55th Annual Gala

Dr. Swaminath is the Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology (GI) at Lenox Hill Hospital, where he provides oversight and strategy for the full range of services of the hospital’s gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition programs. He is also the Director of the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) program at the institution, a position he’s held since 2013. He obtained his medical degree from the University of California – San Diego School of Medicine, where he also pursued his internship, residency, and gastroenterology fellowship. He went on to complete another specialized fellowship in IBD research at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and later completed additional coursework in epidemiology and population health at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

During his time at Lenox Hill, Dr. Swaminath has built a comprehensive IBD referral program within Northwell Health and has been influential in the development and funding of the Burton I. Korelitz advanced IBD clinical fellowship. His clinical practice focuses on Crohn’s and colitis, as well as providing tertiary care for patients with complex auto immune GI disorders. He joined Lenox Hill Hospital after five years at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center (NYP/CUMC), where he was acting director of the IBD program and had built a research trial infrastructure.

Throughout his career, Dr. Swaminath has authored and co-authored more than 100 original scientific publications, review articles, editorials, case reports, abstracts, and book chapters. He has been involved in numerous multidisciplinary research studies, including phase III clinical trials offering cutting-edge therapy for patients unresponsive to standard IBD treatments. He is currently the principal investigator of seven studies examining such topics as the relationship between fatigue and IBD disease activity, and air pollution and the rate of IBD-related deaths. His research work has been strengthened with the creation of the Benenson-Korelitz IBD research fellowship, which has allowed the department to compete for extra-mural grant funding.

As a highly regarded expert in the field of inflammatory bowel diseases, Dr. Swaminath has been invited to present at numerous national and international conferences. He has been appointed to national committees within several prestigious organizations, including the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the New York Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.

He is the 2022 Rosenthal Humanitarian Award recipient of Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s Greater New York Chapter.

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