Pediatric Gastroenterology near Bronx, NY

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: 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. 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.