Meet Our Team

Jen Heipel has been working in the nursing field for 18 years, specializing in the treatment of viral hepatitis, Liver disease, and Gastroenterology.  Jen worked for 10 years at McMaster University hospital as a clinical research nurse in the area of liver disease before joining Charlton Digestive Disease Centre.  She now manages CDDC and brings her knowledge and experience to ensure that patients experience the comprehensive care that they deserve.  You will often see her working throughout the clinic to ensure that the day to day operations are running smoothly.

Dr. Khurram Khan is a leading gastroenterologist based at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and a member of the McMaster University Academic Division of Gastroenterology. He completed medical school at Western University and specialized training at McMaster University.

With over 15 years of clinical experience, Dr. Khan has a specialized focus on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), therapeutic endoscopy, disease epidemiology, and holistic health. He serves as the Medical Director of Charlton Digestive Disease Centre (CDDC), offering expert consultation and endoscopic services, including colonoscopy and upper endoscopy. Additionally, he is the Head of the GI Division at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton, where he leads advancements in gastroenterological care and research.

Dr. Tahrin Mahmood completed her medical school at University of Toronto in 2017. Subsequently, she completed her Internal Medicine training at University of Toronto and moved to Hamilton to complete her subspecialization in Gastroenterology. She is currently completing a clinical fellowship in Inflammatory Bowel Disease at McMaster University. She has a special interest in Quality Improvement and teaching. Dr. Mahmood is passionate about helping people struggling with various GI conditions, and strives to provide holistic, patient centered care. 

Dr. Neeraj Narula is an Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster University and Staff Gastroenterologist at Hamilton Health Sciences, with a clinical and research focus in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD).  He is the director of the IBD clinic and IBD fellowship at McMaster University.

He has over 170 peer-reviewed publications and 4 book chapters. He has been awarded over $4 million in research funding and grants. He was awarded the CAG Early Career Investigator Award in 2025 for his research in clinical epidemiology, nutrition, and pharmaceutical trials in IBD.  His past leadership roles in national organizations include Past-President of the Canadian IBD Research Consortium and VP-Treasurer for the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology. 

Dr. Marco Puglia is an Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster University and staff Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist at Hamilton Health Sciences.  He is also a staff Gastroenterologist and part owner of Charlton Digestive Disease Centre.  He graduated from medical school at the University of Ottawa. He completed Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology training at McMaster University. He then completed a fellowship in Hepatology and Liver Transplant at the University of Toronto. His clinical interests include the management of viral hepatitis, steatotic liver disease, pre- and post-liver transplant care as well as general gastroenterology. His academic interests include teaching at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level and participation in several clinical trials in steatotic liver disease, viral hepatitis and cholestatic liver diseases.  

Dr. Charlie Wang completed medical school at the University of Toronto, followed by Internal Medicine residency at University of British Columbia, and then Gastroenterology training at the University of Toronto.  In addition to working at Charlton Digestive Diseases Centre, Dr. Wang also practices Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at Brantford General Hospital.