Maria T. Abreu

Dr. Maria T. Abreu is a physician-scientist and gastroenterologist who specializes in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). She has 30 years of leadership experience in basic, translational, and clinical research and mentoring. She completed a three-year term as Chair of the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD) in 2022; currently, she is the President of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). As the Executive Director of the IBD Institute at Cedars-Sinai, her research focuses on interactions between the gut microbiome and the innate immune system in the development of IBD and IBD-associated colon cancer. Her team is currently investigating how diet may shape the gut microbiome and alleviate IBD symptoms. Understanding the underlying mechanisms can help to develop targeted treatment strategies to help patients to live their best lives.