BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Academic & Professional Background

• B.S. 1966 - University of Illinois, Chicago
• Graduate School 1968 - University of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago
• M.D. 1972 - Chicago Medical School, Chicago, Illinois
• Residency (Internal Medicine) 1973 - Mount Sinai Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
• Residency (Internal Medicine) 1975 - VA Hines Hospital, Hines, Illinois
• Fellowship (Gastroenterology) 1977 - VA Hines Hospital, Hines, Illinois

Current Research Interests

• Clinical Trials
• Barrett's Esophagus/Esophageal Cancer/Early Detection
• Colon Cancer/Early Detection
• Helicobactor Pylori Infection/Duodenal and Gastric Ulcer/Gastric Cancer
• NSAIDs and ASA Induced Gastroduodenitis
• COX-2 Inhibitors
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
• Pulmonary Complications of Gastroesophageal Reflux

Selected Publications

Avidan B, Sonnenberg A, Gitlevich H, Sontag SJ. Reflux symptoms are an inherent manifestation of psychiatric disease. (in press), 2001.

Avidan B, Sonnenberg A, Rangachari B, Schnell T, Sontag SJ. No association between gallstones and gastroesophageal reflux disease. (in press), 2001.

Avidan B, Sonnenberg A, Schnell T, Sontag SJ. Gastric surgery is not a risk for Barrett's Esophagus or esophageal adenocarcinoma. Gastroenterology (in press), 2001.

Avidan B, Sonnenberg A, Bhatia H, Aranha G, Schnell T, Sontag SJ. Inguinal hernia is not a sign of colon cancer. (in press), 2001.

Avidan B, Sonnenberg A, Schnell T, Sontag SJ. There are no reliable symptoms for erosive esophagitis or Barrett's Esophagus: Endoscopic diagnosis still essential (in press), 2001.

Avidan B, Sonnenberg A, Schnell T, Sontag SJ. Risk factors for esophageal adenocarcinoma: A case control study. (in press), 2001.

Avidan B, Sonnenberg A, Schnell T, Sontag SJ. Acid reflux and other risk factors in Barrett's Esophagus. (in press), 2001.

Avidan B, Sonnenberg A, Schnell T, Sontag SJ. Temporal association between coughing or wheezing and acid reflux in asthmatics. Gut (in press), 2001.

Avidan B, Sonnenberg A, Schnell T, Sontag SJ. Hiatal hernia and acid reflux frequency predict presence and length of Barrett's Esophagus. Dig Dis Sci (in press), 2001.

Schnell T, Sontag SJ, Chejfec G, Aranha G, Sonnenberg A. Long-term nonsurgical management of Barrett's Esophagus with high-grade dysplasia. Gastroenterology 120:1607-1619, 2001.

Avidan B, Sonnenberg A, Chejfec G, Schnell T, Sontag SJ. Is there a link between cervical inlet patch and Barrett's Esophagus. Gastrointest Endosc 53:717-721, 2001.

Sontag SJ, O'Connell S, Schnell T, Chejfec G, Seidel J, Sonnenberg A. Reduced symptoms and need for antisecretory therapy in veterans 3 years after Helicobacter pylori eradication with Ranitidine Bismuth Citrate/Amoxicillin/Clarithromycin. Am J Gastroenterol 96:1390-1395, 2001.

Spechler SJ, Lee E, Ahnen D, Goyal RK, Hirano I, Ramirez F, Raufman J-P, Sampliner R, Schnell T, Sontag SJ, Vlahcevic ZR, Young R, Williford W. Long-term outcome of medical and surgical treatments for gastroesophageal reflux disease: Follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. JAMA May 9, 2001.

Avidan B, Sonnenberg A, Schnell T, Mak EB, Sontag SJ. Risk factors of esophagitis in arthritic patients. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 13:1-5, 2001.

Avidan B, Sonnenberg A, Schnell T, Sontag SJ. Walking and chewing reduce post prandial acid reflux. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 15:151-155, 2001.

Avidan B, Sonnenberg A, Schnell T, Sontag SJ. Risk factors for erosive reflux esophagitis: A case-control study. Am J Gastroenterol 96:41-46, 2001.

Lieberman D, Weiss D, Bond J, Ahnen D, Harrinder G, Chejfec G, and the VA Cooperative Study Group. Use of colonoscopy to screen asymptomatic adults for colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med 343:162-168, 2000.

Sontag SJ. Characteristics, symptoms and progression of heartburn. Postgrad Med Special Report, June 2000.

Sontag SJ. Gastroesophageal reflux disease and asthma. J Clin Gastroenterol 30:S9-S30, 2000.

Harding SM, Sontag SJ. Asthma and gastroesophageal reflux. Am J Gastroenterol S23-S32, 2000.

Sontag SJ. Why do the published data fail to clarify the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux and asthma? Am J Med 108:159S-169S, 2000.

Sontag SJ. Defining GERD. Yale J Biol Med 72(2-3):69-80, 1999.

Lanza FL, Sontag SJ, Ciociola AA, Sykes DL, Heath A, McSorley DJ, Webb DD. Ranitidine bismuth citrate plus clarithromycin: A simple and effective dual therapy regimen for the eradication of H. pylori in patients with duodenal ulcer. Helicobacter 3:212-221, 1998.

Heading RC, Baldi F, Holloway RH, Janssens J, Jian R, McCallum RW, Richter JE, Scarpignato C, Sontag SJ, Wienbeck M. Prokinetics in the treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 10:1-7, 1998.

Schnell T, Sontag SJ, Chejfec G, Kurucar C, O'Connell S, Levine G, Karpf J, Adelman K, Brand L, Seidel J. High grade dysplasia still is not an indication for surgery in patients with Barrett's esophagus: An update. Gastroenterology 114:AG1149, 1998.

Sontag SJ, Schnell T, Chejfec G, Miller T, Kurucar C, O'Connell S, Seidel J, Levine G, Karpf J, Brand L, Metz A. The length of Barrett's depends entirely on presence or absence of hiatal hernia. Gastroenterology 114:AG1200, 1998.

Sontag SJ, Schnell T, Chejfec G, Kurucar C, O'Connell S, Levine G, Karpf J, Brand L, Seidel J. Hiatal hernia determines the location of the esophageal adenocarcinoma: Barrett's vs the GE junction. Gastroenterology 114:AG1198, 1998.

Sontag SJ, Schnell T, Chejfec G, Miller T, Kurucar C, O'Connell S, Seidel J, Levine G, Karpf J, Brand L. Without hiatal hernia, Barrett's harboring high grade dysplasia is confined to the GE junction. Gastroenterology 114:AG1201, 1998.

Sontag SJ. Gastroesophageal reflux and asthma (Proceedings from the first multi-disciplinary international symposium on supraesophageal complications of reflux disease). Am J Med 103:84S-90S, 1997.

Sontag SJ. Guilty as charged: Bugs and drugs in gastric ulcer. Am J Gastroenterol, 1997.

Sontag SJ, Robinson M, Roufail W, Hirschowitz BI, Sabesin SM, Wu WC, Behar J, Peterson WL, Kranz KR, Tarnawski A, Dayal Y, Berman R, Simon TJ. Daily omeprazole surpasses intermittent dosing in preventing relapse of oesophagitis: A US multi-center double-blind study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 11:373-380, 1997.

Sontag S, Schnell T, Chejfec G, Kurucar C, Karpf J, Levine G. Lansoprazole heals erosive reflux esophagitis in patients with Barrett's esophagitis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 11:147-156, 1997.

Sontag S, Kogut DG, Fleischmann R, Campbell DR, Richter J, Robinson M, McFarland M, Sabesin S, Lehman GA, Castell D. Lansoprazole heals erosive reflux esophagitis resistant to histamine H2-receptor antagonist therapy. Am J Gastroenterol 92:429-437, 1997.

Sontag S, Kogut DG, Fleischmann R, Campbell DR, Richter J, Haber M, et al. Lansoprazole prevents recurrence of erosive reflux esophagitis previously resistant to H2-RA therapy. Am J Gastroenterol 91:1758-1765, 1996.

Castell DO, Richter JE, Robinson M, Sontag SJ, Haber MM. Efficacy and safety of lansoprazole in the treatment of erosive reflux esophagitis. Am J Gastroenterol 91:1749-1757, 1996.

Sontag SJ. Asthma and gastroesophageal reflux: Establishing the link, remedying the problem. Consultant, April 1996.

Book Chapters

Sontag SJ. The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in asthma. In: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Airway Disease. Stein M. (Ed.), Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, pp 115-138, 1999.

Sontag SJ. Gastroesophageal reflux disease - Pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment. In: Clinical Practice of Gastroenterology. Brandt LJ (Ed.), Current Medicine, Inc., Philadelphia, pp 21-33, 1999.

Sontag SJ. Gastroesophageal reflux. In: Current Practice of Medicine (Second Edition), Vol. 1. Bone RC (Ed.), Current Medicine, Inc., Philadelphia, pp 733-740, 1998.

Sontag SJ. Gastroesophageal reflux. In: Current Practice of Medicine (First Edition). Bone RC (Ed.), Current Medicine, Inc., Philadelphia, 1996.

Sontag SJ. Pulmonary complications of gastroesophageal reflux. In: The Esophagus. Castell DO (Ed.), Little, Brown & Company, pp 555-570, 1995.

Projects Completed or Active (Selected)

• NCI Multicenter Trial of Chemoprevention for Barrett's Esophagus Dysplasia with Celecoxib
• NCI Multicenter Trial of Chemoprevention of Sporadic Colorectal Adenomas with Celecoxib
• Screen Detection of Colorectal Cancer by a Novel DNA-based Assay (EXACT Test): Comparison Against Fecal Occult Blood Testing
• The Twenty Year Natural History of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Long Term Safety of Antireflux Therapies
• Prospective Evaluation of Risk Factors for Large Colonic Adenomas in Asymptomatic Subjects
• Prevalence of Large Colon Polyps and Cancer in the Asymptomatic Population
• Surgery vs Medical Management for the Treatment of Severe Gastroesophogeal Reflux
• Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux with Omeprazole (40mg) in Patients with Asthma
• Treatment of Gastroesphogeal Reflux with Ranitidine (150mg tid) or Surgery in Patients with Asthma

Research Funding Sources

• VA Coop Studies
• VA Merit Review
• Glaxo
• Syntex
• Lilly
• Merck
• TAP Pharmaceuticals
• Sandoz
• Abbott Labs
• Smith Kline Beecheam
• Proctor and Gamble
• Janssen

Research Methods Employed

• Colonoscopy
• Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
• Long-Term Ambulatory Esophageal pH Monitoring
• Urea Breath Testing

Professional Accomplishments

• 2001 - Member, VA GI Advisory Group, Central Office, Washington, DC
• 1998-present - Member, Hines VA (Clinical) Transfusion Committee
• 1998-present - Member, Hines VA (Research) R&D Committee
• 1998-present - Member, Hines VA (Research) Human Studies Committee
• 1996 - Chairperson, International Conference on the Endoscopic Treatments of Barrett's Esophagus. (O.E.S.O.) Fifth World Congress, Paris, France
• 1992-present - Permanent Scientific Committee of the Organisation Internationale d'Etudes Statistiques pour les Maladies de l'Oesophage (O.E.S.O.) (International Organization for Statistical Studies on Diseases of the Esophagus), Paris, France
• 1992-1996 - Associate Editor, Internal Medicine Alert
• 1991-present - Member, Planning Committee, VA Coop Study #380: Prospective Evaluation of Risk Factors for Colon Neoplasia in Asymptomatic Subjects
• 1989-present - Peer Reviewer: Chest
• 1988-1989 - Member, The American College Gastroenterology (ACG) Committee on Public Relations
• 1988-1989 - Member, The ACG Committee on Patient Care
• 1986-1988 - Member, The ACG Committee on FDA Related Matters
• 1986-present - Fellow, American College of Physicians
• 1985-1986 - Chairperson, Research Committee ACG
• 1984-1990 - Member, Planning Committee and Executive Committee, VA Cooperative Study #277: A Prospective Randomized Trial of Medical and Surgical Therapy for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
• 1983-present - Peer Reviewer: Gut
• 1983-present - Peer Reviewer: American Journal of Gastroenterology
• 1983-present - Peer Reviewer: Gastroenterology
• 1983-present - Peer Reviewer: Digestive Diseases and Sciences
• 1983-present - Fellow, American College of Gastroenterology

Honors

• March 1995 - Guest Speaker, A Consultant's Evaluation of Chronic Asthma: Challenging Case Studies from the Institute for Asthma and Allergy: Asthma and GER, New York, New York
• October 1992 - Best Scientific Paper Award, American College of Gastroenterology
• June 1992 - Honorary Member, LaSociedad Argentina de Gastroenterologia
• June 1992 - Guest Speaker, Simposium Internacional de Esofago y Estomago La Sociedad Argentina de Gastroenterologia, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• 1979-1980 - Leadership VA Award