Research Training

First Year

During the first year fellow four-week elective rotation, the fellows participate in the Exploring Research Opportunities Rotation during the afternoon. Working with the Program Director and Section Chief, a research plan for the fellow’s second and third years will be developed. By the end of their first year, the fellow presents his or her research plans to the Scholarship Oversight Committee for advice and approval. This Oversight Committee will systematically monitor the fellow's progress during the next two years, assuring appropriate progress and success of the fellow.

Second and Third Year

The second and third years of training are primarily devoted to research training (clinical, translational, or basic research) which will be carried out in the laboratories and facilities of the CU SOM and Children's Colorado. Responsibilities on the inpatient services are minimized during years 2 and 3 in order to provide 80% protected time for research training. During the second and third years of training, the fellow continues to attend one half-day continuity clinic per week, the teaching conferences of the Section, and rotate on the inpatient service for 2-4 weeks per year.
During the first year of fellowship, the fellow will meet with each of the Pediatric Gastroenterology/Hepatology/Nutrition faculty and other appropriate researchers at University of Colorado School of Medicine (CU SOM), and, in conjunction with the Director of Fellowship Training and the Section Chief, will choose a mentor and a field of study. The Department of Pediatrics at CU SOM has a formal core educational program in Ethics, Professionalism, Statistics, Evidence-Based Medicine and Quality Improvement for all fellows that begins in the first year of fellowship. For fellows who elect to pursue Clinical and Translational Research, we encourage completion of a Masters in Clinical Sciences through the Clinical Sciences Program. There is a core curriculum on research ethics for fellows led by the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI). Basic science research trainees are encouraged to participate in appropriate didactic coursework, as well as mentored laboratory research. Research opportunities are numerous, under the mentorship of one of the Pediatric GI/ Hepatology/ Nutrition faculty or another mentor of the School of Medicine.

Researching Training Funding

The GI/Hepatology/Nutrition Fellowship is an NIH-funded training program in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition, and works closely with the NIH-supported Mucosal Inflammation Program and Clinical Nutrition Research Unit at CU SOM. In these Centers, there is a large number of NIH-supported investigators studying basic and clinical areas. In addition, the CCTSI at CU SOM, in conjunction with the Clinical Translational Research Center at Children's Colorado, provides training in clinical and translational research, and provides assistance with study design, biostatistics, bioinformatics, research nursing, and financial and scientific support for clinical investigation. Our NIDDK-Funded T32 Pediatric GI Fellowship Training Program is co-directed by Drs. Ronald J. Sokol, MD, Chief of the Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, and Edwin DeZoeten, MD, PhD, IBD Program Director. The GI/Hepatology/Nutrition Section is also an active Clinical Center in 7 national research consortia studying childhood liver and gastrointestinal diseases, bringing many clinical research opportunities for fellows. The GI/Hepatology/Nutrition Section research is funded by more than 3.5 million dollars per year in grant support.

Didactic Learning

The following teaching conferences play an important role in the training of fellows and housestaff:

1. On Wednesday Mornings, the conference alternates weekly (Radiology, Pathology, Fellow Topic, Case Reviews). Emphasis is placed on the fellow’s acquisition of skills needed to deliver effective lectures and improve their teaching ability for their future careers.

• Radiology and Pathology: Fellows are asked to interpret x-rays and pathology slides in the Radiology and Pathology Conferences.
  
• For Topic Conference, fellows present 1 time per year, an organized talk focusing on a specific clinical topic of interest to them. We ask the fellows to choose a topic that they know little about and will therefore gain a high degree of knowledge on the subject by preparing for the talk.
  
• For case reviews, faculty present interesting patients to the entire group for discussion (once every other month, the conference is dedicated to collaborative case review). Discussion includes review of pertinent labs and imaging, examination of the patient, and discussion of pathophysiology, differential diagnosis and treatment options. .

1. A combined pediatric GI/Hepatology/Nutrition and Pediatric Surgery conference is held at CHCO on the first Friday morning of the month. At the Peds GI/Surgery Conference, Fellows alternate with surgical Fellows in presenting interesting cases followed by an organized and detailed talk and handout on the specific topic of interest. Every fellow present at this conference once or twice during their fellowship training. This conference provides the fellows a unique view of how surgeons may manage GI/Hepatology patients. 
2. A combined Adult GI and Pediatric GI conference is held at the University Hospital Admin. Pavilion on the fourth Friday every 3 months. Every fellow present at this conference once or twice during their fellowship training. This conference provides the fellows a unique view of how adult gastroenterologists and Hepatologists may manage GI/Hepatology patients.
3. A combined DHI and Nutrition conference is held biannually and gives fellows the unique opportunity to review interesting cases with nutrition colleagues.
4. Disease-specific multidisciplinary weekly meetings that fellows are welcome to attend include Liver Center meeting, Intestinal Failure and Home Nutritional Support meeting, Inflammatory Bowel Disease meeting, Celiac disease meeting, Gastrointestinal Eosinophilic Diseases Program and Cystic Fibrosis meeting. These sessions provide the fellow with a unique opportunity to observe the many aspects of multidisciplinary management of GI and Liver disease patients with complex diseases.
5. Focused inpatient and outpatient care conferences are attended by fellows’ quarterly.

Additional Learning Opportunities:

Subspecialty Excellence in Educational Leadership & Scholarship (SEELS) Program :

• The University of Colorado Department of Pediatrics is proud to offer the Subspecialty Excellence in Educational Leadership & Scholarship (SEELS) Program for subspecialty pediatric fellows committed to an academic career in medical education.
• The SEELS program guides fellows through an 18-month program that   provides research mentorship, coaching, and instruction.
• The overall  goal of SEELS is to equip these fellows with the necessary knowledge/skills/attitudes for success as future medical educators through educational scholarship and professional identity development, faculty and peer mentorship, and engaging in an educational community of practice.

Pediatric Fellowship Educational Series

This educational series has been developed by the Committee on Fellowship Education to address areas  of scholarly interest common to all pediatric fellows. Nearly 100 sub-specialized physicians in training will attend 5-6 half-day seminars spread across their 3 years of fellowship.

• Attendance is mandatory and the trainee is excused from clinical responsibilities.
• In addition to providing core educational material, these sessions allow trainees in different disciplines and throughout the department to meet and interact with one another in an informal and collegial environment.
• Occurs several times per year throughout fellowship with fellows of different subspecialties

Pediatric Biostatistics for Clinicians Course:

This course is primarily intended for 2nd and 3rd year Department of Pediatrics fellows as part of the comprehensive fellowship educational program. Designed to help fellows to develop an ability to be a critical consumer of the literature and develop familiarity with many commonly used statistical methods.

• This course comprises for six 2-hour sessions
• Designed for second year fellows, but any fellow or resident can register for the course.

Advanced Degrees Available at CU:

Masters of Public Health

Appling to Our Program!

ERAS Application Timeline

NRMP Fall Match Timeline

Required Application Materials

We are registered with ERAS (The Electronic Residency Application Service). Please login to ERAS, complete the Common Application Form, and attach the following supporting documentation:

• Current Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Personal Statement of 1-2 pages outlining the reasons for choosing this specialty, and the applicant’s career plans
• At least two (2) but no more than four (4) Letters of Recommendation from physicians familiar with the applicant, one of which should be from the applicant’s residency program director
• USMLE/ECFMG scores
• A wallet-sized photo (this will not be distributed to interviewers or anyone participating in the selection process)

Interviews

Our pediatric fellowship will be conducting virtual interviews for this upcoming interview season.  We look forward to sharing our programs with you and getting to know more about you. 

Interviews are scheduled from August thru end of October and will be conducted virtually. We will send interview offers out end of July as well as a list of interview dates that will be held in August, September, and October. These will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applicants selected for a personal interview will be contacted by the fellowship program coordinator.

If you have questions about the application and interview process, please reach out to our program coordinator, Meg Book-Smith by email at Meggan.Book-Smith or by phone at 720-777-2738.

Here are our interview dates:

• 1st interviews – Wednesday, August 21st
• 2nd interviews – Wednesday, September 11th
• 3rd interviews – Wednesday, September 18th
• 4th interviews - Wednesday, October 2nd
• 5th interviews – Wednesday, October 9th
• 6th interviews – Wednesday, October 16th
• 7th interviews – Wednesday, October 23rd

Salary and Benefits

Salaries are guaranteed by CU SOM and paid at the relevant PGY level with standard dental and medical insurance benefits for the fellow and family, and disability and life insurance. Funds are available for travel to one or two medical conferences per year and for books/journals.

Night and Weekend Call

Weekend at-home call for fellows is divided among the fellows and averages every ninth weekend. Weeknight at-home call is shared by first-year fellows. Fellows are supervised by designated GI and Liver attendings.

Current Fellows 

1st Year Fellows

Nicholas “Alex” Dodd, MD

• Medical School: University of Texas Medical School at Houston
• Residency: Mercer Medical School/Dwaine & Cynthia Willett Children's Hospital Of Savannah
• Email: Nicholas.Dodd 

Kelsey Ryan, MD

• Medical School: Ohio State University College of Medicine
• Residency: McGaw Medical Center at Northwestern University
• Email: Kelsey.Ryan

Why did you decide to pursue pediatric gastroenterology?

I choose gastroenterology because of early exposure I had doing research in peds GI in medical school. I got to meet patients and families and watch some endoscopies. I love the combination of procedures, pathology, radiology and varied disease states, and that we treat patients of all ages! After having fabulous mentors along the way and going to NASPGHAN conferences where I saw what a friendly, supportive community pediatric GI was, I knew I wanted to be a part of it! GI people are the most fun :)

Why did you choose to train at Children’s Hospital Colorado?

I chose to train at Children's Hospital Colorado for clinical and research training I would have here in liver, GI, and nutrition. I wanted a high volume center where I would learn by doing and have several other fellows to meet and learn from as well. The enthusiasm for the program from my faculty interviewers and dedication to fellow education was evident on my interview day. Having always lived in the midwest, I was thrilled for the opportunity to live in Colorado for the hiking, sunshine, breweries, and maybe I will even try skiing for the first time!

Julia Elizabeth Sessions, MD

• Medical School: Stanford University School of Medicine
• Residency: University of Virginia Pediatric Residency
• Email: Julia.Sessions

Why did you decide to pursue pediatric gastroenterology?

I chose to pursue pediatric gastroenterology because of the diversity in the field. I really enjoy taking care of very sick patients in the ICUs and also less sick children in clinic. I feel like gastroenterologists really take care of the whole child and often fill a role of primary care physician for complex patients. Plus, you get to do procedures, which is awesome!

Why did you choose to train at Children’s Hospital Colorado?

I chose to train at Children's Hospital Colorado for many different reasons. CHCO has a big group of gastroenterologists/hepatologists who specialize in an array of fields within GI, hepatology, and nutrition and allows the fellows to have exposure to different career paths. The faculty and fellows I met on my interview day and communicated with throughout interview season were all extremely welcoming and supportive. Living in beautiful Colorado is a great bonus too!

2nd Year Fellows

Darius Blanding, MD

• Medical School: University of South Carolina SOM
• Residency: Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City
• Email: Darius.Blanding

Why did you decide to pursue pediatric gastroenterology?

Pediatric gastroenterology provided the perfect mix of all the aspects of medicine I enjoyed. I get to work in both the outpatient clinic and inpatient service as well as do procedures. I get a wide variety of disease processes and acuity that keep the job interesting.

What are your research interests?

My primary research project will be a qualitative study with a focus on health disparities in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE).

Why did you choose to train at Children’s Hospital Colorado?

I found myself comparing every program during the interview season to CHCO. A couple of the biggest draws for me on deciding to train here were the ample opportunities that the department and hospital offer and the energy of the people I interacted with during my interview day. There's also so much to do inside the city and in the surrounding towns and states. 

What are your hobbies and what do you like to do in your spare time?

 I'm a fan of most things that involve food, whether that be checking out a new restaurant or sampling a variety at a food festival. I also love music and like to catch performances from my favorite artists whenever I get the chance. I'm also continuing my pandemic hobby of building my vinyl record collection. Having spent most of my life in the South, it’s been fun getting try out different snow activities.

Julie Ann Luna Torres, MD

• Medical School: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Residency: Nationwide Children's Hospital 
• Email: Julie.Luna-torres

Why did you decide to pursue pediatric gastroenterology?

 I love being able to think about multiple organs within one organ system and having the flexibility to practice medicine in different settings such as inpatient, outpatient and lots of fun procedures!

What are your research interests?

 I am interested in health equity and health disparities, specifically how these affect outcomes in regard to pediatric endoscopy.

Why did you choose to train at Children’s Hospital Colorado?

 I wanted to train at a program with high volume and high acuity. The faculty here is amazing and although they are my teachers and mentors, it feels like family.

What are your hobbies and what do you like to do in your spare time?

I enjoy spending time outside, reading, traveling with my family, finding new cocktail bars and restaurants and I recently learned to ski after moving to Denver!

Danielle Noles, MD

• Medical School: University of Tennessee College of Medicine
• Residency: UTHSC/Le Bonheur Children's Hospital
• Email: Danielle.Noles

3rd Year Fellows

Katie Rose Conover, MD

• Medical School: University of Central Florida College of Medicine
• Residency: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Email: Katie.Conover

Why did you decide to pursue pediatric gastroenterology?

I liked the variety of pathology -- from metabolic diseases affecting the liver, to disorders of gut brain interaction, to congenital anatomic issues manifesting with GI/liver symptoms like vomiting or jaundice. I also enjoy the combination of inpatient care, clinic, and procedures. 

What are your research interests?

I am interested in hepatology and am going to do a liver transplant year, so I am pursuing translational hepatology research during fellowship in biliary atresia and gestational alloimmune liver disease. 

Why did you choose to train at Children’s Hospital Colorado?

There are fantastic attendings to learn from, good volumes and variety of pathology, lots of hepatology exposure from renowned experts in the field, strong research infrastructure all in a beautiful city with lots to explore and enjoy on your time off. 

What are your hobbies and what do you like to do in your spare time?

My husband, sheepdog and I did a lot of hiking, skiing, and DIY house projects our first couple of years here. We just had our first baby, so enjoying this new chapter. I also like to read, check out new restaurants and breweries, and go for walks at the park down the street. 

Michael Joseph, MD, MPH

• Medical School: University of Texas Medical School at Houston
• Residency: Stanford University Pediatric Residency
• Email: Michael.Joseph

Why did you decide to pursue pediatric gastroenterology?

 Love working in a variety of settings (inpatient, outpatient and procedures). Interesting physiology and pathology involving several different organs

What are your research interests?

 My research interests are in endoscopy focusing on patient outcomes and quality involving pediatric patients undergoing different endoscopic procedures.

Why did you choose to train at Children’s Hospital Colorado?

I chose CHCO because it provided a well-rounded GI and Hepatology training along with unique subspecialities including interventional endoscopy.

What are your hobbies and what do you like to do in your spare time?

Love to hike, watch/play sports, read, and travel. Snowboard in the winter.

4th Year Peds Transplant Fellow

Priya Shree Rolfes, MD

• Medical School: New York Medical College
• Residency: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Email: Priya.Rolfes

Why did you decide to pursue pediatric gastroenterology?

As a pre-med student I was a clinical research assistant in pediatric gastroenterology studying fecal biomarkers for IBD.  At the time, I knew I wanted to do pediatrics but still wasn’t sure about my specific path beyond that. Everything came full circle many years later when I was a resident and received outstanding GI and IBD research mentorship which ultimately led me to my decision. To my surprise within the first few months of fellowship, after seeing some really interesting cases, I quickly realized that the pathology, acuity, and success stories in transplant hepatology are what excited me the most!

What are your research interests?

My research focus is on biomarker discovery in pediatric liver diseases.  Specifically, I have a focus in PSC and am working on a translational study looking for biomarkers in PSC/IBD patients using proteomics, metabolomics, and mass cytometry. My second clinical research study focuses on identifying a prognostic biomarker for patients in neonatal acute liver failure using routinely collected laboratory values.

Why did you choose to train at Children’s Hospital Colorado?

On my interview day I could really sense the collegial and fun atmosphere that makes the training environment here unique compared with other large institutions. There's a wide scope of exciting and pioneering research being carried out here, and being able to learn from and work with leaders in the field is pretty incredible! It is also notable that CHCO covers a large catchment area of 7 states which affords an educational opportunity unlike any other!

What are your hobbies and what do you like to do in your spare time?

At the moment I don’t feel like I have a lot of hobbies outside of caring for my 3 year and 4 month old daughters 😊But we love to travel as a family both outside of Colorado as well as exploring the mountains and all that this beautiful state and region have to offer.