Board Of Directors

Sophie M. Balzora MD, FACG is a Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and practicing gastroenterologist with a clinical interest in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). 

Dr. Balzora is President and co-founder of the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH), founded in 2021. Balzora serves on the ACG Institute’s Leadership, Ethics and Equity Center Advisory Board. She is the former Chair of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG)’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Public Relations Committees, and co-founder of ACG’s #DiversityinGI Social Media Campaign., the Color of Gastrointestinal Illness (COGI)’s Medical Advisory Board and Board of Directors, and on the Board of the Association of Black Princeton Alumni (ABPA). 

Dr. Balzora has published in high-impact journals and contributed to pieces in The New York Times and Washington Post, featured on Good Morning America and other media outlets for her health equity work. She has been recognized nationally for her contributions to the field as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and health equity, and her health equity advocacy has brought her to Capitol Hill and The White House to work with community, national, and political stakeholders in the advancement of health equity in the digestive disease space. 

Balzora graduated cum laude from Princeton University, and earned her medical degree at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She completed her internal medicine residency training at Columbia University Medical Center, and her gastroenterology fellowship at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Renee Williams, MD, MHPE is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Within the Department of Medicine, she is the Associate Chair for Health Equity  and the Director of the Saul Farber Program in Health Equity.  Institutionally she is GME Education Pillar Lead and the Director for Strategic Collaboration for NYU Langone’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity.  Her interests include health disparities in colorectal cancer screening and medical education with a focus on simulation education.  

Dr. Williams is Vice President and Co-founder of the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH), founded in 2021.  She has been involved nationally in efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.  She is a member of the AAMC’s MedEdScholar Steering committee,  Co-Chair of the New York Citywide Colorectal Cancer Coalition (C5) Risk assessment and Screening committee, section editor for ASGE’s GESAP and served on the Board of Trustees for the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) from 2018-2024. 

Ugo Iroku MD, MHS, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Assistant Clinical Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is the Medical Director of the New York Gastroenterology Associates Brooklyn Heights office and serves on SELF Magazine’s Medical Editorial Board.

He is a graduate of Harvard Medical School, the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University and The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is a co-founder, Board Member and acting Secretary for the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH).

His clinical interests are Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Early Onset Colorectal Cancer. His research interests are health equity in the diagnosis and care of gastrointestinal chronic diseases and cancers as well as the use of technology and innovation in combating medical misinformation.

Valerie Antoine-Gustave, MD, MPH, is a board-certified gastroenterologist and a valued member of Summit Health’s gastroenterology team and is currently a clinical instructor at NYU Langone Medical Center.  Additionally, Dr. Antoine-Gustave holds a pivotal position as the Quality Committee Chair at Liberty Endoscopy Center, where she ensures rigorous standards of care and safety for patients undergoing endoscopic procedures.

Before embarking on her medical career, Dr. Antoine-Gustave earned a Master’s in Public Health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Her impactful research in health promotion and disease prevention garnered recognition, including the prestigious Community Scholars Award: Special Interest Project from the Centers for Disease Control.

Dr. Antoine-Gustave completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Weill Cornell New York Presbyterian Hospital, followed by specialized training in Gastroenterology through a fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, affiliated with Harvard University.

Beyond her clinical practice, Dr. Antoine-Gustave is deeply committed to medical leadership, professional development, and community engagement. Actively involved in broader initiatives within the African-American community, she serves as a limited partner in investment funds and advocates strongly for health equity in her practice, ensuring all patients have access to quality care.

As a compassionate and dedicated gastroenterologist, Dr. Antoine-Gustave prioritizes patient-centered care. Her clinical expertise spans various aspects of gastroenterology and endoscopy, with a particular emphasis on women’s digestive health.

Dr. Adjoa Anyane-Yeboa is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a Gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her research is focused on increasing colorectal cancer screening in marginalized populations. Her secondary research focus is on understanding IBD in minority individuals and increasing knowledge and awareness of IBD in this population. She has received grant funding from the National Cancer Institute, American College of Gastroenterology, American Cancer Society and others to support her work. She is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, and American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Dr. Anyane-Yeboa received her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati, completed her Internal Medicine residency and a 4th year chief residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and completed her Gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Chicago Medicine. After completing her gastroenterology training, she went on to pursue additional training to further her drive to achieve equity in health outcomes for patients from marginalized communities. She completed the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy through Harvard Medical School and also received her Master’s in Public Health with a focus in Health Policy from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Rotonya Carr, MD, FACP is Associate Professor of Medicine, Cyrus E. Rubin Chair and Division Head of Gastroenterology at the University of Washington. She was previously the Founder and Director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Liver Metabolism and Fatty Liver Program. Dr. Carr is an R01-funded NIH-funded physician scientist and hepatologist who specializes in the care of patients with fatty liver diseases. Her laboratory investigates the basic mechanisms of insulin resistance in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease. Dr. Carr is a member of the American Gastroenterological Association, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, European Association for the Study of the Liver, and Research Society of Alcoholism. She is an editorial board member of Hepatology, Liver Transplantation, and Journal of Lipid Research. Dr. Carr is recognized by Cell in their inaugural group of 100 inspiring Black scientists.

Dr. Carr completed medical school at Cornell Medical University Medical College and residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Prior to starting her fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, she worked as an Internist at Ferguson Medical Group in Missouri. Dr. Carr has held faculty positions at the University of Missouri, University of Pennsylvania and University of Washington.

Darrell M. Gray II, MD, MPH is President and CEO of Wellpoint Maryland, one of the largest Medicaid managed care organizations in Maryland and wholly owned subsidiary of Elevance Health. In this role, Dr. Gray works to ensure Wellpoint’s members have access to high-quality care, achieve equitable, whole health outcomes, and have an exceptional consumer experience. 

Dr. Gray previously served as the inaugural chief health equity officer of Elevance Health, during which time he successfully led the execution of the enterprise’s first comprehensive strategies to advance health equity through a whole-health approach (addressing physical, behavioral, social and pharmacy needs) across Elevance Health’s tens of millions of members. Notably, his efforts led to Elevance Health attaining the full, three-year National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health Equity Accreditation for 22 of their Medicaid health plans in 2022 and Health Equity Plus Accreditation in 2023 including Wellpoint Maryland, an industry-first.

Prior to joining Elevance Health, Dr. Gray was an associate professor of medicine at The Ohio State University, where he served as a practicing gastroenterologist and medical director of healthy communities for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, as well as deputy director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. His work leveraged meaningful partnerships across public and private sectors in Ohio and nationally to reduce health inequities and address health-related social needs among diverse populations. 

Additionally, Dr. Gray is co-founder of the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists and a member of the Founding Advisory Board for Meharry School of Global Health. He has published widely, including high-impact peer-reviewed journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Reviews, Lancet, and Cancer. Dr. Gray has also been featured in media outlets such as The New York Times, USA Today, and Forbes. He’s received numerous awards including the National Minority Quality Forum 40 Under 40 Leader in Minority Health Award, the Ohio Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Health Equity and Awareness Award, and the Healio Disruptive Innovators Health Equity Award. Nonetheless, he cites his roles as husband to Brittney and father to Harper, Ella, Noah, and Zoë as his crowning achievements.

Dr. Gray is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and graduate of Morehouse College and Howard University College of Medicine. He completed his residency at Duke University Medical Center and gastroenterology fellowship at Washington University, subsequently earning a master’s degree in public health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health as a Commonwealth Fund Fellow. 

Dr. Guillaume is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH). Her clinical expertise is in the management of functional and motility disorders. She is the Director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Center at SBUH, which specializes in the comprehensive evaluation of luminal motility disorders. Under the leadership of Dr. Guillaume, the motility center provides the latest in innovation and technology to diagnose and treat the entire spectrum of motility disorders.

She is co-founder of the annual Thought Leaders in GI Motility Symposium held in New York, and a member of many GI organizations including the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society. Dr. Guillaume has a special interest in diversity initiatives particularly at the undergraduate level. She serves on the executive subcommittee for the Renaissance School of Medicine’s admission committee, and is also the Faculty Advisor to the School of Medicine’s Pre-Medical Access to the Clinical Experience (PACE) program.

Dr. Guillaume graduated from Tufts University School of Medicine. She completed Internal Medicine residency at New York University Medical Center and her GI fellowship at SBUH.

Dr. Guillaume is committed to enhancing the education of young women particularly in STEM and currently serves as a Board of Trustee for her alma mater, the all-girls high school, Sacred Heart Academy in Garden City, NY.

Dr. Rachel Issaka is a Gastroenterologist, Associate Professor, and the Kathryn Surace-Smith Endowed Chair in Health Equity Research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FHCC) and the University of Washington (UW). She is the Director of the FHCC/UW Medicine Population Health Colorectal Cancer Screening Program. Dr. Issaka’s research focuses on improving the quality of colorectal cancer care across the continuum of disease, including equitable access to screening and follow-up of non-invasive screening tests. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the American College of Gastroenterology.

Dr. Issaka has contributed to national medical practice guidelines for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), and the American Cancer Society’s National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT). She has also served as an advisor to the President’s Cancer Panel and the COVID-19 Prevention Network, a group formed to provide oversight for National Institutes of Health funded COVID-19 vaccine trials.

Dr. Issaka completed her gastroenterology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco where she also earned a master’s in clinical research. She completed her internal medicine residency at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, where she served as chief resident and obtained her medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School.

Dr. Fola May is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Director of the May Health Services Research Lab at UCLA, and Director of Quality Improvement in Gastroenterology at UCLA Health. She is a graduate of Yale University (Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, BA), the University of Cambridge (Epidemiology, MPhil), and Harvard Medical School. Dr. May trained in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital before completing a fellowship in gastroenterology at UCLA Health and a PhD in Health Policy and Management from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. In the May Laboratory at UCLA, the team engages in work to improve population health strategies, increase access to preventive services and to eliminate health disparities domestically and internationally. She is passionate about improving awareness about preventive health and health equity and is involved in advocacy at the state and national level to develop and encourage policy to improve health care delivery. Dr. May is also an Assistant Director of the Specialty Training and Advanced Research training program at UCLA and a Director of Grants and Postgraduate Research for the UCLA Global Health Program.

Dr. Pascale White is a gastroenterologist and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She served as the Director of the Gastroenterology Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital from 2017-2024. In recognition of her expertise and passion for addressing healthcare disparities, Dr. White assumed the role of inaugural Director of Health Equity in Action for Liver and Digestive Diseases (H.E.A.L.D.). In this position, she leads initiatives aimed at promoting equitable access to care and improving outcomes for patients from diverse backgrounds.

Dr. White received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Barnard College of Columbia University, and her medical degree from The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at NYU School of Medicine, where she was appointed Chief Resident. She went on to complete her Gastroenterology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. White received her Master in Business Administration and Master in Science in Healthcare Policy and Research from Cornell University.

Dr. White’s clinical work, research activities, and public service have focused on championing colorectal cancer screening efforts in underserved communities. She has published articles in leading medical journals on barriers to screening and co-authored the latest clinical update for colorectal cancer screening in African Americans for the American College of Gastroenterology. She serves on multiple committees in New York City’s Citywide Colorectal Cancer Control Coalition (C5) and is currently a steering committee member on the American Cancer Society National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable.

Cynthia Padilla Pearson comes to this work with a diverse background in health equity programming, nonprofit leadership, and philanthropy. With expertise in field traumatology, she is a certified trauma specialist, restorative justice practitioner, and a member of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology. Prior to joining ABGH, Cynthia managed equity initiatives and cross-foundational teams at the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta leading philanthropic initiatives, funder collaboratives, and portfolios. Before her transition into philanthropy, Cynthia spent 15 years advocating for victims’ rights and developing trauma-informed programs across juvenile and adult legal systems. She also led efforts at the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation to support survivors of intimate partner abuse and developed the state’s first and only mobile advocacy unit for lawyers and social workers to respond in the community. Cynthia’s extensive experience in driving collaborative, system-change initiatives has led her to serve as an advisory member at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and serves on the board at Feminist Women’s Health Center.