John B. Kisiel, M.D.

The overall career goal of John B. Kisiel, M.D., is to improve the clinical outcomes of patients with gastrointestinal illness by providing excellent bedside care and conducting clinical and translational research. His primary research focus is the prevention and early diagnosis of cancers and pre-cancers in high-risk patients, including those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Focus areas

• Stool DNA testing. Dr. Kisiel is working on a multidisciplinary team to validate the use of stool DNA to detect colitis-associated cancers and pre-cancers in patients with IBD. To accomplish this, the team will also have to understand how this test is influenced by clinical differences between patients and the impact that other cancers and pre-cancers above the colon may have on test results. Their diagnostic tests are under development using state-of-the art molecular genetics techniques, in collaboration with other centers of excellence.

Significance to patient care

Stool DNA testing, which has been validated in the general population for detecting colon cancers and polyps, shows promise for detecting cancers throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Dr. Kisiel and his colleagues are working to develop this technology to noninvasively screen for cancers that are difficult to detect by currently available tools; with this effort, they hope to reduce patient discomfort, improve patient care and lower costs of care.