About the contributor

• Robert Lee
• Ravinder Mittal

Robert Lee

Dr Robert H. Lee received his M.D. degree and residency training at the University of Michigan Medical School. He is presently a Fellow in Gastroenterology at the University of California, San Diego. He is a member of the American Gastroenterology Association, American College of Gastroenterology, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the American Motility Society. His research interests are in the area of esophageal pain mechanisms as co-investigator on two NIH grants with Dr Ravinder Mittal.

Ravinder Mittal

Ravinder K. Mittal obtained his medical degree from University of Delhi, India and completed his GI fellowship at Yale University. At present, he is Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. He has been interested in the physiology and pathophysiology of gastrointestinal motility since 1983. His work over these years has focused on the role of crural diaphragm as an antireflux barrier, pathophysiology of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation, muscle hypertrophy in spastic esophageal motor disorders and longitudinal muscle function in health and disease. More recently, his work has focused on the biomechanics of esophageal wall in relationship to its sensory and motor function, and the role of puborectalis muscle in fecal continence and incontinence.