Jonathan A. Leighton, M.D.

Jonathan A. Leighton, M.D., is a professor of medicine and chair of the Division of Gastroenterology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He has a particular interest in inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal neoplasia and diseases of the small bowel, including obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

His research interests include new devices for imaging the small bowel — including capsule endoscopy and balloon enteroscopy — and new technologies for detecting colon polyps and colon cancer.

Dr. Leighton's other research interests include new therapies for inflammatory bowel disease, as well as biomarker discovery for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Focus areas

• New capsule endoscopes for small bowel imaging. Dr. Leighton is focused on the development and testing of new technologies dealing with detailed imaging of the small bowel. He is specifically involved in the development and testing of new capsule endoscopes and improved technological capabilities.
• Biomarker discovery for inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Leighton is involved in finding new serum biomarkers to identify patients with inflammatory bowel disease, differentiate ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, and predict disease course and response to medical therapy.
• Colorectal cancer detection. Dr. Leighton is involved in the discovery of new devices for better detecting colon polyps and colon cancer. He is also working to improve current methods of colonoscopy to enhance quality.

Significance to patient care

Through better detection of abnormal lesions, Dr. Leighton's research dealing with capsule endoscopy has the potential to improve the care of patients with diseases of the small bowel, including Crohn's disease and celiac disease.

His work with inflammatory bowel disease may lead to better ways of diagnosing and managing patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Finally, his focus on colon polyps and colon cancer may improve early detection of these lesions.