Keren L. Appel, MD

Dr. Keren Appel is a pediatric gastroenterologist with expertise in caring for infants, children, and young adults with a wide range of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary disorders. Her clinical practice is focused on providing compassionate, comprehensive care centered around patients and their families. Dr. Appel has a special interest in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. In the multidisciplinary IBD program at CHOC, patients have access to a full spectrum of services including pediatric surgeons, registered dietitians, social workers, and nurse coordinators. We work together with each family to align the most up-to-date medical evidence with each patient’s individual needs and priorities. Dr. Appel received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and her medical degree from the Sackler School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency training at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York. Following this, she completed two sequential fellowships, first in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and then an additional year of advanced IBD training at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Appel’s research interests focus on therapeutic drug monitoring and precision medicine in IBD. She continues to play an active role in the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN), as well as the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.