Steven Brant, MD

Division Chief

Since 1996, Dr. Steven Brant’s research has been primarily focused on the genetics of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). He was a key participant in identifying NOD2 as the first gene for Crohn’s disease, and the second and third highest risk genes, IL23R and ATG16L1. He also identified the master transcription factor gene NFKB1 as a risk gene for ulcerative colitis. Dr. Brant performed the first population genetic studies of Crohn’s disease risk genes. He was also the first to show that IBD in African Americans has a genetic basis, the first to demonstrate genetic polymorphisms associated with IBD in African Americans, and co-led recent IBD admixture linkage and genome-wide association studies to identify novel IBD risk loci and genes in the African American population. He also led studies that identified health disparities in the management and treatment of IBD in African Americans. Since 2002, Dr. Brant has been Principle Investigator of one of the six Genetics Research Centers of the NIH-NIDDK IBD Genetics Consortium (IBDGC), a consortium that has been a leader in the identification and characterization of IBD risk genes. Dr. Brant, in collaboration with investigators at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has developed highly innovative studies to critically evaluate the hypothesis that specific viral and bacterial infections can “trigger” CD in genetically susceptible individuals, and is also identifying causes for the markedly high incidence of IBD in children with the genetic disorder, chronic granulomatous disease.

George Abdelsayed, MD, FACG, FASGE, AGAF, FAASLD

Dr. Abdelsayed currently serves as an Associate Professor of Medicine at Rutgers RWJ Medical School. He has worked as a board certified gastroenterologist with a specific clinical focus on treating liver disease, including hepatitis B and C, alcohol-induced liver disease, and nutritional liver disease. His areas of interest also include trainee education, ambulatory care quality improvement, and coding/documentation. Dr Abdelsayed earned his medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla. He performed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Winthrop University Hospital, and his fellowship in gastroenterology at Montefiore Medical Center Wakefield Campus. Through his career he has served at several institutions in varying capacities, including Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at NYU Langone Hospital Brooklyn and Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Staten Island University Hospital).  He has served as a member of organizations including Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine, president of the New Jersey Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, member of the American Liver Foundation Medical Advisory Committee, and physician-at-large of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, among others. Dr Abdelsayed has also served on national grant review panels and committees such as a member of the Patient Care Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology, Vice Chairman of the Public and Clinical Policy Committee of the AASLD, and member of the Professionalism Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology.

Petros Benias, MD

Dr. Benias is an Associate Professor of Medicine. He serves as the co-chief of Endoscopy, VP of GI Clinical Operations and Director of Endoscopic Surgery.

Lea Ann Chen, MD

Lea Ann Chen, M.D. is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Translational Research at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She completed her GI fellowship at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, her internal medicine training at the Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC, and her medical degree at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.  Dr. Chen’s work is dedicated to the care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and her research is focused on understanding longitudinal microbiome dynamics in IBD and its correlating implications for IBD clinical care. Her studies have been supported by sources such as the National Institutes of Health, the American College of Gastroenterology, the New York Crohn’s Foundation, the American Gastroenterological Association, and multiple private and industry sponsors.  Dr. Chen is an active member in IBD professional societies. She has served as President of the New York Crohn’s and Colitis Organization and as Chair of the REACH-IBD committee of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. She is a member of the Rutgers University Microbiome Program and has received several distinctions over the course of her training and career, including the Daniel Ford National Housestaff Research Award, the Salix Fellowship to Leadership Award, the United to Care and Cure Award from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and the Sherman Emerging Leader Prize for Excellence in Crohn’s and Colitis

Ishita Dalal, MD

Dr Ishita Dalal graduated from Drexel University College of Medicine, and then completed her Internal Medicine residency as well as Gastroenterology Fellowship at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (UMDNJ/RWJMS). She has stayed on as a member our Gastroenterology Division. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at RWJMS. Her interests include general gastroenterology, and she serves as a liason between other divisions including the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. She is also involved in improving workflow in the ambulatory practice and endoscopy.

Keerthana Kesavarapu, DO

Dr Kesavarapu is a clinically trained gastroenterologist with advanced training in nutrition and obesity sciences. Dr. Kesavarapu attended medical school at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, followed by internal medicine residency at Drexel University and gastroenterology fellowship at Temple University. While in fellowship, Dr. Kesavarapu also completed advanced training in Obesity through the American Board of Obesity Medicine. Dr. Kesavarapu’s primary clinical and research interests focus on celiac disease and obesity.

Alexander Lalos, MD

Dr Lalos graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Virginia. He went on complete his gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Connecticut, and hepatology fellowship at University of Miami/Miller School of Medicine. He has previously worked as a staff gastroenterologist in the Geisinger Health System, and more recently as a transplant hepatologist for Medstar Georgetown University Hospital/Transplant Institute. He joined Rutgers RWJ Medical School in 2021. His interests include non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and viral hepatitis. He is an Associate Professor at RWJMS and is involved in the evaluation of patients for liver transplant candidacy.

Anish Patel, MD

Fellowship Program Director

Dr. Anish Patel received his medical degree from Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. and went on to complete his Gastroenterology fellowship at North Shore-LIJ (Northwell) Health System. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and also the Program Director for the Fellowship Program. His primary focus is general gastroenterology with an interest in liver diseases. He has published articles in several peer-reviewed journals, and contributed towards numerous abstracts and presentations at national GI conferences. He is committed to improving inpatient consultative care and fellow education. His current areas of interest are outcomes research, GI bleeding and liver diseases.

Vinod Rustgi, MD, MBA

Associate Fellowship Program Director

Dr. Vinod Rustgi has devoted much time to the field of hepatology over the last 30 years. He served as the Medical Director of Liver Transplantation at the University of Pittsburgh’s renowned Starzl Transplant Institute prior to coming to Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson. He has also contributed heavily to the antiviral work leading to the cure of hepatitis C. In the past, he served on the Governing Board of the AASLD. Currently he has joint appointments as Professor of Epidemiology in the School of Public Health as well as being a Professor in Pathology and Lab Medicine. He was the Program Director for the Gastroenterology Fellowship until academic year 2022/2023, and now serves as the Associate Program Director. His current areas of interest are outcomes research in NASH as well as other liver diseases and cost-effectiveness modeling.

Darren Seril, MD, PhD

Dr. Darren Seril graduated from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (UMDNJ), and then completed his Internal Medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He returned to finish his Gastroenterology fellowship at Rutgers RWJ Medical School (RWJMS), and went on to complete an Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine at RWJMS, and serves as the Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Program. His has an outpatient gastroenterology practice with focus on IBD. His research interests include IBD, therapies and outcomes. He is a principle investigator and co-investigator for several clinical trials involving treatment of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

Ellen Stein, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP

Graduating with her medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine, Dr. Stein went on to residency in Internal Medicine at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. She completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, where she studied with the legendary Philip Katz in his advanced esophageal motility laboratory. Dr. Stein was an Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and served as Clinical Director of the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Gastroenterology Division. She joined Rutgers University/RWJ Medical School where she serves as the Director of Motility. Dr Stein has a special focus in gastrointestinal motility disorders. She has given national and international lectures in motility disorders and published many book chapters and research studies on these complex disorders. Her research interests include communication in healthcare, quality improvement,  clinical applications of informatics, dysphagia (swallowing disorders), gastroesophageal reflux disease, esophageal motility, eosinophilic esophagitis, gastroparesis, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), constipation and other gastrointestinal motility disorders.

Arvind Trindade, MD, FACG, FASGE

Dr. Trindade is a Professor of Medicine. He is currently the Co-Chief of Endoscopy for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and the VP of GI Clinical Operations for the RWJBarnabas Health System-Southern region. He is a nationally recognized expert in Barrett’s esophagus and performs cutting edge research in nonendoscopic screening for Barrett’s esophagus and novel ablation techniques for patients with Barrett’s esophagus with precancerous cells (dysplasia). 

In addition to treating patients with Barrett’s esophagus, Dr. Trindade is an advanced endoscopist.  He performs complex pancreaticobiliary procedures that include ERCP, EUS, interventional EUS, luminal stenting, and complex resection.