ACG 2026: Cedars-Sinai Experts Share Digestive Disease Advances

Cedars-Sinai digestive and liver disease experts will present research on new treatments and advances in patient care at ACG 2026, the international conference of the American College of Gastroenterology. The annual scientific meeting takes place Oct. 9-14 in Nashville.

Investigators will share the results of studies that examine whether AI and virtual reality could be used to improve clinical care, predict public health trends and ease symptoms of disease.  

In a featured plenary session, Maria T. Abreu, MD, executive director of the F. Widjaja Inflammatory Bowel Disease Institute, will present findings from a Phase II clinical trial of an oral medication for ulcerative colitis. The treatment targets an immune system protein that causes gut inflammation.

“Despite major advances in treatment, many patients with ulcerative colitis still do not have their disease adequately controlled,” Abreu said. “This study evaluates a new approach that could expand the treatment options available to patients.”

Abreu can also discuss an analysis of potential risks to the developing fetus following maternal or paternal exposure to an etrasimod, an oral medication used to treat ulcerative colitis.

Other Cedars-Sinai digestive and liver disease experts are available to discuss a wide variety of additional research, including these presentations.

AI, Virtual Reality and Medicine

Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, director of Health Services Research, has been selected as the 2026 ACG Trailblazer Lecturer. His lecture, “Why Doctors Will Not Be Replaced: The Future of Humanistic Medicine in an AI-Driven World,” will explore how AI could transform medicine, what will remain uniquely human, and how the technology could enhance patient care

Spiegel, a professor of Medicine, also is available to discuss two poster presentations during the conference exploring uses of virtual reality and AI in patient care. One examines a virtual reality program designed to help clinicians better understand the physical, emotional and social challenges experienced by patients with IBS. The other evaluates a self-guided, AI-powered virtual reality tool to provide behavioral health and weight-management support for patients who regain weight after bariatric surgery.

Christopher Almario, MD, MSHPM, co-director, Cedars-Sinai Center for Virtual Medicine and Health System Innovation, is also available to discuss a study of a home-based virtual reality program designed to make cognitive behavioral therapy more accessible to people with IBS.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Mark Pimentel, MD, executive director of the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program, can discuss new research on bloating, one of the symptoms that matters most to patients who have IBS with constipation. The analysis suggests current patient evaluations fail to properly track bloating relief.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Gil Melmed, MD, director of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Research, will present findings from a study that found many patients with IBD did not begin newly prescribed therapies within the recommended two-week window.

Disorders of the Esophagus

Amrit Kamboj, MD, assistant professor of Medicine, is available to discuss an investigation exploring how search data could offer an economical way to help track seasonal and geographic patterns in swallowing problems and eosinophilic esophagitis, a chronic inflammatory disease.

Dana Gornick, MD, an internal medicine resident physician, will present research that found that severe abnormalities visible on a barium esophagram (a specialized swallowing X-ray) were often associated with significant swallowing disorders.

Media Contact

To schedule an interview with a Cedars-Sinai expert, contact Laura Coverson at [email protected] or 310-562-1112.