Yuri A. Saito Loftus, M.D.

Dr. Saito is an Assistant Professor within the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. She is an active member of the Clinical Enteric Neuroscience Translational and Epidemiological Research (C.E.N.T.E.R.) program. She divides her time between clinical care of patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and other gastrointestinal motility disorders, with an active research program studying patients with IBS, constipation, and diarrhea. Her patient-oriented research centers on studying the genetics of IBS in families, patient education, diet and nutritional factors, and treatment efficacy in patients with IBS. Her main research focus is on studying the genetics of bowel symptoms. Through funding by the National Institutes of Health, a current study is actively recruiting patients and their families to complete a questionnaire and provide a small sample of blood for DNA to identify patterns of symptom transmission through family members and identify potential genes responsible for bowel symptoms. The ultimate goal of her research program is to better understand the mechanisms underlying IBS so that better diagnostic tests and treatments can be identified and created.