Kerry Dunbar, M.D., Ph.D. Titles and Appointments Gastroenterology and Hepatology Section Chief, VA North Texas Healthcare System Professor School Medical School Department Internal Medicine Biography Kerry Dunbar, M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a member of the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases. She serves as a staff physician and Section Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatoology for the VA North Texas Healthcare System. Originally from Texas, Dr. Dunbar holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and cell biology from Rice University in Houston. She earned her medical degree from UT Southwestern. She completed internal medicine residency training and a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at Johns Hopkins University, where she also earned a doctorate in clinical investigation from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in gastroenterology, Dr. Dunbar joined the UT Southwestern Faculty in 2011. Dr. Dunbar's clinical and research interests include Barrett’s esophagus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, esophageal motility disorders, eosinophilic esophagitis, and novel endoscopic imaging technologies. Dr. Dunbar’s research has resulted in more than 85 publications in peer-reviewed journals and contributions to book chapters. She is one of the authors of the American College of Gastroenterology guideline for diagnosis and management of GERD. Additionally, she has presented her findings at scientific conferences throughout the United States and around the world. Dr. Dunbar is active in multiple professional societies, including the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society, and the American Foregut Society. Dr. Dunbar was named among D Magazine's Best Doctors in 2020 and 2021. Education Undergraduate Rice University (1995), Biochemistry Medical School UT Southwestern Medical Center (2000), Medicine Graduate School Johns Hopkins University (2012), Clinical Investigation Research Interest Barrett's esophagus Eosinophilic esophagitis Esophageal motility disorders Gastroesophageal reflux disease Novel endoscopic imaging Publications Featured Publications ACG Clinical Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Katz PO, Dunbar KB, Schnoll-Sussman FH, Greer KB, Yadlapati R, Spechler SJ, Am J Gastroenterol 2022 01 117 1 27-56 Randomized Trial of Medical versus Surgical Treatment for Refractory Heartburn. Spechler SJ, Hunter JG, Jones KM, Lee R, Smith BR, Mashimo H, Sanchez VM, Dunbar KB, Pham TH, Murthy UK, Kim T, Jackson CS, Wallen JM, von Rosenvinge EC, Pearl JP, Laine L, Kim AW, Kaz AM, Tatum RP, Gellad ZF, Lagoo-Deenadayalan S, Rubenstein JH, Ghaferi AA, Lo WK, Fernando RS, Chan BS, Paski SC, Provenzale D, Castell DO, Lieberman D, Souza RF, Chey WD, Warren SR, Davis-Karim A, Melton SD, Genta RM, Serpi T, Biswas K, Huang GD, N. Engl. J. Med. 2019 10 381 16 1513-1523 Association of Acute Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease With Esophageal Histologic Changes. Dunbar KB, Agoston AT, Odze RD, Huo X, Pham TH, Cipher DJ, Castell DO, Genta RM, Souza RF, Spechler SJ JAMA 2016 May 315 19 2104-12 Effectiveness of transoral endoscopic fundoplication with or without hiatal hernia repair in patients with gerd and chronic cough. Swei E, Almario JA, Dunbar K, Yadlapati R, Parker B, Brewer-Gutierrez O, Janu P, Murray M, Sohagia A, Diehl DL, Khara H, Abu Dayyeh B, Sharaiha R, Zarnegar R, Kolb JM, Nguyen N, Chang K, Canto MI, Surg Endosc 2025 Oct Behavioral Therapy for Functional Heartburn: Recommendation Statements. Guadagnoli L, Yadlapati R, Pandolfino J, Bedell A, Pandit AU, Dunbar KB, Fass R, Gevirtz R, Gyawali CP, Lupe SE, Petrik M, Riehl ME, Salwen-Deremer J, Simons M, Tomasino KN, Taft T, Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024 Aug 22 8 1709-1718.e3 Heartburn, Nausea, and Vomiting During Pregnancy. Dunbar K, Yadlapati R, Konda V, Am J Gastroenterol 2022 Oct 117 10S 10-15 An Endoscopic and Histologic Study on Healing of Radiofrequency Ablation Wounds in Patients with Barrett's Esophagus. Konda V, Souza RF, Dunbar KB, Mills JC, Kim DS, Odze RD, Spechler SJ, Am J Gastroenterol 2022 Aug A human Barrett's esophagus organoid system reveals epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity induced by acid and bile salts. Zhang Q, Bansal A, Dunbar KB, Chang Y, Zhang J, Balaji U, Gu J, Zhang X, Podgaetz E, Pan Z, Spechler SJ, Souza RF, Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2022 06 322 6 G598-G614 Itraconazole Exerts its Anti-Tumor Effect in Esophageal Cancer by Suppressing the HER2/AKT Signaling Pathway. Zhang W, Bhagwath AS, Ramzan Z, Williams TA, Subramaniyan I, Edpuganti V, Kallem RR, Dunbar KB, Ding P, Gong K, Geurkink SA, Beg MS, Kim J, Zhang Q, Habib AA, Choi SH, Lapsiwala R, Bhagwath G, Dowell JE, Melton SD, Jie C, Putnam WC, Pham TH, Wang DH, Mol Cancer Ther 2021 Aug In Barrett's epithelial cells, weakly acidic bile salt solutions cause oxidative DNA damage with response and repair mediated by p38. Huo X, Dunbar KB, Zhang X, Zhang Q, Spechler SJ, Souza RF, Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 2020 03 318 3 G464-G478 Results 1-10 of 36 1 2 3 4 Next Last Books Featured Books Confocal endomicroscopy. In Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in Practice Dunbar KB (2011). Elsevier Esophageal physiology, function tests, and endoscopic techniques. In Johns Hopkins Cardiothoracic Surgery, 2nd ed. Jodorkovsky D, Clarke JO, Dunbar KB (2014). McGraw Hill Education Honors & Awards VA North Texas Healthcare System Top Provider - Gastroenterology (2024) Lyman E. Bilhartz, M.D. Memorial Teaching AwardUT Southwestern, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases (2013) UT Southwestern LEAD Program ParticipantUT Southwestern Leadership Program (2012) World Endoscopy Organization Research AwardAwarded to young investiagor in gastroenterology for endoscopic research excellence (2011) Women's Leadership AwardJohns Hopkins Women's Network, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (2005) Ho Din Award of the Southwestern Medical Foundation (2000) Professional Associations/Affiliations American College of Gastroenterology (2006) American Foregut Society (2020) American Gastroenterological Association (2003) American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (2013) American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (2004)
