Atul Kumar, M.D., left, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, received the Given Capsule Endoscopy Research Award at the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) 2006 Crystal Awards reception. Also pictured is Gabriel Meron, CEO of Given Imaging, Inc., the sponsor of the award.
STONY BROOK, N.Y., August 8, 2006 – Atul Kumar, M.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Stony Brook University Hospital, received the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy’s (ASGE) 2006 Given Capsule Endoscopy Research Award. The award, which was given to only two researchers in the nation, provides $25,000 and 200 capsules for physicians involved with promising research in capsule endoscopy. Capsule endoscopy involves the use of a pill-sized video camera (a capsule) that helps physicians evaluate the condition of the lining of the small intestine.
A board-certified gastroenterologist and ASGE member, Dr. Kumar specializes in gastrointestinal bleeding and pancreatico-biliary diseases at Stony Brook University Hospital and the Northport VA Medical Center. The ASGE is the premier national society for gastrointestinal endoscopists, whose members nationally and internationally include more than 9,500 gastroenterologists, surgeons and other medical specialists trained to use endoscopy for diagnosing and treating gastrointestinal diseases.
“Among patients with angiodysplasia, a vascular abnormality resulting in the formation of fragile and abnormal blood vessels in the gut, bleeding is a contentious problem for which there is no effective treatment,” says Dr. Kumar. “Sometimes patients bleed multiple times a year and require many units of blood, so there is a great need to better diagnose and treat this condition.”
Dr. Kumar is using capsule endoscopy to diagnose angiodysplasia and expects to begin a multi-center clinical trial this coming fall to evaluate the effectiveness of thalidomide treatment for the condition. Thalidomide, notorious for its association in the 1960’s with birth defects resulting from the drug inhibiting blood vessel growth, is being used to prevent blood vessel formation in patients with angiodysplasia, thus preventing bleeding episodes.
Given Imaging, Inc., a medical technology company that develops high-tech devices used for diagnosing gastrointestinal diseases, is funding the award and providing the capsules. Dr. Kumar’s research centers on diagnosing acute gastrointestinal bleeding by way of capsule endoscopy and subsequently treating the condition.
Caption:
Atul Kumar, M.D., left, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, received the Given Capsule Endoscopy Research Award at the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) 2006 Crystal Awards reception. Also pictured is Gabriel Meron, former CEO of Given Imaging, Inc., the sponsor of the award.
