Thomas Y.
Ma, MD, PhD, FAGC
Chief, Gastroenterology
and Hepatology
Message from the Chief
Welcome to the University of New Mexico Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The Division is dedicated to excellence in clinical care, research, and education. The missions of the division are to deliver the highest quality care in gastroenterology and hepatology to New Mexicans, to make new scientific discoveries through cutting-edge research, and to provide superb educational training to the next generation of clinicians and scientists.
The UNM Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology is a world-class academic center for the study and treatment of digestive diseases. The Division is recognized as one of the top research divisions in the country, having over $15 million dollars of active federal government research funding. The faculty members of the division are superbly trained academic clinicians and scientists. The faculty are recognized nationally and internationally as leaders in their respective fields: Dr. Sanjeev Arora is a pioneer leader in community outreach and heads the internationally recognized Extension for Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) program; Dr. Robert (Reg) Strickland has made seminal discoveries in inflammatory process of the gut; Dr. Henry Lin is recognized as the pre-eminent expert in the role of small bacterial overgrowth as a causative factor of irritable bowel syndrome; Dr. Ed Boedeker is renowned internationally for his research in E. coli infection of the G.I. tract; Dr. Denis McCarthy is a leading expert in gastric mucosal injury and repair; Dr. Gulshan Parasher is a leading figure in endoscopic ultrasound and therapeutic endoscopy and plays a prominent role in a national society; and my laboratory has been a leader in investigation into the role of defective intestinal barrier in inflammatory bowel disease, and I have chaired number of national scientific committees.
Our division faculty specialize in a wide range of gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, liver diseases, liver transplant, motility disorders, pancreatic and biliary diseases, colon cancer, esophageal and gastric diseases, small intestinal disease, and diarrheal malabsorptive disorders. Faculty members have expertise in all diagnostic and therapeutic G.I. procedures, including colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, capsule (or pill-camera) endoscopy, pancreas and biliary endoscopy including endoscopic ultrasound and ERCP, liver biopsy and esophageal and anorectal manometry . The Division's UNMH Center for Digestive Disease is a 12,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility for digestive diseases care.
Our faculty members are committed to providing highest quality clinical care, making novel scientific discoveries that improve quality of life, and training future clinicians and researchers who will lead the development of innovative therapies in digestive diseases.
Thomas Ma, MD, PhD
Chief, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
News
Review examines risk of aspirin use
Dr. Denis M. McCarthy, Professor of Medicine, UNM, reported in his review entitled "Efficacy and gastrointestinal risk of aspirin used for the treatment of pain and cold" in Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology (2012;26:101-112) that published studies challenge the idea that short-term OTC aspirin use is dangerous. His review of the available data showed that no serious GI adverse effects have ever been linked to short-term low-dose aspirin use. As these studies are based on the response of healthy subjects between the ages of 18 and 65, caution is warranted in generalizing these conclusions to every patient. Read more.
