Every disease of the pancreas. One foundation fighting for all of them.

In 1995, Birsic's sister-in-law, Joan Birsic Dawson, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 38. Stunned at the lack of information, and patient and caretaker support, she co-founded the National Pancreas Foundation (NPF) with Boston resident, Jane Holt, who suffers from chronic pancreatitis. Birsic continues to be an active member of the national Board of Directors, as well as the chair of the Salt Lake City Chapter of NPF. She also sits on the Collaborative Alliance for Pancreas Education and Research CAPER) Board of Directors. Birsic is also an Advisory Council Member of the National Institute of Digestive Diseases (NIDDK), a division of the National Institutes of Health. The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract honored Birsic in 2010 with the Public Service Award and she was recognized with her volunteerism with the 2012 Joan Birsic Dawson Service award.

She is a Board member of the non-profit Wasatch Immigration Project, whose mission is to provide accessible legal advice, representation, and education to individuals and families in the greater Wasatch Back community.  Birsic  volunteers for the National Ability Center and Catholic Charities. Birsic is a 1977 graduate from the University of Notre Dame. A resident of Park City, UT, Birsic enjoys anything outdoors- hiking, skiing, tennis, and water sports.  

"After experiencing the heartbreak, frustration and loss of hope beginning with Joan's diagnosis of pancreatic cancer to losing Joan 20 months later, I was committed to improving the outcomes and quality of life for patients and their families. Almost 30years later, the NPF community has made significant strides within the medical and private communities. Yet, we have so much more to do." 

Jane Holt has spent the last 25 years committed to volunteer work in the Boston area. In 1988, she began her commitment to the Friends of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute working on numerous fundraising initiatives, as co-chairwoman for countless galas, and as Co-President of the Friends from 1996-98.

Having spent a decade surviving chronic pancreatitis, Ms. Holt saw an acute need for greater awareness and education around diseases of the pancreas. And so, in 1997, she founded the National Pancreas Foundation with Co-Founder, Patter Birsic.

In recognition for the work, she has done in the area of pancreatic research, she was named a member of the Executive Board of the Digestive Disease National Coalition in 2003 and in 2010 was name Chair. Most recently, she is taking part in lobbying initiatives aimed to increase the amount of federal funding granted to pancreatic research.

In 2006, Jane was appointed to the National Commission of Digestive Disease and served as Chair of the Pancreas working group. The Commission developed a long-range research plan for digestive diseases. The Commission's research plan will guide the NIH–along with the investigative and lay communities–in pursuing important research avenues to combating digestive diseases.

Jane was also appointed to the NIDDK Advisory Council in 2010 for a four-year term. Jane also serves on the NCI GI Steering committee She has been very involved in getting pancreatitis listed as one of the research topics for the Department of Defense Peer Review Medical Research Program and has served as a consumer reviewer for these programs.

A graduate from Skidmore College with a B.A. in Biochemistry, Ms. Holt lives in the Back Bay of Boston

Eileen M. O'Reilly holds the Winthrop Rockefeller Endowed Chair in Medical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK). She serves as the Section Head for Hepatopancreaticobiliary/ Neuroendocrine Cancers, Gastrointestinal Oncology Service, Co-Director Medical at the David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer and is an Attending Physician and Member at MSK and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Dr. O'Reilly is a clinical scientist whose research focus involves integration of molecular and genetic-based therapies (RAS, BRCA, other) for pancreas cancer along with development of adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatments and identification of biomarkers for therapy selection. Dr. O'Reilly is the Principal Investigator of multiple phase I, II, III trials in pancreas cancer. She is PI of the MSK P50 Pancreas Specialized Program in Oncology Research Excellence (SPORE), an NCI funded team science grant.

Nationally, Dr. O'Reilly is Co-Chair of the NCI Alliance Co-Operative Group Gastrointestinal Cancers Committee and serves in leadership roles in several advocacy organizations including the National Pancreas Foundation, Hirshberg Foundation, PanKind and Pancreas Cancer Action Network.

After losing his sister, Joan Birsic Dawson, to pancreatic cancer at the age of 40, Tom was essential in the development of the NPF, from obtaining its 501©(3) status to raising seed money for the new foundation. Tom has served on the Executive Committee for many years. "I am delighted to watch NPF develop into one of the most comprehensive and patient driven foundations for those suffering from pancreatic disease" says Birsic.

Tom has been a lawyer with the K&L Gates law firm since 1979 and recently completed a term (1993 to 2018) as one of the global practice area leaders of the firm's litigation and dispute resolution practice area and as a member of the firm's management committee. He has been inducted as a fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Thomas Holt is a trial lawyer who maintains an active practice before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. Extensive experience representing public and private companies in the prosecution and avoidance of civil litigation, including business disputes, the protection of intellectual property assets, and environmental and land use disputes. Has served as member of K&L Gates' firm-wide management committee.

Adjunct Professor of Law at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. Teaches classes on international intellectual property law and policy, with emphasis on international trade issues. Member of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Board of Overseers. Member of the Board of Trustees of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Dana-Farber Trustees Science Committee. Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, National Pancreas Foundation

Michael Farrell has been the Treasurer for the NPF since 2014.  In this capacity, he is responsible for all of the accounting, financial reporting, internal controls, and statutory reporting for the Foundation.  

Michael is a Managing Director in the retirement practice of Willis Towers Watson, where he serves as the firm’s North American accounting expert for pension and postretirement benefit plan issues. He has nearly 40 years of experience in accounting and financial reporting.  

Prior to joining Willis Towers Watson in 2016, Michael was assistant controller of NSTAR and, after its merger with Northeast Utilities, director of revenue and regulatory accounting for Eversource.  Michael began his career in the audit practice of Coopers & Lybrand, where he specialized in public utilities and financial services.  

Michael lives in the Boston area and holds a B.S. in accounting from Bentley University and is a Certified Public Accountant in Massachusetts. 

Anne recently retired from Federated Hermes, Inc., a global investment management firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, with more than $900 billion in assets under management and more than $2 trillion in assets under advice. As Executive Vice President, and Head of the Responsible Investing Office, her team provided targeted investment research for the global investment staff to augment their proprietary qualitative analysis of portfolio companies. She had previously served as Head of Investment Administration and Operations, Head of Product Development and developed and grew the firm’s retail separately managed account business, which now stands at more than $40 billion.  As a member of the NPF Board Executive Committee, she brings her business and financial expertise to the management of NPF’s assets and strategy development. 

Having been involved with NPF since its beginning, Anne has provided support to the founders as they set their vision and created one of the most influential partner organizations in the medical community. Among many initiatives, NPF continues to stay at the forefront of providing collaborative educational forums for pancreatic disease researchers and setting critical standards for hospitals to reach NPF’s Center of Excellence designation.    

Anne is a graduate of Boston College and attended the Kellogg School of Management Executive Education Program, Northwestern University, focusing on Business-to-Business Marketing. One of her favorite activities is spending time in the bright lights of New York City, with all it has to offer, while endlessly shopping with her nieces as they take a bite of the Big Apple!

Calvin Kennedy is Associate General Counsel, Corporate, at Envision Healthcare, where he advises on corporate matters, board governance, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic transactions. A business-oriented attorney with more than a decade of legal experience, he has held senior legal leadership roles in the healthcare sector, including serving as General Counsel, Senior Vice President, and Secretary of CORA Physical Therapy. Earlier in his career, he practiced corporate and transactional law at K&L Gates. Mr. Kennedy earned his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and his B.S. in Accounting from Case Western Reserve University. He currently serves as Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee.

Emily S. Draud, CFRE, joined the National Pancreas Foundation earlier this year to support the organization through a leadership transition. During that time, she witnessed firsthand the extraordinary strength of the NPF community — the dedication of its staff, the passion of its volunteers, the generosity of its donors, and the resilience of the patients and families it serves. Inspired by the mission and the critical work ahead, Emily made the decision to officially join NPF in a permanent capacity.
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With nearly 25 years of philanthropic leadership, Emily brings deep experience directing large‑scale fundraising operations, advising boards, and shaping strategic investments that strengthen communities. Her career includes senior leadership roles at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she led teams across annual giving, corporate and community engagement, and events and operations, and helped drive capital campaigns totaling more than $50 million. She has partnered closely with families, foundations, board members, and corporate leaders to advance transformational impact.
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Emily’s background spans healthcare, higher education, and community organizations, with a consistent focus on building sustainable systems, strengthening donor engagement, and advancing organizational excellence.

Sokphal joined the team in 2017 and oversees all NPF programs (Fellows Symposium, NPF Research Grants, NPF Centers of Excellence, and Camp Hope, etc).

Her career has been dedicated to working for non-profits, particularly in the healthcare field. Prior to the NPF, she worked for the National Democratic Institute, the American College of Physicians, and Inova Healthcare System. She has over 10 years working in grants management. Bringing awareness to pancreas disease and interacting with patients and providers has been the most rewarding aspects of being at the NPF.

Sokphal has a B.A. in Communications (journalism emphasis) from Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) and an M.A in International Communications and Development from City University, London.

Dr. Yasmin Hernandez-Barco is a gastroenterologist and medical pancreatologist in the Division of Gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She received her medical degree from SUNY Stony Brook School of Medicine where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism Honors Societies and awarded the Glasgow-Rubin Citation for academic achievement. She completed her residency and chief residency at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Hernandez-Barco completed her Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship in the Division of Gastroenterology at MGH. She completed an additional year of advanced fellowship training in Medical Pancreatology at MGH and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Her clinical care focuses on patients with acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, pancreatic cysts, and rare forms of pancreatic disease. Her research includes developing technologies for the early detection of pancreatic cancer and pancreatic cysts and developing clinical diagnostic tools in the management of various subtypes of pancreatitis.

She serves as the Mass General Brigham Director for the Center of Pancreatic Disease at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She also serves on the board of Directors for the National Pancreas foundation and is involved in several national GI and pancreatic disease societies. She is passionate about providing multidisciplinary care to patients with complex pancreatic diseases.

Dr. Vikesh Singh is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the Director of Pancreatology where he oversees the Pancreatitis Center and the Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Autotransplantation Program as well as the Director of Endoscopy at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He graduated with an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2001) and an M.Sc. in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health (2008).

His research is focused on clinical pancreatology with specific interests in the prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis, autoimmune pancreatitis, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency as well as pancreatic and non-pancreatic abdominal pain. He is a founding member of the International Pancreatic Pain Consortium which is a multicenter group dedicated to developing pain phenotyping tools for patients suffering from benign and malignant pancreatic diseases. He has over 360 publications encompassing original scientific studies, review articles, book chapters, and guidelines/consensus statements. He is currently an Associate Editor for Pancreatology.

Randall Brand, MD, is a gastroenterologist and is certified in gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and is the academic director for the GI Division at UPMC Shadyside Hospital. Dr. Brand also directs the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's GI Malignancy Early Detection, Diagnosis and Prevention Program and leads UPMC's Hereditary GI Tumor Clinic.

Dr. Brand's clinical interests include the early detection of pancreatic cancer, evaluating and caring for family members from pancreatic cancer-prone families, hereditary GI cancers, and evaluation of pancreatic cystic lesions. He is a principal investigator in the Early Detection Research Network and participates in multiple NCI-, NIH- and DoD-funded research projects focused on the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Brand lives north of Pittsburgh and has a son, daughter, and three grandchildren.

Rajesh N. Keswani, MD, MS, is an academic interventional gastroenterologist and Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University. He currently serves as the Director of Quality for the Digestive Health Institute and the Associate Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs for the Department of Medicine at Northwestern Medicine.

​Dr. Keswani’s clinical and research expertise centers on improving the quality of both diagnostic and interventional endoscopy. Dr. Keswani has a specific focus on improving the care of patients with pancreatic disease. His dedication to optimizing clinical workflows, advancing early detection methodologies, and improving quality care metrics aligns deeply with the National Pancreas Foundation's mission to enhance patient outcomes and support innovative research.

Dr. Melena Bellin is a physician-scientist and tenured Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, and the Department of Surgery at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on cell therapy for patients with type 1 diabetes and surgical diabetes (TPIAT), and pancreatogenic diabetes. She has been a leader in the field of islet autotransplantation, including leading 4 randomized clinical trials of novel therapies to improve islet engraftment, defining long-term outcomes after total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation, and advancing total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation as a treatment option for children with hereditary pancreatitis. She is a site PI for the University of Minnesota in the Chronic Pancreatitis Diabetes Pancreatic Cancer Consortium and the Type 1 Diabetes Acute Pancreatitis Consortium which she also Co-Chairs. She has been an investigator on multiple islet allotransplant trials for Type 1 Diabetes including the CIT multicenter trials in the U.S. and on early stem cell derived islet therapies. She is a member of the Executive Committee for the Collaborative Islet Transplant Registry.

Dr. Maisam Abu-El-Haija, MD, MS is an Endowed Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati, A Pediatric Gastroenterologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The Founding Director of the Pancreas Care Center, the Medical Director of the Islet Isolation Center at Cincinnati Children's, the Medical Director of the Ohio/ Kentucky Chapter- National Pancreas Foundation (NPF), Co-Chair of the NPF annual Fellows' Symposium meeting, member of the Board of Directors- NPF, Section Member of the Pancreas Committee (AGA), past president and executive member of the Collaborative Alliance for Pancreatic Education and Research (CAPER), these highlight examples of national leadership positions that she serves.

As the first Pediatric NPF accredited Center of Excellence in the nation, the center has served over 1000 children with pancreatic disease from national and international destinations. Dr. Haija current research focus is in the field of pancreatitis. With over 200 peer-reviewed pubmed publications, and over 150 invited speakerships nationally and internationally.

She is the PI on the NIH funded acute pancreatitis observational study, MPI of the newly funded NIH study of drug induced pancreatic injury. She had mentored numerous trainees in basic science, gastroenterology, surgery, pain, endocrinology and other subspecialties.

Kerry Lord is a senior healthcare technology executive with more than two decades of experience leading enterprise information technology, data, analytics, cybersecurity, and digital transformation initiatives within the healthcare and pharmacy industries. He currently serves as Senior Vice President of Information Technology at Dragonfly Health, where he is responsible for technology strategy, enterprise applications, data and analytics platforms, cybersecurity and compliance, infrastructure, and business transformation initiatives.

Throughout his career, Kerry has led large-scale technology modernization programs, healthcare system integrations, cloud transformation efforts, business intelligence initiatives, and enterprise data platform strategies. He is recognized for his ability to align technology investments with business objectives while improving operational efficiency, patient outcomes, and organizational scalability. His leadership spans healthcare services, pharmacy operations, data management, information security, and innovation.

Dr. Lieb is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Florida. He studied under Drs. Philip Toskes, Chris Forsmark, and Peter Draganov at the University of Florida.

His interests are not only in endoscopy quality but also in the early diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis (especially by using the classical secretin stimulation test and other modalities) pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and pancreatic enzyme replacement, genetic GI disorders, pancreatic tumors/cysts/cancer, and precancerous diseases of the GI tract. Dr. Lieb was an NPF fellow attendee for the first NPF Fellows Symposium in Dedham, Mass in April 2006, along with Tim Gardner, Bechien Wu, Andres Gelrud, Ken Fascinella, and Dan Mullady.

"I was shocked at the amazing opportunity NPF had assembled—merely with the goal of attracting and training young physicians into the field of pancreatology. This is just one example of the clairvoyance of this selfless organization and how the NPF has developed a multifaceted, comprehensive approach to improving patients' lives with pancreatic disease."

Eric Golden is an investment banker, entrepreneur, and advocate for those coping with pancreatic disease. After being diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis in 2012 and witnessing the often-tragic toll of the disease, he decided to make fighting such conditions a charitable focus. He is a co-founder and board member of Mission: Cure, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for pancreatitis within 10 years; board member and former Chairman of the Collaborative Alliance for Pancreatic Education and Research (CAPER); and a board member of The National Pancreas Foundation. He has testified in front of the FDA and regularly speaks to patients, physicians, and researchers about his experience with pancreatic disease. 

Professionally, Eric is the Founder and Managing Partner of Fluential Partners, a boutique investment bank, and board member of Exokinetics, developer of an innovative mobility device for those with disabilities. Previously, he served in roles ranging from CEO of a startup to General Counsel of Panavision and the Washington Football Team. Eric earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School and an A.B. from Brown University.

Ellen Vandenberg has written many books for children and young adults and has developed properties for Penguin Random House, Hasbro, and Disney. She was managing editor at Random House and Scholastic.  

Ellen and her husband Kurt Vandenberg are strong supporters of The National Pancreas Foundation and have been on the development committee for the NYC benefit for many years.

Mrs. Tonelli is an Occupational Therapist working as a dementia care specialist in a family-owned Senior Living company. She has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Occupational Therapy and a Master of Science in Health Care Administration both from Worcester State University. Mrs. Tonelli is a Certified Dementia Care Trainer by NCCDP, certified Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Group Facilitator, and she has been on the Town of Shrewsbury MA Commission for Disabilities since 2019.

In 2000 her father, James Corey, lost a 5-month battle with Pancreatic cancer, within 1 1/2 years she was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis- then chronic pancreatitis with genetic testing revealed a mutation in CFR r117. She's been active in the Massachusetts Chapter since 2015 and is now the NPF MA Chapter Chair. She is also the secretary for the Pancreatic Cancer Alliance – UMass Medical Center/Medical School and is a member of the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition.

"As a member of the board I feel I bring a patient's perspective and my years of working as a clinician in healthcare to the table. It's a priority to me to ensure education and research are reaching the clinics and patients- offering both treatment plans and hope to those struggling w pancreas diseases."

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In 2010, Christyn's life took a drastic turn when her 7 year old daughter, Rebecca, was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. Christyn immediately became immersed in the world of pancreatitis, as her daughter endured over 1,400 hospitalized days, and 100 surgical procedures, including a Total Pancreatectomy and Auto-Islet cell transplant. Through this process, she realized the immense lack of knowledge and care in pediatric pancreatitis.

In 2016, Rebecca was approached by Make-a-Wish as to what her wish request would be, her answer was not at all surprising to those who knew her: "I want to meet with a medical philanthropist, who can help me start a charity to help kids like me so they don't have to suffer like I did." In 2017, Rebecca's Wish organization was founded with a goal of innovative research, fellowships for physicians, education and charitable services for children with pancreatitis. Christyn is the President of Rebecca's Wish and since its inception, Rebecca's Wish has raised millions of dollars and helped countless children through its life-changing cause.

Christyn is used as an advisor and speaker for numerous organizations, hospitals, and med schools. She resides in San Antonio, TX with her husband and three incredible children.

Dr. Forsmark is a Professor of Medicine and the Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the University of Florida.

Dr. Forsmark's clinical and research interests are in the areas of acute and chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic function and function testing, biliary and pancreatic malignancy, and advanced therapeutic endoscopy. He is the author of many book chapters, reviews and editorials, and original research in these areas of focus.

Dr. Forsmark is the former president of the American Pancreatic Association and the Florida Gastroenterologic Society. He is also the former Chair of the Pancreatic Disorders Section of the American Gastroenterological Association and the former Chair of the ABIM Subspecialty Board on Gastroenterology. He serves as an associate editor (pancreas) of the American Journal of Gastroenterology and on the editorial boards of 6 other scientific journals. He serves as a grant reviewer for the National Pancreas Foundation and the NIH, is an ad hoc member of the Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee (GIDAC) of the FDA, and is serving on the NPF Centers Task Force.

After earning a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado, Dr. Forsmark earned his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He received his internal medicine and gastroenterology training at the University of California, San Francisco before joining the faculty of the University of Florida.

Dr. Charles Vollmer is an internationally renowned Professor of Surgery, Division Chief of Gastrointestinal Surgery, and Director of Pancreatic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. He specializes in Pancreaticobiliary and other complex gastrointestinal surgery with a research focus on clinical outcomes assessment in high-acuity surgery – especially pancreatic fistula. His current practice at Penn encompasses both malignant and benign conditions of the pancreas and biliary system with a strong emphasis in care of pancreatic cancer, cysts, and pancreatitis. He also serves as the founding Co-Director of the Penn Multidisciplinary Pancreatic Cyst Program.

He has authored over 200 manuscripts, 40 book chapters, and 3 books focusing on pancreaticobiliary diseases. He is active in multiple national and international surgical societies where he has served in various leadership positions including Membership Chairman, Program Chairman, Treasurer, President-Elect, and President of the AHPBA. He also currently sits on the Executive Committee of the IHPBA and was its Scientific Program Chair for the 2016 World Congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Dr. Vollmer's collegiate education was at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He then received his MD degree in 1994 from Jefferson Medical College in his hometown of Philadelphia. After Chief Residency at Washington University, he matriculated the internationally acclaimed Hepatobiliary and Solid Organ Transplantation Surgery Fellowship at the University of Toronto in 2001. He initiated his career as an attending surgeon at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School (2003 -2011).

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Dr. Ashok Saluja obtained his doctoral degree in Biochemistry from Washington State University in 1980. In 2016, Dr. Saluja relocated to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine as Professor and Vice Chair of Research and Faculty Development of Surgery, Senior Associate Dean for Research and Director of Sylvester Pancreatic Cancer Research Institute. Dr. Saluja' s research focuses on understanding the physiology of the pancreas and the pathophysiology of pancreatic diseases. His group has developed a novel drug, Minnelide, which has been patented worldwide and is licensed to Minneamrita Therapeutics, LLC-a company he co-founded. Minnelide is undergoing clinical trials at several different institutions.

Dr. Saluja has published more than 200 original research papers in peer-reviewed international journals. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Pancreas journal and was the Associate Editor of Gastroenterology. He is the past president of American Pancreatic Association and International Association of Pancreatology. At present, he is the Secretary-Treasurer of American Pancreatic Association. Dr. Saluja was awarded the prestigious George Palade award by IAP, the Lifetime achievement award by APA, National Medal from Australian Society of Medical Research, Ismar Boas Medal from the German Society for Gastroenterology and Outstanding Contributions Award from Chinese Association of Pancreatology (CAP).

Dr. Aliye Uc is Professor of Pediatrics and Endowed Chair in Pediatric Gastroenterology at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. She serves as Director of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Pancreatology and Nutrition and as Program Director of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Pancreas Foundation.

Dr. Uc's long-standing research program focuses on pancreatic diseases in children, with particular expertise in cystic fibrosis (CF)-related pancreatic disease, acute pancreatitis, recurrent acute pancreatitis, and chronic pancreatitis. Dr. Uc is a co-leader and principal investigator within the INSPPIRE (International Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis: In Search for a Cure) consortium, a multicenter collaborative research network dedicated to improving the understanding and care of children with pancreatitis. She is also a co-chair of the Consortium for the Study of Chronic Pancreatitis, Diabetes, and Pancreatic Cancer (CPCRC).

Dr. Uc maintains an active clinical practice in pediatric gastroenterology and pancreatology and is committed to advancing pancreatic research while training the next generation of pediatric gastroenterologists.