Alessio Fasano

World-renowned pediatric gastroenterologist, research scientist, and entrepreneur Alessio Fasano, M.D., founded the Center for Celiac Research in 1996. The Center offers state-of-the art research, clinical expertise, and teaching for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and wheat allergy.

Trained in Naples, Italy, as a pediatric gastroenterologist, Dr. Fasano was recruited to the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1993 and founded its Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Puzzled by the absence of children exhibiting symptoms of celiac disease in the clinic, he resolved to uncover the mystery of missing American “celiacs.” His perseverance in the face of skepticism about celiac disease in the U.S. eventually led to his publication of the groundbreaking study in 2003 that established the rate of the autoimmune disorder at one in 133 Americans.

In early 2013, Dr. Fasano was appointed Division Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. He brought the Center for Celiac Research to Boston, where he and his team of clinicians treat patients of all ages. Dr. Fasano also heads the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, based in Charlestown, and is Associate Chief for Basic, Clinical and Translational Research for the Department of Pediatrics at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. He is a Visiting Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.