Dr. Brad Pasternak is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) expert and co-medical director of the IBD program at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. He is known by many for his passion for IBD and dedication to serving the pediatric population. However, few may know of his personal connection to IBD. Dr. Pasternak was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, while in college. He ultimately used his own personal experiences, his love of science, and passion for serving his community to become a pediatric gastroenterologist and care for children with IBD. Dr. Pasternak shares his journey from patient to provider below.
Most of you know me as Dr. Pasternak, or Dr. P, and know that I suffer from IBD. For those who don’t, I’d like to share my story.
As a child, I had severe asthma, and my allergist believed that I would not be able to succeed in athletics due to breathing difficulties. However, I always persevered. I was an avid athlete in high school, playing tennis, soccer, and swimming, and continued to swim in college. When I was in third grade, I started having symptoms of colitis. He had bloody stools, urinary urgency, and nighttime symptoms, and was having bowel movements 25 to 30 times a day. I had to sit in the last row of the auditorium to get close to the restrooms. I had to jump out of the pool to get to the locker room during practice. At the time, I was naive and uneducated, and the food, antics, and stress of college were the culprits. After about two months of worsening symptoms, I finally admitted defeat and admitted that something was wrong.
I was eventually diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. I was immediately put on corticosteroids. The result was limited energy, sleepless nights, and a raging appetite. I had to buy a small refrigerator for my room to stave off my hunger. I found myself using this extra energy and less sleep to study more and excel academically in college (always finding a silver lining).
I have always been interested in science since I was a child. I had a math/science spirit in addition to an altruistic soul. Medicine was the perfect career for me. I also love working with children and worked as a swim instructor, lifeguard, camp counselor, and babysitter during my teenage years. There was no doubt that I would be interested in pediatrics. Once I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, I quickly became involved in the community.I participated in Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation I then had the opportunity to mentor newly diagnosed patients, participate in philanthropic events, and ultimately work as a health care provider and counselor. camping oasis. Being diagnosed with this disease made me more curious than upset. I used this thirst for knowledge and curiosity to develop her interest in pediatric gastroenterology, specifically IBD.
During my residency at Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, I had the privilege of collaborating with Dr. Barry Worsill, who is currently the Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. I was working in his lab on the immunology of several inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases. This collaboration ultimately led to my next chapter as a Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellow at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. So I started working in the molecular immunology lab of Dr. Christopher Karp (now at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), studying the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease. I worked closely with his IBD team in Cincinnati, especially Dr. Ted Denson. I realized that my desire was to work with children, not mice, which led to my current position at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where I have worked for the past 12 years.
Throughout my battle with ulcerative colitis, I never let the disease define me in a negative way. I have used it to quench my thirst for knowledge, my love of science and immunology, my desire to help people, and my desire to live patiently. I overcame the flare-up during a difficult time, recognized it was just part of the illness, and lived with it. I stay active and athletic. In fact, I’ve turned into a runner and remember training for a marathon a few years ago and starting to get fired up. My first thought was, “Wow, with the urgency of 42 miles, I could run this race really fast.” My next thought was to try to figure out how to train and be successful while flaring. I took prednisone again and stayed up all night doing what all patients are told not to do and searching the internet. I made some discoveries about nutrition and inflammatory bowel disease and made adjustments to my diet and lifestyle. Interestingly, the flare subsided and I was able to complete the marathon in a personal best time. That being said, I learned the importance of science and understood the need for a healthy lifestyle and balanced medication.
I still enjoy staying active both physically and academically. I am grateful for the personal connection to this disease that I have dedicated my career to treating and managing. I bring this personal connection to his IBD program here at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and recognize the role physicians have played in my life as mentors, therapists, and coaches. As co-medical director of his IBD program at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, I am fortunate to work with a dedicated team that shares the same passion as I do for patients and this disease process.
To learn more about IBD and the IBD Clinic at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, watch this video featuring Dr. Pasternak.