Yuri A. Saito Loftus

Dr. Yuri A. Saito Loftus is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, where she serves as a Consultant in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, and holds a joint appointment as Consultant in the Division of Epidemiology, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences. She directs the GI Epidemiology/Outcomes Unit within the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and leads the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lab at Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Saito Loftus received her medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1995, followed by residencies in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at Mayo Clinic. She also earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology and Health Services Research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 1999.

Her research focuses on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastrointestinal motility disorders, and functional gastrointestinal conditions. Specifically, she investigates the genetic and environmental contributors to IBS, patient education approaches, dietary and nutritional factors, and treatment efficacy. With funding from the National Institutes of Health, her current research seeks to identify patterns of symptom transmission through family members and potential genes responsible for bowel symptoms. Her work represents a critical effort to understand the mechanisms underlying IBS, which is one of the most common diagnoses made by gastroenterologists yet remains poorly understood in terms of its underlying causes.

Dr. Saito Loftus has published extensively on IBS and related gastrointestinal disorders, with a particular emphasis on systematic reviews and meta-analyses of treatment approaches. Her publications span topics from dietary interventions and pharmacological treatments to psychological therapies for IBS management, reflecting a comprehensive approach to understanding and treating this complex condition.

• 2004 Solvay-Clinical Research in Irritable Bowel Syndrome/Motility American Gastroenterological Association
• 2003 Junior Faculty Career Development Award American College of Gastroenterology
• 1991 Member Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
• 1990 Member Alpha Epsilon Delta National Premedical Honor Society
• 1987 Dean's List The Johns Hopkins University

As an active researcher and clinician, Dr. Saito Loftus serves on multiple professional committees including the Abstract Selection Committee for the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation and the American College of Gastroenterology. She is a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology and serves as an Expert Panel Member for the Functional GI Health and Nutrition Circle. Her Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lab is affiliated with several Mayo Clinic research areas including Cellular and Molecular Physiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders and the Genomics Program, creating a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and treating IBS.