We’re thrilled to announce our incoming leaders – all distinguished and committed members of the GI community!
Lawrence Kim, MD, AGAF
Vice president
Dr. Lawrence Kim has spent his entire gastroenterology career in community-based private practice. He is a partner at South Denver Gastroenterology, a 32-provider independent GI practice in Colorado. A cum laude graduate of the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, his thesis research focused on health care financing under Professor Uwe Reinhardt. He received his MD degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His postgraduate training included internal medicine residency at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston and gastroenterology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, where he pursued additional training in clinical outcomes research and endoscopic ultrasound.
Dr. Kim has served the AGA in numerous capacities over 25 years, since his initial appointment to the Trainee and Young GI Committee. His volunteer activities have included terms on the Practice Management and Economics Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Clinical Practice Updates Committee, and as Clinical Practice Councillor. He has participated in numerous Advocacy Days and served on the board of the AGA Research Foundation. He was elected Secretary-Treasurer from 2018 to 2022.
Nice Bertha E. Toriz, MD, AGAF
Councillor, Practice
Dr. Toriz is a private practice gastroenterologist with MNGI Digestive Health and an elected Board Member and Treasurer of MNGI Digestive Health. Her clinical practice is focused on general gastroenterology, where she addresses a wide range of GI diseases. She also serves on several committees in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. Dr. Toriz is an actively engaged member of the AGA with past and current terms on the Women’s Committee, Government Affairs Committee, AGA-PAC Board, and Nominating Committee. Dr. Toriz was very humbled and honored to have received the AGA Distinguished Clinician Award in Private Practice in 2018.
Thaddeus S. Stappenbeck, MD, PhD, AGAF
Councillor, Basic Research
Dr. Stappenbeck’s expertise at the intersection of stem cell biology, microbiology and immunology has propelled his lab to define the stages and mechanisms of intestinal repair following injury. He has developed predictive diagnostics and early–stage therapeutics for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He has determined mechanisms for the effects of intestinal microbes on repair and prevention of infection, discovered microbes that inhibit proper regeneration and created a cell culture system for human intestinal stem cells that is used by labs around the world. He moved to Cleveland Clinic to partner with the world class clinicians and scientists in this institution to accelerate partnerships to create new concepts for therapy and prevention of inflammatory disease. Here he additionally founded Mobius Care, Inc., a company that is devoted to developing personalized care for IBD. His deep expertise in stem cell biology, infectious disease and immunology enable the translation of his discoveries to areas of general human health and well-being including aging. For this goal, rejuvenation of stem cells and prevention of the damaging effects of infection to stem cells are important approaches for his research program.
Pending approval by the voting membership, all board members begin their terms after DDW® 2023. The voting membership will be sent a ballot to approve the slate of councillors in the spring. Results will be announced at the AGA virtual Annual Business Meeting.
Thank you to our nominating committee members
- John Inadomi, MD, AGAF (chair)
- John M. Carethers, MD, AGAF (chair-elect)
- Nina Nandy, MD
- Bharati Kochar, MD
- Alejandra I. Castillo-Roth, MD
- Nelson Garcia, MD, AGAF
- Yujin Hoshida, MD, PhD, AGAF
- Dominique E. Howard, MD
- Prasad G. Iyer, MD, MS
- Asma Khapra, MD
- Monika Laszkowska, MD
- Endashaw Omer, MD
