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, Staff Gastroenterologist at Hamilton Health Sciences, and Director of Research at Charlton Digestive Disease Centre. His clinical and research focus is in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), and he also serves as Director of the IBD Clinic and IBD Fellowship at McMaster University.

Dr. Narula has authored over 170 peer-reviewed publications and 4 book chapters, and has been awarded more than $4 million in research funding and grants. In 2025, he received the CAG Early Career Investigator Award for his research in clinical epidemiology, nutrition, and pharmaceutical trials in IBD.

His leadership experience includes serving as Past-President of the Canadian IBD Research Consortium and VP-Treasurer of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology. At CDDC, Dr. Narula now oversees research initiatives and potential projects, strengthening collaborations with sponsors and advancing innovation in digestive health.

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.

Jaiminkumar Patel (MBBS, MPH) is the Research Supervisor at Charlton Digestive Disease Centre (CDDC), where he oversees clinical research operations and supports the conduct of clinical trials in gastrointestinal and liver diseases. He has several years of clinical research experience, with a particular focus on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

His research experience includes clinical trials, observational and prospective studies, participant recruitment, study coordination, regulatory and ethics submissions, safety reporting, data management, and preparation for monitoring visits and audits. He works closely with investigators, research teams, sponsors, and study partners to support high-quality and compliant clinical research.

At CDDC, his focus is on supporting and expanding the centre’s clinical research program and helping provide patients with opportunities to participate in clinical trials for gastrointestinal and liver diseases.

Manali Bhavsar (MSRA) is a Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs professional with five years of experience in late-phase clinical trials across multiple therapeutic areas. She currently serves as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Charlton Digestive Disease Centre (CDDC), supporting the end-to-end coordination and execution of clinical trials in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, with a focus on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and liver studies. Her responsibilities include patient recruitment and engagement, study visits and follow-up, clinical trial documentation, safety reporting, regulatory and essential document management, TMF/ISF oversight, protocol compliance, and preparation for monitoring visits and audits. Manali is GCP-trained professional and has a strong understanding of the regulatory and ethical frameworks governing clinical research, including applicable FDA, Health Canada, and European Union requirements. She works collaboratively with investigators, sponsors, CROs, and multidisciplinary research teams to support the successful delivery of clinical trials while maintaining scientific rigour, regulatory compliance, data integrity, participant safety, and high-quality research standards.

Shivani is a Clinical Research Assistant at Charlton Digestive Disease Centre (CDDC), supporting the conduct and coordination of clinical research activities in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Her responsibilities include supporting study visits and follow-up activities, clinical trial documentation, clinical data entry, source documentation, biological specimen collection and processing, safety documentation, and protocol compliance.

Shivani works closely with the research team to support accurate and timely study documentation, data integrity, participant safety, and adherence to ICH-GCP and applicable research standards. She also assists with essential document management and preparation for sponsor monitoring visits and audits. With a background in life sciences and clinical laboratory procedures, she brings a strong combination of clinical, laboratory, and research skills to support high-quality clinical research at CDDC.