Sana Syed

Sana Syed MD, MSCR, MSDS is a practicing pediatric gastroenterologist, clinical researcher, and Instructor at the Duke University School of Medicine. She also serves as lead of GI therapeutics in the Duke Clinical Research Institute pediatrics field. Dr. Syed's overarching goal is to provide individualized precision medicine in the context of intestinal inflammation in maternal & child health. Her research uses state-of-the-art molecular and data science techniques to characterize the metabolic shifts, genetic signatures, and tissue features associated with pediatric inflammatory bowel disease subtypes. In addition to her work in the U.S., Dr. Syed has collaborative projects with colleagues in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tanzania, and Zambia with a focus on bowel inflammation and growth outcomes in pregnant women and their children. By better understanding an individual’s “fingerprint” of disease, Dr. Syed aims to establish novel tools for diagnosing and predicting disease outcomes which will improve patient-specific precision medicine for all.  

In addition to her research, Dr. Syed is passionate about providing career mentorship with a focus on women and minorities under-represented in medicine.In her commitment to fostering the next generation of leaders in science and medicine, Dr. Syed has led training workshops around the world, supporting young researchers by developing skills in data science, science writing, and pursuing grant funding. Dr. Syed is also a champion for improving diversity and enabling career development, having spearheaded several diversity-focused career development and mentorship programs for women and underrepresented minorities in science and medicine all over the world.