust and rapport, and the creation of long-lasting relationships with his patients.

Care Philosophy: We are committed to delivering the best care and an exceptional patient experience. We are devoted to providing services that are patient-centered and compassionate, and care for you as a person.

Biography: From an early age I knew that I wanted a profession that involved caring for children. I am very fortunate to have found that as a pediatric gastroenterologist. Children never cease to amaze me in their creativity, energy, and resiliency. I especially love developing long term relationships with these children and their families. Patients come to me for a variety of gastrointestinal and nutritional issues. These include celiac disease, reflux, abdominal pain, inflammatory bowel disease, constipation, and diarrhea. When needed, I also perform endoscopies and colonoscopies to help diagnose and manage these conditions. I am fortunate to be a part of the remarkable team at the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. The center provides excellent care to children and adults with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that results in damage to the small intestine when gluten is ingested. The only treatment for celiac disease is a lifelong gluten free diet. With a team composed of physicians, registered dieticians, pathologists, and researchers, we are dedicated to delivering comprehensive and compassionate care to patients and their families. Celiac disease is a condition near and dear to me, having been diagnosed myself as an adult. I feel very strongly that it's important while treating celiac disease to ensure that my patients are not only healthy but happy. I also spend time on celiac disease-based research and educational programming. I have a particular interest in the impact of celiac disease on our patients and their families. I am also involved in the training of future pediatric gastroenterologists at Columbia University.

Biography: Dr. Padmini Nallapaneni, MD is a Pediatric Gastroenterology Specialist who practices in New York, NY. She is 35 years old. Dr. Padmini Nallapaneni, MD is affiliated with Newyork-Presbyterian.

Biography: Dr. Jermie Gandhi, MD is a Pediatric Gastroenterology Specialist who practices in New York, NY. He is 38 years old. Dr. Jermie Gandhi, MD is affiliated with Newyork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center.

Biography: The gastrointestinal (GI) tractplays so many important roles in our bodies, and a healthy GI tract is vital toensuring that children's bodies are well-nourished and able to grow to theirpotential. I feel fortunate to be a pediatric gastroenterologist, and I findthe ongoing relationships I have with patients and their families extremelyrewarding. I treat children of all ages,from infancy to early adulthood, with a wide variety of GI diseases, includinginflammatory, allergic, nutritional, feeding, and functional disorders. I alsoperform procedures such as endoscopy, colonoscopy, video capsule endoscopy ofthe small bowel, and intestinal ultrasound to help in diagnosing and treatingthese conditions. My specific area of interest andtraining is inflammatory bowel diseases, which are Crohn's disease andulcerative colitis. These chronic inflammatory conditions of the GI tract canlead to poor health and poor growth if left untreated. I work with the team atthe Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center to provide multidisciplinarycare to our patients. I love partnering with my patients and their families tocreate a plan that allows each child to reach his or her potential. My research interest is thedifferent medications used to treat this spectrum of inflammatory boweldisease, as well as the overlap of inflammatory bowel disease with other GIdiseases. I also spend time in the hospitaland in the office working with our fellows, residents, and medical students,who are all doctors in training. I serve as the Associate Program Director ofthe pediatric gastroenterology fellowship program and love teaching ourtrainees how to perform procedures and care for patients in an evidence-basedand compassionate way.

Biography: Ms. Daniela Trocchia is a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. Ms. Trocchia received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the State University of New York at Geneseo. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at New York University where she was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She then received a Master of Science in Pediatric Advanced Practice Nursing at New York University. Ms. Trocchia is board certified in pediatric primary care by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). Ms. Trocchia worked as a Registered Nurse for 6 years in the Pediatric Intensive Care unit at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center before continuing her career in Pediatric Gastroenterology.Ms. Trocchia's areas of particular interest include inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, eosinophilic esophagitis, and pediatric nutritional disorders.