Adam S. Cheifetz, M.D.

Dr. Adam Cheifetz is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). He is an internationally recognized leader in the care of patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, combining clinical expertise, research innovation, and education to improve outcomes for individuals living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Dr. Cheifetz has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and is best known for pioneering the use of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to optimize biologic therapy in IBD. His group was the first to demonstrate that proactive monitoring of infliximab concentrations and dosing to a therapeutic window improves outcomes compared with standard care. They also showed that proactive TDM is associated with greater treatment persistence, fewer IBD-related hospitalizations and surgeries, and reduced rates of anti-drug antibodies and infusion reactions. More recently, his team was the first to establish that proactive TDM of adalimumab leads to superior long-term outcomes. This body of work has directly shaped national and international guidelines, making TDM a standard of care for IBD and other immune-mediated inflammatory conditions.

Beyond TDM, Dr. Cheifetz has advanced understanding of several critical areas in IBD. His studies have shown that in vitro fertilization (IVF) is equally successful in women with IBD compared with the general infertility population, providing reassurance and evidence-based guidance for patients and clinicians. He also demonstrated that anti-TNF therapy can be used safely and effectively in select Crohn’s patients with intraabdominal phlegmons and abscesses, challenging prior dogma and influencing international practice where surgery was once the standard.

At BIDMC, Dr. Cheifetz has spearheaded the growth of the Center for IBD into a multidisciplinary program that integrates gastroenterologists, advanced practice providers, surgeons, psychologists, and social workers to deliver holistic care. He also helped establish a GME-accredited advanced IBD fellowship, and under his leadership, the BIDMC IBD Center was selected by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation as one of only 15 U.S. sites to host the Visiting IBD Fellowship.

In addition to his research and clinical leadership, Dr. Cheifetz is deeply committed to education. He serves as Director of the Gastroenterology Clerkship Program at Harvard Medical School, supervises and mentors fellows and residents, and has trained numerous advanced IBD fellows who now lead programs across the U.S. and abroad. He has delivered more than 200 invited national and 50 international lectures, and he frequently organizes and chairs educational programs for professional societies and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, where he currently serves as Chair of the Professional Education Committee.

Dr. Cheifetz also serves on the editorial boards of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, the World Journal of Gastroenterology, and the Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis. He is a founding member of the international BRIDGe research consortium, where he has contributed to RAND panels shaping best practices in IBD management.

Through his clinical expertise, groundbreaking research, and dedication to mentorship, Dr. Cheifetz has had a lasting impact on the treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, shaping both present standards and the future of IBD care worldwide.