The Celiac Research Program at Harvard Medical School and the National Celiac Association responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by transitioning our biannual celiac conference into free online webinars offered September - December 2020.
These engaging 75 minute virtual presentations focused on COVID-19 and celiac disease, healthy nutrition on the gluten-free diet, a cooking demo with Burton’s Grill & Bar, and the psychology of living with a chronic disease. We were delighted with the response to our first-ever webinar series, welcoming over 1,000 people for the live presentations, with many more able to tune in later to the recordings. All of the recordings can be viewed here.
We are excited to offer the gluten-free community another “Ask the Experts: All Things Celiac” series from Feb-May 2021. This series will include:
- Autoimmunity (diabetes, thyroid disease and others),
- an Update on COVID-19,
- the Farm to Table approach to health, and
- Research Round-Up, a summary of the research presented on gluten related disorders from the annual Digestive Disease Week conference.
Speakers will come from our 3 participating celiac centers, the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the Mass General Hospital Center for Celiac Research and Treatment, and Boston Children’s Hospital Celiac Disease Program, as well as our special guest speakers from around the country.
All webinars will be held on Wednesday or Thursdays at 1pm EST from February through May 2021.
More Than Celiac Disease: Managing Multiple Autoimmune Conditions
Managing celiac disease presents unique medical, emotional and social challenges; having more than one autoimmune disease in an individual or family requires additional coping skills.
On February 11th at 1:00 pm Eastern Time, join Dr. Edwin Liu, Director of the Colorado Center for Celiac Disease, and Janis Arnold, MSW, LICSW, licensed social worker at Boston Children’s Hospital for a compelling session on science and social support.
Dr. Liu will address the types of autoimmune diseases associated with celiac disease, recommendations for monitoring, and the role of gluten in the development of autoimmunity.
Janis will talk about the social worker’s role on the medical care team, identify the developmental stages a patient goes through in adjusting to a chronic illness, and describe approaches and resources to assist in managing the psychosocial aspects.
Lee Graham, Executive Director of the National Celiac Association, will introduce the webinar and Dr. Daniel Leffler, a gastroenterologist in the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, will moderate the session.
Please submit general questions when you register for this webinar.