Gastroenterology Faculty
Full-Time Faculty
Dr Christopher Opio, MBChB, MMed
Associate Professor
Dr Christopher Opio is an Associate Professor and Section Head of Gastroenterology and Hepatologist at Aga Khan University Medical College, East Africa.
Dr Opio graduated from Makerere University with a MBChB degree in 1997 and earned his MMed degree in Internal Medicine from the same university in 2003. He completed hi fellowship in gastroenterology from Yale University in 2011 and earned the founding fellow, FCP in 2016.
Dr Opio is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, East Central and Southern African College of Physicians, Registered and certified by the Uganda National Medical and Dental Council, European association for study of Liver diseases, American Association for the Study of Liver diseases and African Association for study of liver disease.
He is also a member of the Uganda Medical Association, Uganda Society for Health Scientists, African institute of quality assurance, Uganda Gastro-enterology Society, Uganda Neurological Association, Endocrine Society and the H2U research group.
His areas of interest are in hepatitis B, hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis, metabolic diseases, nutrition, and all digestive diseases.
Dr Opio is also a Section Head and Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. Read more about him HERE
Dr Amos Mwasamwaja, MBChB, MMed Senior Instructor
Dr Amos Mwasamwaja is a Senior Instructor and a Consultant Physician in Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist and Interventional Endoscopist at Aga Khan University Medical College, East Africa.
Dr Mwasamwaja graduated from with a MBChB degree from Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College (KCM-College), Tanzania in 2007. He earned a Certificate of Gl diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy from Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen (The Netherlands) in 2012 before proceeding with an MMed in internal Medicine (Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Tanzania) in 2013. In addition, he earned an MSC in Medical Gastroenterology & Hepatology (Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Tanzania in 2020.
Dr Mwasamwaja is a member of Tanzania Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Society (TAGES), Association of Physician Tanzania (APHYTA), World Endoscopy Organization (WEO), the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA), the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the African Esophageal Cancer Consortium (AfrECC).
His areas of interest are as follows: screening and prevention, gastrointestinal malignancy, neurogastroenterology, ERCP, endoscopic ultrasound, viral hepatitis and metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).
Dr Mwasamwaja is also a Senior Instructor and Consultant Physician, Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist and Interventional Endoscopist at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. Read more about him HERE
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Dr Om Parkash, MBBS (Gold Medal), FCPS (Medicine), FCPS (Gastroenterology) Associate Professor
Dr Om Parkash is an Associate Professor and Consultant Physician, Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist and Interventional Endoscopist in the Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University Medical College, East Africa.
Dr Parkash has accumulated 13 years of clinical experience as a faculty at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Throughout his tenure at AKU Karachi, he has served in various leadership capacities, including Service Line Chief for GI/Surgery and Section Head of Gastroenterology. As an Associate Professor, he has been recognized for his exceptional contributions with awards such as Best Teacher (Collaborative) in 2022-23 and Best Mentor 2022 (by GI residents).
His areas of interests encompass a wide range of specialties including interventional endoscopy (with over 15,000 procedures), hepatobiliary interventions (ERCP/EUS), luminal stenting, emergency bleeders (upper and lower GI), screening colonoscopy, IBD (UC/Crohn's disease), NAFLD/MAFLD, viral hepatitis, CLD/decompensation cirrhosis (ascites, SBP, variceal bleed, HCC) and functional GI disorders.
He is currently overseeing two active international grants as a Principal Investigator NAFLD study Sindh and Co-Principal Investigator Drug trial on hepatitis Delta, along with an intramural grant (trial on Lactulose versus moovcol) in PSE patients. In addition, he is part of two international grants as coinvestigator (Capsule study NIH).
Dr Parkash is a member of various professional associations. He has served as an Executive Member of the Pakistan Society of Gastroenterology (Councillor), held the position of General Secretary of PSG from 2021-2023, and served as Vice-President of the Sindh Chapter from 2019-2021.
Dr Parkash is also a Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. Read more about him HERE
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Dr Saleem Mohamed Abdulkarim, MBChB, MMed, Fellowship in GastroenterologySenior Instructor
Dr Saleem Mohamed Abdulkarim is a Consultant Physician, Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist and Interventional Endoscopist Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University Medical College, East Africa. He is also the Associate Program Director in the Department of Medicine.
His areas of interests include Colorectal cancer, Chronic liver disease, liver transplant, Inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease., endoscopy and interventional/advanced endoscopy (EUS/ERCP), Postgraduate medical education, simulation-based learning and AI in medicine/gastroenterology.
Dr Saleem is a member of the Kenya Association of Physicians, American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and Pakistan Society of Gastroenterology (PSG).
Dr Saleem is also a Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. Read more about him HERE
