NASPGHAN is proud to recognize National Italian American Heritage Month and acknowledge the contributions of our members with Italian heritage. In 1880, Italians began migrating to the U.S. to flee rural poverty in Southern Italy and Sicily. About 16 million people reported Italian ancestry per the 2020 U.S. census making Americans of Italian descent the nation’s fifth-largest ethnic group. In 1989, President Bush proclaimed October Italian American Heritage Month.
To learn more, visit the following sources:
New York Public Library
To recognize Italian-American Heritage Month, we want to highlight a member of NASPGHAN who has made a significant impact in our field, Dr. Stefano Guandalini.
Dr. Stefano Guandalini is an internationally recognized expert on celiac disease. He is Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago, and the founder and medical director of the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center. Dr Guandalini’s clinical and research efforts have greatly influenced the way celiac disease is diagnosed and treated today. He has served as section chief of the Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at the University of Chicago, as the president of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN), and was the first president of the Federation of International Societies for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (FISPGHAN).
Name: Stefano Guandalini
Current position and institution: Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
Hometown: Rome, Italy
Favorite GI disease: Celiac Disease
Hobbies: Photography, videography; watching Italian soccer matches, especially my favorite team: AS Roma.
Favorite Vacation Spot: Beaches on clear, swimmable seas (like in Sardinia or Southern Italy!)
Favorite Activist: Greta Thunberg
Book You Recommend: Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting, by Lisa Genova
Best Career Advice You’ve Received: Choose the field you love and be the best at it
