Phone: 215-590-3630
Patients are so much more than medical profiles to Bridget Godwin, MD. As a physician at CHOP, Dr. Godwin has sought out further training in integrative medicine, which takes account of the whole person in developing treatments.
Integrative medicine looks not only to Western medicine but also to other healing traditions from around the world, for guidance. Dr. Godwin finds this approach compatible with her own outlook and convictions about practicing medicine.
“Every patient is different,” says Dr. Godwin. “You can’t just apply the same plan to every individual. You need to make sure you really turn your attention to the patient during each visit and try to figure out the approach that best fits their lifestyle, their beliefs about healthcare, and their beliefs about nutrition, and meet them where they are.”
A lifelong interest in wellness practices and nutrition — partially inspired by the struggles of a family member who had Crohn’s disease — made gastrointestinal medicine an appealing field to Dr. Godwin.
“I really love to talk about food!” says Dr. Godwin, “and I love to talk about nutrition and general wellness as an approach to medical treatment. Because its connection to food and nutrition is so direct, GI naturally lends itself to a nutritional, wellness approach.”
Working at CHOP offers fascinating variety, says Dr. Godwin. Her patients range in age from infancy to their early 20s, and she sees “kids who are mostly healthy and just need a little guidance as well as some who have very serious problems.”
“I focus on GI and allergy, which gives me a lot of opportunities to talk about food and nutrition as therapy, but I treat a wide variety of conditions.”
Her activities are varied, as well: “I treat patients in clinic and as inpatients; and I have the opportunity to do endoscopic procedures. And of course, at CHOP, there’s always an opportunity to do research and teaching and academic collaboration, and I love that.”
Dr. Godwin’s current research agenda focuses on two of the many conditions she treats: eosinophilic esophagitis and food-protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, or FPIES.
One project examines outcomes for patients with eosinophilic esophagitis in CHOP’s second-opinion clinic.” We’re looking at how quickly we get patients into remission,” says Dr. Godwin.
FPIES, the subject of the second study, is a relatively new diagnosis, Dr. Godwin notes. “Many children with FPIES also have other gastrointestinal conditions. We are looking at how frequently an FPIES diagnosis co-occurs with each of several other diagnoses, in hopes of finding patterns that may help physicians diagnose FPIES so that patients can get appropriate treatment sooner.”
An open mind and a keen eye for treatment possibilities are essential to practice in a rapidly evolving field. Dr. Godwin is enthusiastic about new developments.
“For both allergic conditions and IBD, there are new medications coming that are potentially life-changing,” Dr. Godwin says.
Watching lives change may be the greatest privilege of working at CHOP, Dr. Godwin says. “Getting to know patients and developing relationships with them over the years is deeply satisfying,” she says. “It’s a gift.”
MD - The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI
Pediatrics - NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY
Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition - Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
BA in English and American Literature - New York University, New York, NY|
Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program - Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA
Attending Physician
Whelan K, Godwin B, Wilkins B, Elci, O, Benitez AJ, DeMarshall M, Sharma M, Gross J, Klein-Szanto A, Liacouras C, Dellon E, Spergel JM, Falk GW Muir AB, Nakagawa H. : Persistent Basal Cell Hyperplasia is Associated with Clinical and Endoscopic Findings in Patients with Histologically Inactive Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology September 2019.
Shah AA, Kastl A, Godwin B, Mamula P, Fiorino KN: Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding Secondary to Diffuse Gastric Heterotopia in the Proximal Jejunum. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition September 2019.
Bridget Godwin, Chris Liacouras, Vijay Mehta, Joshua Eisenberg, Atu Agawu, Terri Brown-Whitehorn, Melanie Anne Ruffner, Ritu Verma, Antonella Cianferoni, Jonathan Spergel, Amanda B Muir, published in Frontiers in Pediatrics, section Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition: A Review of Tertiary Referrals for Management of Pediatric Esophageal Eosinophilia. Frontiers in Pediatrics 6(173), June 2018.
Whelan KA, Merves JF, Giroux V, Tanaka K, Guo A, Chandramouleeswaran PM, Chang S, Benitez AJ, Dods K, Que J, Masterson JC, Fernando SD, Godwin BC, Klein-Szanto AJ, Chikwava K, Ruchelli ED, Hamilton KE, Muir AB, Wang ML, Furuta GT, Falk GW, Spergel JM and Nakagawa H. Autophagy mediates epithelial cytoprotection in eosinophilic oesophagitis. Gut. 2017 Jul;66(7):1197-1207.
Erlichman J, Hall A, Dean A, Godwin B, Mascarenhas M. Integrative Nutrition for Pediatrics. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care. 2016 Jun;46(6):165-71.
Whelan KA, Mervis JF, Giroux V, Tanaka K, Guo A, Chandramouleeswaran PM, Chang S, Benitez AJ, Dods K, Que J, Masterson JC, Fernando SD, Godwin BC, Klein-Szanto AJ, Chikwava K, Ruchelli ED, Hamilton KE, Muir AB, Wang ML, Furuta GT, Falk GW, Spergel MJ, Nakagawa H: Autophagy mediates epithelial cytoprotection and redux homeostasis in Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Gut Feb 2016 Notes: doi:10.1136/gutjni-2015-310341.
Shah A, Kastl A, Godwin B, Fiorino K: Obscure GI Bleeding Secondary to Gastric Heterotopia in a Child with Severe Iron Deficiency Anemia. North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV 2018.
Godwin B, Liacouras C, Mehta V, Eisenberg J, Muir A: Evaluation of Second Opinion Patients with Severe Esophageal Eosinophilia: A 5-year Review. North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV 2017.
Godwin B, Liacouras Chris: Eosinophilic Esophagitis: How to Recognize it Endoscopically. Practical Pediatric Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 3rd Edition, 2020.
Godwin B, Taylor JS. : Diaper and Perianal Dermatitis. The Color Atlas of Family Medicine, 3rd Ed. Richard Usatine (eds.). McGraw Hill Medical, 2019.
Godwin B, Webster J: Esophageal and Gastric Disorders. Nelson Pediatrics Board Review: Certification and Recertification. Terry Dean, Jr.; Louis M. Bell (eds.). Elsevier, 2019.
Godwin B, Taylor JS. “Diaper and Perianal Dermatitis.” The Color Atlas of Family Medicine, 2nd Ed. Richard Usatine (ed). New York: McGraw Hill Medical, 2012.
Rodriguez K, Pitsakis G, Godwin B. : Culturally Competent Multidisciplinary Care for Pediatric Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Case of Treating Functional Abdominal Pain in an English-Proficient Youth with Spanish-Speaking Parents. Poster presentation at North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Annual Meeting. Hollywood, FL. October 2018.
Godwin B, Whelan K, Wilkins B, Klein-Szanto A, Benitez A, Gross J, DeMarshall M, Elci O, Dellon E, Falk G, Spergel J, Muir A, Nakagawa H. Persistent Epithelial Changes in Inactive Eosinophilic Esophagitis: A New Tool for Understanding a Poorly Defined Population. Abstract to be presented as Poster Presentation at Digestive Disease Week. Chicago, IL. May, 2017.
Wehrman A, Godwin B, Rosario S, Fulkerson P, Muir A, Lin H. Clinical Features and Management of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease in Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients: A Longitudinal Case Series. Abstract to be presented as Poster Presentation at Digestive Disease Week. Chicago, IL. May 2017.
Whelan K, Godwin B, Wilkins B, Modayor Chandram P, Sharma M, Benitez A, Gross J, DeMarshall M, Falk G, Muir A, Nakagawa H. Age-associated alterations in esophageal epithelial biology contribute to fibrosis in eosinophilic esophagitis. Poster of distinction; Digestive Disease Week, Chicago, IL, May 2017.
Godwin B, Whelan K, Wilkins B, Benitez A, DeMarshall M, Falk G, Spergel J, Muir A, Nakagawa H. Persistent Epithelial Changes in Inactive Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Is Inactive Really Inactive? Abstract presented as Poster Presentation at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Poster Day. Philadelphia, PA. February 2017.
2016, Digestive Disease Week – Early Stage Investigator Award, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
2014, The Pediatric Housestaff Award, NY Presbyterian, Weill Cornell
2014, The Pediatric Teaching Award, NY Presbyterian, Weill Cornell
2011, Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
2011, The David S. Greer Prize, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
2010, Gold Humanism Honor Society, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
2010, Carpenter Travel Grant, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
2008, Summer Assistantship Award, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
2014-present, North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition
2014-present, American Gastroenterological Association
2014-present, Public Education Committee, North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition