Comprehensive Esophageal Health Center opens with more convenient, streamlined care
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A nationally renowned expert in therapeutic endoscopy and pancreatology, Georgios Papachristou, MD, PhD, has taken over the role of director of the Ohio State’s Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (GHN). The division is consistently recognized as a top 50 national leader in patient care per U.S. News & World Report. We currently have a faculty of 38 physicians and researchers who are focused on several areas of excellence:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Neuro-gastroenterology and motility
- Pancreatic disorders
- Therapeutic endoscopy
- Transplant hepatology
- Intestinal neoplasia
- Hereditary polyposis
On a path to expand patient access for high-demand services
As the new division director, Dr. Papachristou’s goal is to reshape the executive leadership structure of the GHN division around the three operational pillars of patient care, education and research.
The division currently serves patients across central Ohio, emphasizing its areas of expertise. Dr. Papachristou plans to expand both the size and footprint of his division to improve clinical access for all patients with gastrointestinal problems, as the demand in central Ohio grows rapidly.
Dr. Papachristou places a high priority on educating and teaching the next generation of gastroenterologists. He’ll continue to promote and support the division’s prominent GI fellowship program, which accepts six new fellows each year.
Building the research enterprise and collaborative studies
The GHN division has a robust research program in the area of pancreatic diseases, with funding that currently exceeds $3 million a year. Dr. Papachristou intends to continue developing pancreatic research and expanding into other areas such as neuro-gastroenterology, transplant hepatology and inflammatory bowel diseases. To facilitate this, he plans to recruit prominent physician-scientists and basic researchers over the next few years.
In regard to his own research program, Dr. Papachristou leads four federally funded, multicenter studies focusing on patients with acute pancreatitis. The objectives of these studies are to:
- better understand and predict the development of severe acute pancreatitis.
- study the long-term complications of pancreatitis, such as diabetes and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
- learn how to prevent acute pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography.
- develop specific therapies for treating acute pancreatitis.
“There is a great need for advancing the treatment of acute pancreatitis,” Dr. Papachristou says. “Other than providing intravenous fluids, we currently do not have any specific therapies available to alter the outcomes of the disease.”
But he’s optimistic about the future and predicts that over the next 10 years, his and others’ research programs will help revolutionize the field and the way acute pancreatitis is treated.
“Over the last 20 years, there have been tremendous advances in the pharmacological treatment of hepatitis C and inflammatory bowel disease,” Dr. Papachristou says. “I really believe that acute pancreatitis is going to be the next big thing as far as development of novel treatments.”
Vision for the future
“This is an exciting time,” Dr. Papachristou says. “The GHN division has grown significantly over the last eight years and we now have a great opportunity, with the support of leadership within the Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, to strategically expand our services and develop an environment where passion and expertise in patient care, research and education can thrive.”
More about Dr. Papachristou
Dr. Papachristou became the division director in April 2022. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role as a master clinician, educator and researcher.
Born and raised in Patras, Greece, Dr. Papachristou graduated at the top of his class from the University of Patras School of Medicine. He came to the United States to complete his training in internal medicine and gastroenterology at the University of Pittsburgh and in therapeutic endoscopy at the Mayo Clinic. He is a board-certified gastroenterologist, specializing in pancreaticobiliary diseases. He’s also a nationally recognized therapeutic endoscopist with expertise in state-of-the-art endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography and endoscopic ultrasound.
An educator and researcher, Dr. Papachristou is the Dr. Floyd M. Beman Chair in Gastroenterology in Ohio State’s College of Medicine, has led several institutional studies and multicenter collaborations and written more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.
Between the duties of clinical practice, research and his role as division director, Dr. Papachristou makes a great effort to prioritize spending time with his family. They moved to Columbus in 2019 when he first came to work at Ohio State. “My family has settled in the city nicely,” he says. “Columbus is a great place to live.” He’s married, with three children, ages 14, 12 and 9 years old.
