Clinical Intelligence for the Next Era of Care.
People & Perspective
People & Perspective
Clinical Intelligence for the Next Era of Care.
Overview
Overview
The work done here is led by clinicians, scientists, and technologists with expertise across gastroenterology, neurology, behavioral care, microbiome science, and applied AI. Their work spans clinical care, research design, and real-time development.
Core Leadership
Director of GI Systems Integration
Dr. Elaine Marston,
MD
- Over two decades of experience in motility disorders, IBS, and functional GI syndromes.
- Leads innovation in integrating diet, cognitive screening, and outcome tracking into GI care.
IBD Program Lead
Dr. Luis Ortega,
MD
- Specializes in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, with a focus on remission modeling and non-inflammatory symptom burden.
- Coordinates longitudinal outcome tracking in IBD patients with overlapping functional complaints.
- Bridges registry-based data with real-time clinical stratification.
Neurodegenerative Research Lead
Dr. Rajesh Kapoor, MD,PhD
- Focused on GI symptoms in Parkinson’s and early cognitive impairment.
- Leads studies on gut-brain signaling, delayed gastric emptying, and pre-motor symptom detection.
Clinical Epidemiology Director
Dr. Julia Shen, MD, PhD
- Analyzes longitudinal data across GI, mood, and neurological domains.
- Helps structure Penn Clinical’s research to align with daily workflows and scalable models.
AI & Clinical Informatics Director
Dr. Lena Cho, PhD
- Develops predictive tools for trial optimization, patient stratification, and adaptive care.
- Leads drug repurposing and risk modeling using real-time clinical data.
- Drives platform integration between outcome analytics and care delivery.
Microbiome & Neuroinflammation Lead
Dr. Hana Greene, PhD
- Studies microbiota signatures linked to cognitive decline, mood symptoms, and inflammatory burden.
- Coordinates sampling pipelines, microbial analysis, and stratification algorithms.
Behavioral Science Director
Dr. Simone Leal, PsyD
- Trained in brain-gut psychotherapies and behavioral medicine.
- Designs CBT-diet protocols across functional GI cohorts and guides integration of validated mood, stress, and cognitive tools into care.
Core Leadership
Director of GI Systems Integration
Dr. Elaine Marston, MD
- Over two decades of experience in motility disorders, IBS, and functional GI syndromes.
- Leads innovation in integrating diet, cognitive screening, and outcome tracking into GI care.
IBD Program Lead
Dr. Luis Ortega, MD
- Specializes in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, with a focus on remission modeling and non-inflammatory symptom burden.
- Coordinates longitudinal outcome tracking in IBD patients with overlapping functional complaints.
- Bridges registry-based data with real-time clinical stratification.
Neurodegenerative Research Lead
Dr. Rajesh Kapoor, MD, PhD
- Focused on GI symptoms in Parkinson’s and early cognitive impairment.
- Leads studies on gut-brain signaling, delayed gastric emptying, and pre-motor symptom detection.
Clinical Epidemiology Director
Dr. Julia Shen, MD, PhD
- Analyzes longitudinal data across GI, mood, and neurological domains.
- Helps structure Penn Clinical’s research to align with daily workflows and scalable models.
AI & Clinical Informatics Director
Dr. Lena Cho, PhD
- Develops predictive tools for trial optimization, patient stratification, and adaptive care.
- Leads drug repurposing and risk modeling using real-time clinical data.
- Drives platform integration between outcome analytics and care delivery.
Microbiome & Neuroinflammation Lead
Dr. Hana Greene, PhD
- Studies microbiota signatures linked to cognitive decline, mood symptoms, and inflammatory burden.
- Coordinates sampling pipelines, microbial analysis, and stratification algorithms.
Behavioral Science Director
Dr. Simone Leal, PsyD
- Trained in brain-gut psychotherapies and behavioral medicine.
- Designs CBT-diet protocols across functional GI cohorts and guides integration of validated mood, stress, and cognitive tools into care.
Team Infrastructure
Supporting the leadership is a dedicated team responsible for putting each part of the research model into motion: from patient engagement and data collection to real-time implementation and long-term tracking.
Supporting the leadership is a dedicated team responsible for putting each part of the research model into motion: from patient engagement and data collection to real-time implementation and long-term tracking.
Clinical Operations & Oversight
Our physicians lead all aspects of patient care with nursing staff providing direct clinical support and dietitians and behavioral health professionals managing care coordination, compliance, and adherence to treatment protocols. Clinical care is fully integrated into the outpatient setting and guided by specialists in gastroenterology, neurology, and behavioral health. The division includes a full range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, such as upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, and other gastrointestinal interventions, aligned with the patients clinical needs.
Implementation & Systems Integration
The implementation unit is responsible for conducting advanced data analyses and integrating clinical and research protocols into routine care without disrupting clinic workflows. This includes applying real-time data streams, bioinformatic models, and AI-driven research to support predictive modeling and patient stratification particularly in the context of managing complex chronic diseases. The unit works in close coordination with clinical and research staff to ensure that all implementation activities are integrated with day to day patient management and support continuous, data-informed, improvement of care processes.
Research Outcomes & Tracking
The scientific group oversees both digital and in-person data collection across gastrointestinal symptoms, neurological assessments, clinical scales and remote follow-ups. They work closely with the clinical division to ensure protocol fidelity, consistency across assessments and timepoints, and high quality data capture. The team supports all operational arms with advanced monitoring tools, electronic data capture systems and validation protocols to enable accurate longitudinal tracking.
Emerging Research Directions
What’s Being Explored Now.
Celiac Disease and Cognitive Function
Studying neurological patterns in gluten-sensitive individuals.
Chronic Constipation in Neurological Disease
Exploring brain-gut regulation and its disruption in Parkinson’s and related conditions.
Mood Disorders with Functional GI Symptoms
Analyzing long-term response to mood-targeted therapy in GI-psychiatric overlap.
Personalized Protocols for GI Syndromes
Using symptom clusters, mood/cognition profiles, and microbiome markers to guide care.
Telehealth and Longitudinal Tracking
Testing multi-modal remote monitoring (symptom, mood, cognition) over 3–6 months.
Dysbiosis as an Early Signal in Neurodegeneration
Linking gut microbial profiles to cognitive trajectories and therapy response.
Wearable Cognitive Load Monitoring
Piloting EEG and fNIRS tools to capture real-time attention/fatigue signals during treatment.
Emerging Research Directions
What’s Being Explored Now
Celiac Disease and Cognitive Function
Studying neurological patterns in gluten-sensitive individuals.
Chronic Constipation in Neurological Disease
Exploring brain-gut regulation and its disruption in Parkinson’s and related conditions.
Mood Disorders with Functional GI Symptoms
Analyzing long-term response to mood-targeted therapy in GI-psychiatric overlap.
Personalized Protocols for GI Syndromes
Using symptom clusters, mood/cognition profiles, and microbiome markers to guide care.
Telehealth and Longitudinal
Tracking
Testing multi-modal remote monitoring (symptom, mood, cognition) over 3–6 months.
Dysbiosis as an Early Signal in Neurodegeneration
Linking gut microbial profiles to cognitive trajectories and therapy response.
Wearable Cognitive Load Monitoring
Piloting EEG and fNIRS tools to capture real-time attention/fatigue signals during treatment.
Contact Us
Have questions or want to collaborate? Reach out to our team to learn how Penn Clinical can support your needs in GI-neurological care or research.
Contact Us
Have questions or want to collaborate? Reach out to our team to learn how Penn Clinical can support your needs in GI-neurological care or research.
