Events | Information
The Digestive Disease Week logo, which says “Be Gutsy!”
Girls With Guts has attended four Digestive Disease Week (DDW) conferences so far, and we can safely say that DDW 2025 has left its mark! This year, President, Alicia, Director of Development, Manda and Secretary, Elizabeth flew out to (not so) sunny San Diego, CA to meet with sponsors, other patient advocates and quite literally *scope* the scene for the latest advances. This year, the gut microbiome took the stage! 
There were several highlights of the weekend, but one of particular note was when the team participated in an Escape Room at the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy booth and teamed up with physicians from around the world to “Save Jimmy” by removing polyps with an endoscope for a code to unlock the exit.
Manda and Alicia practice using endoscopy at DDW.
It was not only fun, but deeply meaningful to learn the tools used on us as patients – since we don’t often get to *see* the other side of the table. The physicians on our team guided us with empathy and patience – and yes, we saved Jimmy with time to spare!
Manda, Elizabeth, and Alicia in front of the DDW “Be Gutsy” stacked logo at the exhibit hall.
We learned about SO many other new tools on the market – one being IUS (intestinal ultrasound) which is not new (currently widely used abroad), but emerging as more of a priority in the US to ease invasive testing for patients. We also learned about one supplement, called Intoleran, that was developed in Denmark with the mission to “help everyone to enjoy food again!” and they offer a range of supplements that cover various digestive intolerances. Lastly – one that was particularly of interest – was CapScan. Envivo’s founding scientist, Bennett Kapili, PhD, explains “CapScan is a new investigational device used by researchers to study the gut microbiome in greater detail than previously feasible. The device is an ingestible capsule the size of a daily multivitamin that collects microbes and molecules from different regions of the intestines as it moves along the gastrointestinal tract – all without needing a bowel prep or fasting. In the past, this type of sampling was only available through invasive procedures such as endoscopies or colonoscopies. Scientists are using CapScan in clinical studies to understand how our microbiome changes in diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease and to identify which microbes or molecules are associated with greater inflammation. Such studies could lead to better prediction of when flares are likely to occur or even new IBD therapies.” Kapili graciously showed us how the device works and we were in awe of the simple, yet effective mechanism of the product!
In the exhibit hall!
A key element of DDW is the overwhelming collection of research updates from around the world on digestive diseases. We were able to review some posters and attend a few of the hundreds of presentations held by researchers. The gut microbiome continues to be discussed as scientists look not only into what specific bacteria can do but also how our body responds to it. There also appeared to be studies on how one’s genetics can play a role in this environment that we are just beginning to understand. From identifying the millions of bacteria to a deeper understanding on how our complex immune system responds and why, it is astonishing to ponder what will be the next breakthrough.
Members of SAIA presenting at the event.
Outside of the exhibit hall – Alicia, Manda and Elizabeth also attended several events – one being the annual “Bridging the Communication Gap for Better IBD Care: A Collaborative Approach” event. In this alliance – Monday Night IBD, Color Of Gastrointestinal Illness (COGI), and South Asian IBD Alliance(SAIA) presented several panels featuring medical providers and patients discussing gaps and missed opportunities to improve patients’ care moderated by Dr. Neilanjan Nandi and Dr. Aline Charabaty. The patient’s experience and voice matters now, more than ever, especially with the changing medical climate.
The GWG team left DDW tired, but inspired and can’t wait to see what’s new in Chicago in 2026!
