About the Program

1. Give excellent clinical care to patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
2. Find causes for Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis that can lead to cures
3. Develop and investigate novel and innovative treatments for both Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis

With this mission, the program provides Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis patients with comprehensive clinical services. The IBD Program offers a multidisciplinary approach to care. Patients and their families work with a team of gastroenterologists, nurses, a dietitian and a psychologist, as well as surgeons. The team is also supported by an expert gastrointestinal pathologist and radiologist. The IBD Program at Rush has clinical facilities (exam rooms, counseling areas, meeting areas) and intravenous medication infusion rooms.

Our services include comprehensive clinical care for patients with ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, collagenous and lymphocytic colitis and pouchitis, including standard medications and complementary treatments such as dietary therapies, drug infusion services, counseling and nutrition services. We also offer surgical services, such as pouch procedures, and management of complex IBD-related conditions such as pouchitis.  

The IBD Clinical Team

Ece Mutlu, MD, is director of the IBD Program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Mutlu has treated many patients with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. She also conducts research on the contribution of diet to IBD management and the role of colonic bacteria in IBD development. She directs a number of clinical trials for patients with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis that focus on effective drug treatments, which are listed below.

Ali Keshavarzian, MD, director of the Division of Digestive Diseases at Rush University Medical Center, is an internationally renowned physician, researcher and presenter on inflammatory bowel disease. His current research, with Dr. Mutlu, is focused on the role of colonic bacteria in IBD development.

Ashkan Farhadi, MD, MS, is a gastroenterologist who treats patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Dr. Farhadi also has endoscopic ultrasound experience. His research is focused on stress and its effects on patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Susan L. Mikolaitis, RD, LD, CNSD, offers patients with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis comprehensive nutrition services to manage their disease. She has more than 25 years of experience in medical nutrition therapy, with 20 years specifically focused on nutrition and gastrointestinal diseases. (Learn more about nutrition services for gastroenterology patients at Rush.)

Sharon Jedel, PsyD, helps IBD patients better manage their illness by integrating mind-body, relaxation training and stress management techniques with their overall treatment regimen. Although stress does not cause inflammatory bowel disease, it can make symptoms worse and may trigger flare-ups. (Learn more about counseling services for gastroenterology patients at Rush.)

The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program also has the expertise of two renowned colorectal surgeons as part of the IBD treatment team at Rush: Theodore Saclarides, MD, and Mark Brand, MD. Additionally, the program includes several nurses with many years of experience with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis who provide infusion medications and up-close monitoring.

Clinical Research Trials on IBD

Below is a list of currently enrolling clinical trials in IBD at Rush University Medical Center. If you would like further information, please click on the link below:

Federally Sponsored Trials

• Alcohol and Inflammation in Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis
• A Longitudinal Study: Dysbiosis and IBD
• Cross-Sectional Study: Dysbiosis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Dietary Treatment of Crohn’s Disease
• Mind/Body Medicine and IBD Flare-Up

Industry Sponsored Trials

• Abatacept and Crohn’s Disease
• Abatacept and Ulcerative Colitis

Departmentally Sponsored Studies

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Melatonin
• Inflammatory Bowel Repository
• Oral Hygiene and Its Affect on Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disese
• Use of Complimentary and Alternative Medicines in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

For Appointments or Further Information

To make an appointment with the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at Rush, or for further information, please contact Andrea Borowiecki, MPH, CHES, program manager, by phone at (312) 942-8570 or via e-mail at andrea_borowiecki@rush.edu

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Last updated 5/08