By Bailey Arman, Associate Director of Communications, Science & Education
While attending the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) Annual Scientific Meeting in Nashville this past month, Beyond Celiac Chief Scientific Officer Debra Silberg, MD, PhD attended the Healio Disruptive Innovators awards, catching up with longtime friends and former colleagues while making new connections in the gastroenterology community. When it came time for the award ceremony, Dr. Silberg was pleasantly surprised to learn that Beyond Celiac had won the “Healio Patient Voice” award, given to advocates who have “moved the needle in public discussions with patients and patient groups,” and accepted it on behalf of the entire Beyond Celiac team.
The Award
Healio provides health and healthcare news to physicians and healthcare professionals. For the 2026 Healio Disruptive Innovators Awards, 3,000 Healio readers voted in nine categories, selecting honorees who “embod[y] the spirit of gastroenterology or hepatology, driving innovation and progress within the field.” We are truly honored to receive this award and grateful for recognition of our work to change the future of healthcare. Our community is at the heart of every decision we make, and we take great care to incorporate their perspectives into all aspects of our work, including and sometimes especially our work with healthcare professionals. As Dr. Silberg noted, “It is gratifying to know that the work we are doing is recognized by the greater GI community.”
Our Work
The Patient Voice award, given in collaboration with the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists, is presented to advocates who have “moved the needle in public discussions with patients and patient groups, improving communication between patients and healthcare professionals, and drawing on physician experience to push legislative or regulatory action.” Examples of how this commitment is reflected in our work include:
- Gathering self-reported patient data via our scientific registry Go Beyond Celiac Insights.
- Presenting original research at scientific conferences to share patient perspectives with healthcare and industry professionals.
- Participating in educational sessions for healthcare and industry professionals (including at the ACG meeting, GastroBites, ICDS Screening Symposium, and more)
- Inviting researchers and academics to present their findings to our community via Town Halls. This also allows our patient community the opportunity to ask scientists their questions directly, sharing information and building trust.
- Conducting multiple Harris Polls to evaluate public understanding and sentiment around celiac disease (CD), which guides educational resources and campaigns.
- Supporting and amplifying the ADINA Act, which aims to require allergen labeling on medications.
- Partnering with BreakthroughT1D to introduce informational sheets about cross-screening type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients for celiac disease into clinics across the country.
- We also tabled at their patient congress to raise awareness of the overlap between T1D and CD!
- Hosting in-person events across the country, organized by our network of volunteer Ambassadors.
- Writing patient-facing articles about the latest research, so the people who are affected most—patients and caregivers—can access plain language overviews of groundbreaking scientific findings.
Onward and Upward!
Receiving the Healio Patient Voice award was a meaningful affirmation of our work. We remain committed to listening to and learning from our community, advocating for their needs, and bridging gaps between patients and healthcare professionals to improve communication, understanding, and care.
If you’re a patient and want to share your opinion, consider contributing to research through our Go Beyond Celiac Insights surveys. You can also learn more about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet through our resources hub, town halls, research news feed, and events.
If you’re a healthcare professional and you want to learn more about celiac disease, check out our page just for you!