January 2010
John Pandolfino, MD
- His favorite hobby is spending time with his family (Liv, Barbara and James Bond/my bulldog). “They have always been the most important reason I have been successful.”
- AGA June and Don Castell Award for Outstanding Research in Esophagology 2008
- Ray Clouse Prize for the Best Research Article on Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders 2009
Tell us a bit about your past and about your future.
I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and came to Chicago for college (University of Chicago). I went to medical school at Loyola and did all my training at NU- residency, chief residency and fellowship. I have been here since 1993.
My next career goal is to make the Esophageal Center at Northwestern University a national model for clinical research which will include NIH funded randomized trials and a multidisciplinary team to diagnose and treat complicated esophageal problems.
What are your current responsibilities at Northwestern?
My current responsibilities focus on a very unique split between research, clinical practice and education. The main focus currently is running my esophageal research lab which recently received an RO1 grant from the NIH. In addition, I also am focused on developing both the clinical practice and research trial aspects of the Esophageal Center at Northwestern University. I also enjoy teaching 3rd year medical students during their specialty rotation and have a full editorial commitment, which includes being Editor-in-Chief of the journal Diseases of the Esophagus.
What did you learn from being a Chief Medical Resident at Northwestern?
Chief Medical Residency taught me that being a good colleague and teacher are the most important aspects of success at a high-level academic institution. You will rely on your colleagues for help throughout your career and one day your students and residents will be working with you and not for you.
WHAT COLLEAGUES SAY ABOUT JOHN:
“John engages the students actively on their specialty rotation. I always look forward to hearing about their experiences on the GI service. He is a great teacher, researcher, and asset to our educational programs.”
Jay Paparello, MD
“I have known John from medical school, through residency and now as a colleague. I can say he has continued to impress me with his fund of knowledge and hard work. I also can truly say he is a doctor who puts his patients first and is thus loved by his patients.”
Angelo Costas, MD
Northwestern’s GI fellowship uses a training model that incorporates excellent clinical training with the ability to pursue high-level clinical research. The faculty is quite diverse and the trainees are well-equipped for an academic career.
Our main research interest at Northwestern focuses on the pathophysiology of swallowing disorders and developing diagnostic tests and strategies for treatment of these disorders. Recently, we published papers that have redefined the classification of esophageal motor disorders: “The Chicago Classification.”
