A photo of Maisam Abu-El-Haija.

Medical Director, Pancreas Care Center

Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

513-803-2123

Board Certified

"Each of my patients and their families has unique needs, which need to be taken into account when making treatment decisions. What works for one patient may not work for another."

My Biography & Research

Biography

I was inspired to pursue my career by children and knowing that their growth and health are so essential for them to reach their best potential. I enjoy making people feel better, and I believe in open communication between the provider and the family.

As a gastroenterologist, I specialize in pancreatic diseases, pancreatitis, growth and nutrition, and general gastroenterology-related diseases. Each of my patients and their families has unique needs, which need to be taken into account when making treatment decisions. What works for one patient may not work for another. I use evidence-based treatments and engage my patients in my thinking and decision-making, which is vital to the success of treatment.

I have won many awards, including the Clinical Care Achievement Award from Cincinnati Children’s. This award is for excellence in care provided to gastroenterology and pancreas patients.

In my research, I am focused on acute pancreatitis, predictive models for severe pancreatitis and diabetes that occurs after acute pancreatitis. I’m also actively working on research in acute recurrent chronic pancreatitis and total pancreatectomy islet auto-transplantation arenas.

In my free time I like to travel mostly, to explore new beaches when I can. My hobbies include exercise and doing outdoor activities with my family. I enjoy cooking with my children and trying new recipes without making a mess in the kitchen!

Additional Languages

Arabic

Academic Affiliation

Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Clinical Divisions

Gastroenterology GI, Pancreas Care

Research Divisions

Gastroenterology, Global Health



Blog Posts

Stomach Pain and Acute Pancreatitis

BlogRare and Complex Conditions

Stomach Pain and Acute Pancreatitis: Questions To Ask Your Child’s Doctor

By Maisam Abu-El-Haija, MD3/31/2016

My Locations

My Education

MBBS: Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), Jordan, 1997.

Residency: Pediatrics, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 2009.

Fellowship: Pediatric Gastroenterology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, 2012.

My Publications

Medical Management of Chronic Pancreatitis in Children: A Position Paper by the NASPGHAN Pancreas Committee. Freeman, AJ; Maqbool, A; Bellin, MD; Goldschneider, KR; Grover, AS; Hartzell, C; Piester, TL; Szabo, F; Kiernan, BD; Khalaf, R; et al. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 2020; Publish Ahead of Print.

Who's at Risk? A Prognostic Model for Severity Prediction in Pediatric Acute Pancreatitis. Farrell, PR; Hornung, L; Farmer, P; DesPain, AW; Kim, E; Pearman, R; Neway, B; Serrette, A; Sehgal, S; Heubi, JE; et al. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 2020; 71:536-542.

Naspghan and the Society for Pediatric Radiology Joint Position Paper on Non-Invasive Imaging of Pediatric Pancreatitis: Literature Summary and Recommendations. Trout, AT; Anupindi, SA; Freeman, AJ; Macias-Flores, JA; Martinez, JA; Parashette, KR; Shah, U; Squires, JH; Morinville, VD; Husain, SZ; et al. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 2020; Publish Ahead of Print.

Endoscopic Pancreatic Function Testing (ePFT) in Children: A Position Paper From the Naspghan Pancreas Committee. Patel, N; Sellers, ZM; Grover, A; Liu, QY; Maqbool, A; Morinville, VD; Abu-El-Haija, M; Husain, SZ. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 2020; Publish Ahead of Print.

Validation of threshold values for pancreas thickness and T1-weighted signal intensity ratio in the pediatric pancreas. McCleary, BM; Trout, AT; Dillman, JR; Sun, Q; Fei, L; Abu-El-Haija, M. Pediatric Radiology: roentgenology, nuclear medicine, ultrasonics, CT, MRI. 2020; 50:1381-1386.

Drug induced pancreatitis is the leading known cause of first attack acute pancreatitis in children. Abu-El-Haija, M; Hornung, L; Lin, TK; Nathan, JD; Thompson, T; Vitale, DS; Nasr, A; Husain, SZ; Denson, L. Pancreatology : official journal of the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) ... [et al.]. 2020; 20:1103-1108.

Extreme Thrombocytosis after Pediatric Pancreatectomy with Islet Autotransplantation Is Unique Compared to Other Postsplenectomy States. Boucher, AA; Luchtman-Jones, L; Palumbo, JS; Cancelas, JA; Abu-El-Haija, M; Jenkins, TM; Lin, TK; Nathan, JD. Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 2020; 55:1645-1650.

The Role of Psychology in the Care of Children with Pancreatitis. Rich, KL; Abu-El-Haija, M; Nathan, JD; Lynch-Jordan, A. Pancreas. 2020; 49:887-890.

Clinical and Practice Variations in Pediatric Acute Recurrent or Chronic Pancreatitis: Report From the INSPPIRE Study. Dike, CR; Zimmerman, B; Zheng, Y; Wilschanski, M; Werlin, SL; Troendle, D; Shah, U; Schwarzenberg, SJ; Pohl, J; Perito, ER; et al. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 2020; 71:112-118.

Patient Passport for Pediatric Acute Recurrent and Chronic Pancreatitis. Sellers, ZM; Piester, T; Mark, J; Khalaf, R; Abu-El-Haija, M; Husain, SZ. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 2020; 71:e51-e53.