Dr. Zisman, a gastroenterologist with expertise in inflammatory bowel disease, joined the GI Division faculty in July. Dr. Zisman obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and his medical degree from the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. After graduate studies at Harvard University, where he earned his Master of Public Health degree, Dr. Zisman completed his Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology fellowship training at the University of Chicago. He has sub-specialized in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and brings his clinical expertise to the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program the UW Digestive Disease Center. His research is focused on clinical management issues and the assessment of outcomes associated with the care of IBD patients. We are delighted to have Dr. Zisman as part of our Inflammatory Bowel Disease team. More About Dr. Zisman »

Practicing medicine allows me to combine my interest in science with my passion for service. It’s an extremely rewarding career that allows me to meet interesting people from all walks of life who share the common goal of wanting to overcome their health challenges. The opportunity to have a positive impact in people’s lives is tremendously gratifying.

Inflammatory bowel disease runs in my family, so I have intimate knowledge of the impact that IBD can have on patients and their family members. This life experience is what initially led me to pursue a career in gastroenterology, and it continues to drive my interest in exploring ways to provide safe and effective treatment for patients affected by IBD .

Interaction with patients is the highlight of my job. It’s an enormous privilege to care for patients and extremely rewarding to be able to help people overcome illness and return to health.

This is an exciting time to be an IBD physician, with several new treatments approved within the last few years, and additional promising new therapies under investigation. Our understanding of IBD is evolving rapidly, and there continue to be numerous discoveries that improve our ability to diagnoses and treat patients. A number of new therapies are under investigation, including several that we are studying here at University of Washington. Biologic therapies targeting specific molecules in the inflammatory cascade hold promise for controlling symptoms, healing inflammation and preventing the need for surgery.

The University of Washington has an extraordinary team of thoughtful and skilled gastroenterologists, and the opportunity to join this group was very enticing. With my interest in research and clinical care for patients with IBD, I searched for a hospital that already had a strong foundation in IBD and was looking to expand. The UW Medical Center was the perfect place for that.

So far, I’ve had a wonderful time exploring all the beaches and parks with my wife and kids.

In early August I participated in the Pacific Northwest Get Your Guts in Gear ride. This is a 210 mile bike ride that raises money for organizations that provide support and services to patients with IBD. The ride was a great way to explore the beautiful scenery in the Seattle area, and a wonderful chance to meet some very friendly and interesting people while contributing to some worthwhile causes. It was really a fun experience!