Digestive Disease Week 2026
Chinese American Gastroenterology Association Annual Meeting
The 2026 Chinese American Gastroenterology Association (CAGA) Annual Conference was successfully held during DDW 2026 in Chicago, bringing together more than 80 attendees from across the United States and around the world. The conference once again highlighted CAGA’s growing international presence and its mission of fostering academic collaboration, mentorship, leadership development, and global exchange within the gastroenterology community.
The meeting opened with welcoming remarks from CAGA President Bo Shen and Vice President Gengqing Song, who reflected on CAGA’s rapid growth, expanding international collaborations, and continued commitment to supporting trainees, young physicians, and academic development.
CAGA was honored to welcome distinguished leaders from major GI societies and academic institutions, including:
• Laurence Kim — President, American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)
• Thomas Serena — Chief Executive Officer, AGA
• Andrew Chan — Vice President, AGA
• William Chey — President, American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)
• Xiaohua Hou — President, Asian-Pacific Neurogastroenterology & Motility Association
• John Y. Kao — Associate Chair of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan
• Stephen Pandol, Director of Basic and Translational Pancreas Research, Cedars Sinai
During their remarks, the speakers congratulated CAGA on its remarkable achievements and continued growth over the years. Several leaders recognized CAGA as one of the most active and successful subgroup organizations within AGA and described the organization as “a success prototype” for promoting academic collaboration, trainee engagement, international exchange, mentorship, and community building.
Their recognition reflects the growing impact and visibility of the Chinese American gastroenterology community within organized medicine and the broader GI field worldwide.
This year’s conference featured distinguished experts from leading institutions worldwide, covering cutting-edge topics in gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease, and translational medicine. Three Outstanding Abstract Award winners were recognized, and fifteen outstanding DDW-accepted poster abstracts were selected for Oral Presentation sessions. These oral presentation opportunities created an important platform for trainees and young investigators to showcase their work, strengthen presentation skills, and build academic connections within the GI community.
The success of the 2026 CAGA Annual Conference would not have been possible without the tremendous dedication and hard work of the CAGA Executive Committee volunteer team. From conference planning and academic coordination to social media promotion, member outreach, and on-site organization, their efforts played a critical role in making this year’s meeting a success.
Special thanks to the Steering Committee members and abstract reviewers:
• Qiang Cai, MD, PhD — Louisiana State University Health Science Center, Shreveport, LA
• Bo Shen, MD — President, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
• Gengqing (Gavin) Song, MD — Vice President, MetroHealth / Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
• Yinghong (Mimi) Wang, MD, PhD —University of Texas / MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
• Yan Bi, MD, PhD — Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
• Yan S. Zhao, MD, PhD — VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA
• Yi Jiang, MD — Stanford University, San Francisco, CA
• Chuanlong Miao MD — LewisGale Medical Center, Salem, VA
• John Chen, MD, PhD — MNGI Digestive Health, Minneapolis, MN
• James Mu, MD — Western Washington Medical Group, St. Louis, MO
• Xinjun (Cindy) Zhu, MD — Albany Gastroenterology Consultants, Albany, NY
• Yuting Huang, MBBS, PhD — Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
Executive Committee members and Volunteers:
• Xiaojing (Iris) Wang, MD — Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
• Nan Lan, MD, PhD — Mass General Brigham, Boston, MA
• Xiaoliang Wang, MD, PhD — Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
• Yilin (Gloria) Song, MD — University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD
• Yichen Wang, MD, MSc — Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
• Yee Hui Yeo, MD, MSc — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Mengdan Xie, MD — MetroHealth/Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
• Lingyu Bao, MD — Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
• Cheng Han, MD — UT Southwestern, Houston, TX
• Tian Li, MBBS, MS — Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
• Yuntao Zou, MD — UCSF, San Francisco, CA
We sincerely thank all volunteers for their passion, professionalism, and commitment to building a stronger academic community for Chinese American gastroenterologists worldwide.
AGA–CSG Joint Symposium
- Portal Hypertension in Cirrhotic Patients — From Basic to Clinical Treatment
This international symposium focused on recent advances in portal hypertension and liver disease, highlighting both translational science and clinical management strategies relevant to practitioners in the United States and China.
Topics included:
• Mechanisms of advanced liver disease
• Interventional therapies for portal hypertension in cirrhosis
• Emerging treatments for cirrhotic portal hypertension
• Dysregulation of angiocrine signaling in liver fibrosis
The symposium was honored by the attendance and participation of Dr Chengwei Tang, President of the Chinese Society of Gastroenterology (CSG), further strengthening academic exchange and collaboration between the U.S. and China in gastroenterology and hepatology.
Academic Achievements of CAGA Members
During DDW 2026, CAGA members presented numerous oral presentations and poster presentations across a broad range of gastroenterology and hepatology topics. These presentations reflected the growing academic impact of the CAGA community and highlighted the dedication of trainees, fellows, residents, researchers, and faculty members to advancing patient care, innovation, and scientific discovery.
CAGA proudly celebrates another successful year of academic excellence, international collaboration, mentorship, and community building. The continued growth of CAGA reflects the passion and dedication of our members, leaders, mentors, trainees, and volunteers worldwide. We sincerely thank everyone who contributed to this year’s success and look forward to continuing our mission of advancing gastroenterology, supporting the next generation of physicians and scientists, and strengthening the global Chinese GI community in the years ahead.
