Cureus
Reza Shaker
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About

Dr Reza Shaker is Professor of Medicine, Radiology, and Otolaryngology, Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Director of the Digestive Disease Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin and senior associate dean and director of southeast Wisconsin Clinical and Translational Science institute.
Dr Shaker is an internationally recognized gastroenterologist and investigator in the field of dysphagia, gastroesophageal reflux disease and cerebral cortical control of gastrointestinal sensory motor function. His research has led to some of the seminal discoveries in the area of airway protection against aspiration and has opened new avenues of investigation and treatment for patients with swallowing disorders and gastroesophageal reflux disease. In addition his work has led to the description of the subliminal domain of gut sensory function, allowing investigation of brain-gut axis without the influence of cognitive processes in humans.
He was the first to describe that the deglutitive upper esophageal sphincter opening can be increased by strengthening exercises of the suprahyoid muscles. This led to development of rehabilitative exercises for upper esophageal sphincter dysphagia; the Shaker Exercise. This exercise is now part of the clinical armamentarium all over the world and is taught as part of the curriculum in Speech-Language Pathology and Rehabilitation Medicine for deglutition disorders. He developed the field of functional interaction between the upper gut and aerodigestive tract that has resulted in discovery of five previously unrecognized reflexes connecting the upper gut and the aerodigestive tracts and providing an elaborate mechanism for airway protection against aspiration of gastric contents and swallowed material. He developed the ``UES Assist Device`` for increasing the resting pressure of the Upper Esophageal Sphincter in patients with defective airway protection to prevent reflux of gastric content into the pharynx and aspiration.
Dr. Shaker has developed the technique of transnasal unsedated upper GI endoscopy (T-EGD) for concurrent evaluation of the aerodigestive and upper GI tracts commonly used in ENT practices worldwide. This is an outpatient procedure, not needing sedation, this procedure reduces the cost of endoscopy as well as the cost to the society due to loss of work on the day of the procedure. He also invented the device measuring dynamic distensibility of the lower esophageal sphincter. This device can potentially guide the surgeons to gauge intra-operatively the tightness of the fundoplication used for treatment of reflux disease thus reducing the rate of complications.
He has trained over 60 Gastroenterologists who are currently in practice in 24 states in the United States. He has also trained over 20 Academicians from around the globe some of whom are currently in leadership positions
His research has been continuously funded by National Institutes of Health for 20 years, he has published over 220 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals on scientific findings. He has also published 32 books and book chapters including the co-editorship of now the well referenced GI Motility Online (www.nature.com/gimo) with over 60 contributors, 400 PDF downloadable figures and total of 90 minutes of videos, accessible without charge. He recently co-edited the multidisciplinary book ``Principles of Deglutition`` and ``Manual of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques for Deglutition Disorders``(Springer Publishing).
He is the founder of the Dysphagia Research Society a multi-disciplinary society with members from all over the world. This society celebrated its 20th anniversary in March 2012.
He is a nationally recognized gastroenterologist and is cited as top doctors in America by US News and World Report.
He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Dysphagia and serves on the editorial board of Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, has served on NIH study sections for 7 years and VA merit review study sections for 5 years.

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