Weekly News

February 4 | 2026

SAVE THE DATE! APRIL 16-17, 2026

Hyatt Regency O'Hare
Chicago, IL

This course is designed to provide specialized hepatology education to pediatric gastroenterologists.

Supported by a grant from Mirum.

APRIL 17-18, 2026 APPLY TODAY

Hyatt Regency O'Hare

Chicago, IL

This course is designed to provide specialized nutrition education in areas associated with the practice of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition.

Supported by a grant from Kate Farms.

Expand Your Team's Engagement Through APGNN and CPNP Membership

NASPGHAN is strengthened by the interdisciplinary professionals who care for children every day. We strongly encourage members to share opportunities with nurses, physician assistants, and dietitians at their institutions to get involved through two valued partner organizations: APGNN (Association of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Nurses) and CPNP (Council for Pediatric Nutrition Professionals).

Both organizations provide education, professional development, and a strong peer network for clinicians specializing in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition. Their members play an important role in the broader NASPGHAN community through collaboration at the Annual Meeting, participation in educational programming, and joint service on NASPGHAN Committees and Special Interest Groups (SIGs).

Encouraging colleagues to engage with APGNN and CPNP helps strengthen team-based care, supports professional growth, and enhances the interdisciplinary expertise that drives NASPGHAN’s mission forward.

Learn more at APGNN and CPNP’s respective websites, and share these opportunities with your clinical partners today!

Emerging Therapeutic Frontiers in Pediatric IBD:

IL-23 Blockade, JAK Inhibitors and Subcutaneous Biologics

February 25 8PM ET

As therapeutic options for pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) rapidly evolve, clinicians must stay current on the next generation of therapies that have the potential to dramatically enhance patient outcomes and quality of life.

This webinar brings you an interactive, case-driven webinar that will delve into three groundbreaking areas transforming pediatric IBD care: IL-23 Blockade, JAK Inhibitors and Subcutaneous Biologic Medications.

Expert faculty will guide attendees through mechanisms of action, clinical trial outcomes, real-world evidence, and safety considerations, offering up-to-date insights that bridge cutting-edge research and everyday practice. By the end of this webinar, participants will be equipped with practical strategies to integrate these novel therapies into comprehensive treatment plans, optimize disease monitoring, and collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams, ultimately advancing care for children living with IBD.

NASPGHAN, AGA Tell Congress Integrity of NIH Research Must be Upheld

Senate lawmakers had an opportunity to question National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, during a hearing convened by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on February 3. NIH modernization was the intended focus of the hearing, although lawmakers used it as an opportunity to question Dr. Bhattacharya on a range of issues including the Administration’s new vaccine policies and disruption last year of NIH research and clinical trials.

NASPGHAN and the American Gastroenterological Association submitted a statement to the Committee for the hearing record. The statement underscored the importance of digestive disease research funded through the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the need for NIH research to be free from political interference.

Prometheus Laboratories is committed to supporting clinicians with evidence-based tools that improve patient care. Early December 2025, we introduced IBD Precis™ a next-generation serologic test designed to reduce diagnostic uncertainty and helping guide timely intervention for suspected IBD patients.

Why It Matters for Pediatrics:

Children with IBD benefit from an early, precise diagnosis. IBD Precis™ offers actional insights to:

Reliably differentiation of CD vs UC (92% sensitivity, 83% specificity in pediatric patients)¹
Accurately identification of patterns consistent or not consistent with IBD (80% sensitivity, 67% specificity)¹
Assess colonic involvement and complication risk

Key Innovations:

Anti-integrin (αvβ6) – A novel biomarker for UC with strong diagnostic and prognostic value (79% sensitivity, 94% specificity).² Detectable up to 10 years before diagnosis and in ~52% of patients at the time of diagnosis, anti-αvβ6 supports early identification, correlates with disease severity³, and associates with colonic involvement in CD.⁴
Anti-PR3 – A highly specific ANCA marker (98.1% vs. 90.4% for atypical pANCA) linked to early-onset and extensive colitis.⁵
Comprehensive Panel – Includes proven microbial and autoantigen markers (ASCA IgG/IgA, Anti-OmpC IgG, Anti-CBir1 IgG, Anti-A4-Fla2 IgG, Anti-FlaX IgG, atypical pANCA) for robust disease stratification.

IBD Precis™ will replace the IBD sgi® Diagnostic test by March 31, 2026. For details, contact your Prometheus representative or learn more at prometheuslabs.com.

References:

1. Prometheus Data on File.

2. Pertsinidou E et al. J Crohns Colitis . 2025;19(5):jjaf062.

3. Livanos AE et al. Gastroenterology. 2023 Apr;164(4):619-629.

4. Livanos A et al. J Crohns Colitis. OP28. 2025;19:i56-i58.

5. Andalucía C et al. Diagnostics (Basel). 2023 Dec 16;13(24):3682.

Have an idea for a timely,

high-impact educational webinar?

The NASPGHAN webinar submission portal is NOW OPEN and we invite you to propose topics that will help advance care, education, and practice across our community.

Key dates

Portal closes: February 28

Review period: March 1- March 31

Decisions announced: April 1

Scheduling: All selected webinars will be scheduled for 2027

What you’ll be asked to submit

*A brief descriptive paragraph of the proposed webinar

*Target audience

*Needs assessment and the knowledge gaps the webinar will address

*Learning objectives

*Proposed speakers and moderators

Important note on speaker selection!

Diversity of institutions, gender, and geography is a must when choosing moderators and speakers.

Job Interview Coaching Workshop for 2nd Year Fellows 2026

The NASPGHAN Med Ed SIG is proud to again offer a program for personalized job interview coaching for current 2nd Year Fellows!

This program will involve three virtual sessions between April 2026 and July 2026, and will focus on two specific skills of faculty job interviewing: initial virtual interview "elevator pitches" and additional interview skills including interview practice and presentation style.

Selected applicants for the Job Interview Coaching Workshop for 2nd Year Fellows will participate in a group session with all attendees, and later in two small group coaching sessions to received detailed feedback from NASPGHAN faculty.

Apply here today!

February JPGN is now available online!

The February issue of JPGN is now available and posted online. All active members and those who have purchased JPGN separately have received an email directly from Wiley with access instructions to their JPGN account. If you missed the February 2nd deadline, you may no longer have access to JPGN. Please renew today to regain access to the journal.

If you have previously accessed JPGN online through the Wiley library, please enter your username and password to read this current issue. Once you are on the site, you can sign up for email alerts about JPGN and its content.

There is additional information on the NASPGHAN website about this process.

If you do not receive the emailed instructions for access, don't hesitate to get in touch with Lisa Clayton at the NASPGHAN National Office.