Dr. Jonathan Leighton Elected President of the American College of Gastroenterology

Vancouver, BC, Canada (October 23, 2023) – Gastroenterologist Jonathan A. Leighton, MD, FACG, was elected by the membership as the 2023–2024 President of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), a national medical organization representing more than 19,000 clinical gastroenterologists and other specialists in digestive diseases. Dr. Leighton is Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and is the Medical Director of the Office of Mayo Clinic Experience there. He also chairs Mayo Clinic Arizona’s Office of Joy and Wellbeing. Dr. Leighton has held numerous leadership positions at the Mayo Clinic. He chaired Mayo Arizona’s Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology from 2007 to 2014. He was Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic from 1995 to 2010 and was Chair of the Outpatient Practice Subcommittee from 2013 to 2018. He also served as Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine and was a member of the Mayo Clinic Arizona Executive Operations Team.

Dr. Leighton officially takes his position as ACG President during the College’s Annual Scientific Meeting and Postgraduate Course this week in Vancouver, BC, Canada. In this role, Dr. Leighton will lead the Board of Trustees as they oversee and guide the work of the College in alignment with ACG’s mission and vision. He will direct ACG’s programs, including continuing medical education in the clinical, scientific, and patient-related skills of gastroenterology, activities involving national and state medical affairs, health policy issues, and clinical investigation.

Dr. Leighton earned his BA in Biochemistry at Occidental College and his MD at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. He completed his residency and internship in internal medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, where he also did a Research Fellowship and a Clinical Fellowship in the Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

A member of the College since 1991, Dr. Leighton became a Fellow of the College in 2008 and was elected to the ACG Board of Trustees in 2013. Dr. Leighton has served as an officer of the College since 2019. His service to the College has included participation in several committees, including Educational Affairs from 2006 to 2013, which he chaired from 2010 to 2013. During his time as Chair of Educational Affairs he was also an ex officio member of the ACG Institute Board of Directors. While a member of Educational Affairs, Dr. Leighton chaired the Self-Assessment Test Subcommittee from 2007 to 2009. He has been a member of the College’s Credentials Committee, Legislative & Public Policy Council, and Finance & Budget Committee. Dr. Leighton was an Associate Editor of The American Journal of Gastroenterology from 2015 to 2018.  

His clinical interests include inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal neoplasia, and diseases of the small bowel. His research includes new devices for imaging the small bowel — including capsule endoscopy and balloon enteroscopy — and new technologies for detecting colon polyps and colon cancer. Dr. Leighton’s other research interests include new therapies for inflammatory bowel disease, as well as biomarker discovery for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

“It has been a great honor to serve the College over these many years,” said Dr. Leighton. “As President, it is my goal to focus on the important current issues and challenges in gastroenterology and hepatology and make sure the College effectively addresses these issues with the best interest of our members in mind,” he added.

Photographs of Dr. Leighton are available by contacting Anne-Louise Oliphant, [email protected].

About the American College of Gastroenterology
Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is an organization with an international membership of over 18,000 individuals from 86 countries. The College’s vision is to be the pre-eminent professional organization that champions the evolving needs of clinicians in the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based, and compassionate health care to gastroenterology patients. The mission of the College is to advance world-class care for patients with gastrointestinal disorders through excellence, innovation, and advocacy in the areas of scientific investigation, education, prevention, and treatment. www.gi.org