Board of Directors and Executive Officers
Robynne Chutkan, MD, FASGE (Founder)
Dr. Robynne Chutkan founded GUTRUNNERS™ because of her commitment to educating her patients and helping them live longer, healthier, more enriched lives. She attended Yale University and received her medical degree from Columbia in 1991. She did her residency at Columbia and her Gastroenterology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital. In 1997 she joined the faculty in the Gastroenterology division at Georgetown Hospital. She is a past Chair of the ASGE Training Committee and served on the Governing Board from 2006 to 2009. Dr. Chutkan’s private practice – The Digestive Center for Women – is an integrative practice that includes nutritional consultation, exercise physiology and biofeedback. She is a frequent medical expert on the Dr Oz show, a Medical Advisory Board member for the Dr Oz Show and Ladies Home Journal and the author of the book “Gutbliss” (Penguin 2013).
Christopher Gostout, MD, FASGE
Dr. Christopher Gostout currently practices gastroenterology in Rochester, Minnesota at the Mayo Clinic where he is the director of developmental endoscopy. He received his medical degree from the State University of New York and completed his residency at the Mayo Clinic. He served as President of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) from 2004-2005 and is a nationally and internationally renowned gastroenterologist. Dr. Gostout has been a pioneer in the field of therapeutic and experimental endoscopy.
Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Esq.
Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is currently the senior managing director of Lazard Freres & Co. LLC in New York. He was previously president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League, executive director of the United Negro College Fund, Inc., and director of the Voter Education Project of the Southern Regional Council. He served as chairman of the Clinton Presidential Transition Team in 1992 and is senior counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP. Mr. Jordan earned his B.A in political science from DePauw University and his J.D from Howard University. He has had a distinguished law and activism career throughout the past fifty years and has played key roles in major civil rights cases throughout history. Mr. Jordan also served as an advisor to President Bill Clinton during his presidency and remains active in politics today.
Ida Bergstrom, MD
Dr. Ida Bergstrom is a specialist in Bariatric Medicine focusing on the treatment of obesity, nutritional medicine, and eating disorders. Dr. Bergstrom graduated from Denison University in Ohio. She received her medical degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine residency at Georgetown University. She continued at Georgetown to pursue a Primary Care Fellowship while also obtaining her MBA degree. After receiving further training in Bariatric Medicine, she began a clinic in downtown Washington, DC to focus on the nutritional needs of her patients. Her medical practice comes from a strong personal commitment to nutrition, fitness, health and the desire to empower others to achieve their own personal goals.
Katie Thorne (Executive Director)
Katie Thorne was with the American College of Gastroenterology as the meetings and membership manager for the past 10 years. In that role Katie oversaw registration for the ACG Annual Scientific Meeting as well as regional meetings and handled all matters relating to renewals and new memberships. She has been the ACG liaison for Gutrunners since our inception and is extremely familiar with the organization, as well as an avid runner herself.