Samuel Nurko, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Co-Director of the Center for Motility and Functional Bowel Disorders at Boston Children’s Hospital. He was born and raised in Mexico City, where he completed his medical education at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. He moved to the U.S. in 1981 for his pediatric residency and fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology, before returning to Mexico, where he devoted his efforts to developing effective and affordable treatments for children with severe malnutrition and diarrhea. In 1993, he returned to Boston and joined Boston Children’s Hospital, where he created the Motility Center, which provides state-of-the-art evaluation and care of children with GI motility disorders and Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI), offering innovative techniques and multidisciplinary approaches for diagnosis and treatment to patients from all over the world.
Dr. Nurko has a long-standing interest and dedication to patient-oriented research and has written more than 350 manuscripts, reviews, and book chapters. He was chair of the Rome IV neonatal and toddler functional gastrointestinal disorders committee and is now part of the Rome Board of Directors as well as an editor of the upcoming Rome V. He has also been active in NASPGHAN, where he was the founder of the International and the Neurogastroenterology Committees. He was notably portrayed in the Major Motion Picture: “Miracles from Heaven”.
Dr. Nurko is passionate about mentorship and is committed to fostering the careers of women and other underrepresented minorities in medicine. He has been very active in providing care and fostering education in Latin America. He’s been formally recognized by the Hispanic community and received the Milagros para Niños award for clinical excellence, along with recognition from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the City of Boston for his service to the Latin community. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mexican Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology.
Name: Samuel Nurko, MD, MPH
Current position and institution: Co-Director, Center for Motility and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders; Boston Children’s Hospital, Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School.
Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico
Favorite GI disease: Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction; in particular, how to validate, explain, treat them, and capture the patient experience. Most importantly, provide the tools to help patients and families regain their ability to function and enjoy life.
Hobbies: Love traveling, listening to classical music, playing soccer, and spending time with family, in particular my 4 grandkids.
Favorite Vacation Spot: Italy and Mexico, and their provinces, in particular, Playa del Carmen, which allows great family quality time for all ages.
Favorite Activist: Elie Wiesel, a holocaust survivor who was a strong defender of human rights
Book You Recommend: Four books: a) Two books that use patient case stories to make powerful points: ”How Doctors Think” by Gerome Groopman that points out pitfalls in our medical thinking and how to avoid them, and “Facing the Unseen: The Struggle to Center Mental health in Medicine” by Damon Tweedy that addresses the role that mental health plays in healthcare and b) two books to address the importance of men in supporting and mentoring women “Athena Rising” and “Good Guys” by Brad Johnson and David Smith
Best Career Advice You’ve Received: You don’t need to have everything figured out. Work hard, be patient, and follow your heart and passion, but stay realistic. Don’t despair when failure happens; pick yourself up and keep going.
