Bio

Dr. Jericho is a pediatric gastroenterologist and the Inaugural Medical Director of the Celiac Disease Program at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. Her unique balance of innovative, cutting edge research and patient-centric clinical care establishes her as an expert in the field of pediatric gastroenterology, with an emphasis on the diagnosis and management of celiac disease.

Dr. Jericho grew up in New London, CT in a physician-family, and completed the exclusive eight-year combined degree program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) at the Ivy League’s Brown University for college and medical school, graduating in 2006. She completed her pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in 2009, and both her pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and her Master’s of Science in Clinical Investigation at Northwestern University in June 2012, all top programs in her field. She joined the faculty at the University of Chicago Medical Center later that year, drawn by its world-renowned celiac disease center.

Her interest in pediatrics, nutrition, and patient-centric care started during medical school where she founded Fast Food Facts, a youth nutrition program to help increase children’s awareness of exercise, the body, and healthy food choices at home and when visiting fast food restaurants. This program is a predecessor to the nation-wide posting of fast food nutritional information. At every level of her academic and professional career, Dr. Jericho is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2003 American Medical Student Association National Jumpstart Grant, the 2010 Clinical Departments of Children’s Memorial Hospital and Children’s Memorial Research Center Tuition Scholarship, the 2014 UChicago Medicine Pediatric Faculty Scholar Program, the 2020 Medtronic External Research Grant and the 2021 RBC Race for the Kids at Comer Children’s Hospital Grant.

Dr. Jericho was appointed the Director of Pediatric Clinical Research at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center in 2014 in addition to founding the non-invasive video capsule endoscopy (VCE) program, for which she was routinely called upon to consult with other hospitals for initiation of similar programs. In 2020 Dr. Jericho was additionally appointed Co-Director of Pediatric Endoscopy and under her vision and direction, the VCE program was expanded to become a part of the formal pediatric gastroenterology fellowship training program.

Dr. Jericho is deeply involved in both local community and national professional societies. She was the Director of the Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance (CCHA) endoscopy committee as well as a member of the CCHA celiac committee. She is a member of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) celiac special interest group as well as a member of CeliacKids (a pediatric multi-center celiac research focused collaborative), the Standards-Based Active Guideline Environment (a committee responsible for the establishment of guidelines for accommodating children with celiac disease within school settings across the United States), and the NASPGHAN Endoscopy committee.

Dr. Jericho’s clinical work and research in the field of pediatric celiac disease (CeD) is internationally recognized resulting in numerous publications, peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She has been an invited speaker at local CeD symposiums including the internationally attended, in-person and online, University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center educational preceptorship programs in 2014, 2016 and 2018, the annual celiac blood screening, the annual University of Chicago Lab Schools Health Fairs as well as a moderator and speaker at celiac symposiums at national meetings including the NASPGHAN annual meeting and Beyond Celiac.

Clinical Focus

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology

Academic Appointments

Administrative Appointments

  • Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Stanford university (2023 - Present)
  • Medical Director of the Celiac Disease Program at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University (2023 - Present)
  • Associate Professor, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, The University of Chicago (2022 - 2022)
  • Co-director Pediatric Gastroenterology Endoscopy Program, The University of Chicago (2020 - 2022)
  • Director of Pediatric Clinical Research, The University of Chicago (2014 - 2022)
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, The University of Chicago (2012 - 2022)

Honors & Awards

  • Recipient of the RBC Race for the Kids at Comer Children’s Hospital Award, The University of Chicago (2022)
  • Recipient of the Medtronic External Research Grant, Medtronic (2020)
  • Recipient of the Pediatric Faculty Scholar Award, The University of Chicago (2015)
  • Recipient of the Young Investigator Forum Award, American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (2012)
  • Recipient of the CMH Research Tuition Scholarship for enrollment in the MSCI program, Northwestern University (2010)

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations

  • Member, North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Endoscopy Committee (2021 - Present)
  • Member, NASPGHAN celiac special interest group (2019 - Present)
  • Member, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (2019 - Present)
  • Participant, Children’s National Memorial Center Standards-Based Active Guideline Environment (SAGE) Initiative to develop and spread recommendations for accommodating children with celiac in school settings member (2019 - 2019)
  • Member, North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) public education committee member (2017 - 2022)
  • Member, North American Society for the Study of Celiac Disease (2013 - Present)
  • Member, American Gastroenterological Association (2009 - Present)
  • Member, North American Society of pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (2009 - Present)
  • Member, Study of Pediatric Liver Transplant (2009 - 2012)
  • Member, American Academy of Pediatrics (2006 - 2012)

Professional Education

  • Board Certification: American Board of Pediatrics, Pediatric Gastroenterology (2013)
  • Fellowship: McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern Dept of Pediatrics (2012) IL
  • Residency: UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Pediatric Residency (2009) PA
  • Medical Education: Warren Alpert Medical School Brown University (2006) RI

Community and International Work

  • Ongoing Project

    No

    Opportunities for Student Involvement

    No

  • Volunteer resident on the Chinle Navajo Reservation, Chinle, AZ

    Topic

    Pediatrics

    Partnering Organization(s)

    Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

    Populations Served

    Chinle Navajo Reservation

    Location

    US

    Ongoing Project

    No

    Opportunities for Student Involvement

    No

Contact

  • Academic
    University - Academic staff Department: Pediatrics - Gastroenterology Position: Clinical Associate Professor
  • Clinical (Primary)  Pediatric Gastroenterology 730 Welch Rd 2nd Flr Palo Alto, CA 94304 (650) 721-3822 (fax)

Additional Clinical Info

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 5731

Links

Current Research and Scholarly Interests

I am a clinical associate professor of pediatric gastroenterology and the Inaugural Medical Director of the Celiac Disease Program at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford whose clinical practice and research have an emphasis on the diagnosis and management of celiac disease. I was appointed the Director of Pediatric Clinical Research at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center in 2014. I am deeply involved in both local community and national professional societies serving as the Director of the Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance (CCHA) endoscopy committee and am a member of the CCHA celiac committee, the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) celiac special interest group, CeliacKids (a pediatric multi-center celiac research focused collaborative), the Standards-Based Active Guideline Environment (a committee responsible for the establishment of guidelines for accommodating children with celiac disease within school settings across the United States), and the NASPGHAN Endoscopy committee. My clinical work and research focus on pediatric celiac disease (CeD) and have resulted in numerous publications, peer-reviewed articles, and book chapters. This research has also helped to establish myself as an expert in the field of pediatric celiac disease leading to invitations to speak and be a moderator at both local and national meetings, including the internationally attended University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center educational preceptorship programs, the NASPGHAN annual meeting and Beyond Celiac. I have additionally been called up to provide celiac specific journal reviews as well as expert opinions to leading publications, including US News and World Report, Reader’s Digest and Reuter’s. The current application builds logically on my prior work in the field of pediatric celiac disease for which I have successfully administered the projects (staffing, research coordination, budgeting, data analysis and manuscript creation). In summary, I have the expertise, leadership, training, and motivation necessary to successfully carry out the proposed research projects.

All Publications

  • Gluten Induces Subtle Histological Changes in Duodenal Mucosa of Patients with Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity: A Multicentre Study NUTRIENTS Rostami, K., Ensari, A., Marsh, M. N., Srivastava, A., Villanacci, V., Carroccio, A., Aghdaei, H., Bai, J. C., Bassotti, G., Becheanu, G., Bell, P., Di Bella, C., Bozzola, A., Cadei, M., Casella, G., Catassi, C., Ciacci, C., Ciobanu, D., Cross, S. S., Danciu, M., Das, P., Del Sordo, R., Drage, M., Elli, L., Fasano, A., Florena, A., Fusco, N., Going, J. J., Guandalini, S., Hagen, C. E., Hayman, D. S., Ishaq, S., Jericho, H., Johncilla, M., Johnson, M., Kaukinen, K., Levene, A., Liptrot, S., Lu, L., Makharia, G. K., Mathews, S., Mazzarella, G., Maxim, R., Myint, K., Mohaghegh-Shalmani, H., Moradi, A., Mulder, C. J., Ray, R., Ricci, C., Rostami-Nejad, M., Sapone, A., Sanders, D. S., Taavela, J., Volta, U., Walker, M., Derakhshan, M. 2022; 14 (12)

    Abstract

    Background: Histological changes induced by gluten in the duodenal mucosa of patients with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) are poorly defined. Objectives: To evaluate the structural and inflammatory features of NCGS compared to controls and coeliac disease (CeD) with milder enteropathy (Marsh I-II). Methods: Well-oriented biopsies of 262 control cases with normal gastroscopy and histologic findings, 261 CeD, and 175 NCGS biopsies from 9 contributing countries were examined. Villus height (VH, in μm), crypt depth (CrD, in μm), villus-to-crypt ratios (VCR), IELs (intraepithelial lymphocytes/100 enterocytes), and other relevant histological, serologic, and demographic parameters were quantified. Results: The median VH in NCGS was significantly shorter (600, IQR: 400-705) than controls (900, IQR: 667-1112) (p < 0.001). NCGS patients with Marsh I-II had similar VH and VCR to CeD [465 µm (IQR: 390-620) vs. 427 µm (IQR: 348-569, p = 0·176)]. The VCR in NCGS with Marsh 0 was lower than controls (p < 0.001). The median IEL in NCGS with Marsh 0 was higher than controls (23.0 vs. 13.7, p < 0.001). To distinguish Marsh 0 NCGS from controls, an IEL cut-off of 14 showed 79% sensitivity and 55% specificity. IEL densities in Marsh I-II NCGS and CeD groups were similar. Conclusion: NCGS duodenal mucosa exhibits distinctive changes consistent with an intestinal response to luminal antigens, even at the Marsh 0 stage of villus architecture.

    View details for DOI 10.3390/nu14122487

    View details for Web of Science ID 000817590300001

    View details for PubMedID 35745217

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC9230100

  • Call for Action: High Rates of Depression in the Pediatric Celiac Disease Population Impacts Quality of Life JPGN Reports Jericho, H., Khan, N., Cordova, J., Sansotta, N., Guandalini, S., Keenan, K. 2021; 2 (3): e074

    View details for DOI 10.1097/PG9.0000000000000074

  • A Narrow Window: Booming Gluten-free Market and Fostering Healthy Dietary Habits in Children With Celiac Disease JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY AND NUTRITION Runde, J., Mears, M., Guandalini, S., Jericho, H. 2020; 71 (4): 533-535

    Abstract

    An expanding gluten-free marketplace has left children with celiac disease and their families with a host of new dietary options. The quality of these foods is inconsistent and processed items may be high in caloric content while lacking nutritional value. Assessing the dietary preferences of a cohort of children with celiac disease via cross-sectional survey, we find that these processed food items have become a staple of the gluten-free diet, and in many cases, these foods are consumed to the exclusion of healthy alternatives. Furthermore, children with celiac disease and their families become less interested in dietary education over time, indicating that the greatest opportunity for imparting a healthy diet may occur at the time of diagnosis.

    View details for DOI 10.1097/MPG.0000000000002831

    View details for Web of Science ID 000589822800038

    View details for PubMedID 32960543

  • The Gluten Free Diet's Impact on Growth in Children with Celiac Disease in Two Different Countries. Nutrients Sansotta, N., Guandalini, S., Romano, S., Amirikian, K., Cipolli, M., Tridello, G., Barzaghi, S., Jericho, H. 2020; 12 (6)

    Abstract

    The effects of gluten free diet (GFD) on body mass index (BMI) and growth parameters in pediatric patients with celiac disease (CD) and their dependence on different socio-cultural environments are poorly known. We conducted an international retrospective study on celiac patients diagnosed at the University of Verona, Italy, and at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA, as underweight. A total of 140 celiac children and 140 controls (mean age 8.4 years) were enrolled in Chicago; 125 celiac children and 125 controls (mean age 7.3 years, NS) in Verona. At time of diagnosis, Italian celiac children had a weight slightly lower (p = 0.060) and a BMI z-score significantly (p < 0.001) lower than their American counterparts. On GFD, Italian celiac children showed an increased prevalence of both underweight (19%) as well as overweight (9%), while American children showed a decrease prevalence of overweight/obese. We concluded that while the GFD had a similar impact on growth of celiac children in both countries, the BMI z-score rose more in American than in Italian celiac children. Additionally, in Italy, there was an alarming increase in the proportion of celiac children becoming underweight. We speculate that lifestyle and cultural differences may explain the observed variations.

    View details for DOI 10.3390/nu12061547

    View details for PubMedID 32466557

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC7352316

  • Effects of the Gluten-free Diet on Body Mass Indexes in Pediatric Celiac Patients. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition Amirikian, K., Sansotta, N., Guandalini, S., Jericho, H. 2019; 68 (3): 360-363

    Abstract

    The aim of the study was to determine the effects of the gluten-free diet (GFD) on body mass indexes (BMIs) in children with celiac disease at University of Chicago before and after 2011, when processed gluten-free foods became readily available on the market.We conducted a retrospective chart review of children seen at University of Chicago Celiac Center from January 2002 to May 2016. BMI was recorded upon GFD initiation in addition to at least 1 other timepoint: 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 4+ years. We compared the rate of BMI increase in children who were diagnosed before versus after 2011.A total of 147 children (66% girls) with biopsy-confirmed celiac disease were included in the study. The mean BMI at diagnosis was 17.8 (standard deviation 3.9) for those diagnosed before 2011 and 17.1 (standard deviation 2.7) for those diagnosed after 2011. Based on a mixed-effects random-intercept random-slope regression model, there was no evidence for significant difference in BMI change over time between the 2 groups (P value = 0.36). BMI values overall were noted to increase after starting the GFD, even at the first appointment. Serologies were monitored after patients started the GFD and approached normal values, allowing us to conclude that patients were adherent to the GFD.Although overall we observed no significant changes in BMI before and after 2011, we did notice that in adolescent celiac patients there was a trend toward a higher postdiagnosis BMI in the years after 2011. We speculate that teenagers may be especially vulnerable to choosing quick and easy processed gluten-free options over more healthy, natural alternatives leading to a rise in their BMIs after the 2011 surge in production of processed gluten-free foods on the market. Therefore, special attention must be paid to this population to insure ongoing healthy food choices even after many years on the GFD.

    View details for DOI 10.1097/MPG.0000000000002190

    View details for PubMedID 30801395

  • Chronic Inflammation Permanently Reshapes Tissue-Resident Immunity in Celiac Disease. Cell Mayassi, T., Ladell, K., Gudjonson, H., McLaren, J. E., Shaw, D. G., Tran, M. T., Rokicka, J. J., Lawrence, I., Grenier, J. C., van Unen, V., Ciszewski, C., Dimaano, M., Sayegh, H. E., Kumar, V., Wijmenga, C., Green, P. H., Gokhale, R., Jericho, H., Semrad, C. E., Guandalini, S., Dinner, A. R., Kupfer, S. S., Reid, H. H., Barreiro, L. B., Rossjohn, J., Price, D. A., Jabri, B. 2019; 176 (5): 967-981.e19

    Abstract

    Tissue-resident lymphocytes play a key role in immune surveillance, but it remains unclear how these inherently stable cell populations respond to chronic inflammation. In the setting of celiac disease (CeD), where exposure to dietary antigen can be controlled, gluten-induced inflammation triggered a profound depletion of naturally occurring Vγ4+/Vδ1+ intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) with innate cytolytic properties and specificity for the butyrophilin-like (BTNL) molecules BTNL3/BTNL8. Creation of a new niche with reduced expression of BTNL8 and loss of Vγ4+/Vδ1+ IELs was accompanied by the expansion of gluten-sensitive, interferon-γ-producing Vδ1+ IELs bearing T cell receptors (TCRs) with a shared non-germline-encoded motif that failed to recognize BTNL3/BTNL8. Exclusion of dietary gluten restored BTNL8 expression but was insufficient to reconstitute the physiological Vγ4+/Vδ1+ subset among TCRγδ+ IELs. Collectively, these data show that chronic inflammation permanently reconfigures the tissue-resident TCRγδ+ IEL compartment in CeD. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.cell.2018.12.039

    View details for PubMedID 30739797

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6667191

  • Celiac Disease Symptom Resolution: Effectiveness of the Gluten-free Diet. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition Sansotta, N., Amirikian, K., Guandalini, S., Jericho, H. 2018; 66 (1): 48-52

    Abstract

    The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of the gluten-free diet (GFD) on gastrointestinal (GI) and extra-intestinal (EI) symptom resolution and identify predictors for persistence of symptoms in all celiac patients at the University of Chicago.We conducted a retrospective chart review from 2002 to 2015. GI symptoms included abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, failure to thrive/weight loss, nausea, reflux, and vomiting. EI symptoms included abnormal liver enzymes, arthralgia/arthritis, dermatitis herpetiformis, alopecia, fatigue, headache, anemia, stomatitis, myalgia, psychiatric disorders, rashes, seizures, neuropathy, short stature, delayed puberty, osteoporosis, and infertility.A total of 554 patients (227 children) with celiac disease (CeD) were included. Abdominal pain, diarrhea and failure to thrive were the most common GI symptoms in children whereas diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain were most common in adults. Short stature, fatigue, and headache were the most common EI symptoms in children whereas iron deficiency anemia, fatigue, and headache/psychiatric disorders were most common in adults. Children had significantly higher rates of EI and GI symptom resolution as compared to adults, with greater rates of improvements in GI versus EI symptoms at more than 24 months. Long duration of symptoms, female sex, and non-adherence to a GFD were the most important significant predictors of failure to clinically improve.On a strict GFD, children report greater rates of both GI and EI symptom resolution as compared to adults with greater rates of improvement in GI over EI symptoms. Early recognition of CeD and close attention to diet adherence may help in symptom resolution.

    View details for DOI 10.1097/MPG.0000000000001634

    View details for PubMedID 28514243

  • Extraintestinal Manifestations of Celiac Disease: Effectiveness of the Gluten-Free Diet JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY AND NUTRITION Jericho, H., Sansotta, N., Guandalini, S. 2017; 65 (1): 75-79

    Abstract

    The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the gluten-free diet (GFD) on extraintestinal symptoms in pediatric and adult celiac populations at the University of Chicago.We conducted a retrospective chart review of the University of Chicago Celiac Center clinic charts from January 2002 to October 2014. Demographics, serologic testing, intestinal biopsies, and extraintestinal symptoms at presentation, 12, 24, and >24 months were recorded. Extraintestinal symptoms included abnormal liver enzymes, arthralgia/arthritis, dermatitis herpetiformis, alopecia, fatigue, headache, anemia, stomatitis, myalgias, psychiatric disorders, rashes, seizures, neuropathy, short stature, delayed puberty, osteoporosis, and infertility.A total of 737 patients with biopsy-confirmed celiac disease or skin biopsy-confirmed dermatitis herpetiformis were included. Patients lost to follow-up, or with insufficient data were excluded leaving 328 patients (157 pediatrics younger than 18 years). For pediatrics, the female to male ratio was 2:1 and the mean age at diagnosis was 8.9 years. For adults, 4:1 and 40.6 years old. Extraintestinal symptom rates were similar in children (60%) and adults (62%). Short stature (33%), fatigue (28%), and headache (20%) were most common in children. Iron deficiency anemia (48%), fatigue (37%), and headache/psychiatric disorders (24%) were common in adults. Children had faster/higher rates of symptom resolution compared with adults. Twenty-eight percent of children with unresolved short stature on a GFD were found to have other comorbidities.Children and adults with celiac disease have similar rates of extraintestinal manifestations. In children short stature, fatigue, and headache were most common, whereas anemia, fatigue, and headache/psychiatric disorders were most common in adults. Children on a strict GFD showed faster and higher rates of symptom resolution as compared to adults. Unresponsive children with short stature must be assessed for comorbidities.

    View details for DOI 10.1097/MPG.0000000000001420

    View details for Web of Science ID 000404960900025

    View details for PubMedID 28644353