Shabana F. Pasha, M.D.

Shabana F. Pasha, M.D., is an assistant professor of medicine and associate chair of research in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. She is also the director of the small bowel interest group.

Dr. Pasha has a particular interest in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and other disorders of the small bowel, inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and eosinophilic esophagitis.

Her research interests include new endoscopic devices for evaluation of the small bowel, including capsule endoscopy and balloon-assisted enteroscopy. She also has an interest in biomarker discovery for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as new therapies for eosinophilic esophagitis.

Focus areas

• New endoscopic devices for small bowel evaluation. Dr. Pasha is focused on clinical evaluation of new endoscopic techniques for diagnosis and management of small bowel disorders. She is involved in testing of new capsule endoscopes and balloon-assisted enteroscopes.
• Biomarker discovery for inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Pasha is involved in research to detect new serological biomarkers that will be useful to diagnose patients with inflammatory bowel disease, differentiate ulcerative colitis from Crohn's disease, and predict disease course and response to medical treatment.
• Eosinophilic esophagitis. Dr. Pasha is involved in research to evaluate new therapies for eosinophilic esophagitis.

Significance to patient care

Dr. Pasha's research with capsule and balloon-assisted enteroscopy devices may lead to improvements in endoscopic diagnosis and management of small bowel disorders, including obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and Crohn's disease. These improvements may minimize the need for surgery in the management of small bowel disorders.

Her research in biomarker discovery may lead to improved diagnosis and management of patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Finally, her research with eosinophilic esophagitis may lead to new therapies for the management of these patients.