Naim Alkhouri, MD, FAASLD, DABOM
Board Certified in Internal Medicine & Obesity Medicine
Dr. Naim Alkhouri is a distinguished figure in the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology, holding several key leadership positions. He is the Director of the Steatotic Liver Program at Northshore Gastroenterology and the Director of Research at the Clinical Research Institute of Ohio (CRIOH). Dr. Alkhouri also serves as the Chief Academic Officer at Summit Clinical Research in San Antonio, TX. His previous appointments include Director of the Metabolic Health Center at the Texas Liver Institute and Assistant Professor of both Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Texas (UT) Health in San Antonio.
Dr. Alkhouri completed his Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. While there, he was an Assistant Professor of Medicine and served as the Director of the Metabolic Liver Disease Clinic at the Cleveland Clinic Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute.
As a leading expert in NASH therapeutics, Dr. Alkhouri is an advisor and consultant for many pharmaceutical and biomarker development companies. He acts as a Principal Investigator on numerous multicenter, global NASH clinical trials and is a member of the AASLD NASH Special Interest Group (SIG).
Dr. Alkhouri has an extensive publication history with more than 300 published works and has presented his findings at major national and international medical conferences. His research contributions have received multiple awards, including the American College of Gastroenterology Junior Faculty Development Award for his work on diagnosing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease using breath volatile organic compounds. His primary areas of expertise include steatotic liver disease, metabolic liver diseases, and viral hepatitis.
Mousab Tabbaa, MD
Board Certified in Internal Medicine & Gastroenterology
Since completing his advanced training, Dr. Tabbaa has made Cleveland his professional and personal home. In 1989, he co-founded North Shore Gastroenterology alongside Dr. Peter Greenwalt, who retired in 2016. Today, Dr. Tabbaa serves as president of North Shore Gastroenterology and medical director of North Shore Endoscopy Center. Over the years, he has also taken on a variety of leadership roles, including serving as a founding trustee of the Community Physician Partnership (formerly the Cleveland Clinic Health Systems Physician Organization), chairman of its finance committee, and Chief of Gastroenterology at Lakewood Hospital. Additionally, he has chaired the Board of Trustees at Lakewood Hospital and served on the Board of Trustees for both the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and the Cleveland Clinic Western Region. Dr. Tabbaa has contributed extensively to numerous hospital and health system committees.
Dr. Tabbaa is board-certified in both internal medicine and gastroenterology and is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Liver Foundation, the American College of Physicians, the American Gastroenterology Association, the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and the American Medical Association.
Dr. Tabbaa specializes in treating liver and bile duct disorders and has extensive experience in pancreatobiliary endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colorectal cancer prevention and detection, and the evaluation and management of Barrett’s esophagus. An accomplished researcher and author, he has contributed to numerous studies and presentations covering a wide range of topics in gastroenterology.
Adam Tabbaa, MD
Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Palliative Medicine, & Gastroenterology
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Adam Tabbaa attended Ohio State University for undergraduate studies before completing his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He then traveled to San Francisco, where he completed his Internal Medicine training at the University of California, San Francisco. His experience with seriously ill patients during that training led him to complete a Fellowship in Palliative Medicine and Hospice at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, before pursuing his Gastroenterology training back home at the Cleveland Clinic. He joined North Shore Gastroenterology in 2023.
Dr. Tabbaa’s areas of special interest are inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), gastrointestinal malignancies, general gastroenterology, colon cancer screening and detection, and the management of chronic liver disease. In addition to medicine, he spends his free time with his family and creates music. He is thrilled to be practicing in the community he grew up in and feels it is a privilege to provide medical care to the people of the greater Cleveland area.
Iryna Kalinina, MSN, NP-C
Board Certified Nurse Practitioner, Sub-Investigator
Iryna Kalinina, MSN, NP-C, is a board-certified nurse practitioner and sub-investigator at the Clinical Research Institute of Ohio (CRIOH). She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2011 and her Master of Science in Nursing from Ursuline College in 2013.
Iryna is an active member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. She also holds a certificate in Transplant Immunology (2020).
Her clinical interests include metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), alcohol-associated liver disease, autoimmune liver conditions, viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver transplant care. She is dedicated to providing thoughtful, evidence-based support to patients participating in clinical research.
Nina Pollard, DrPH, MPH
Clinical Research Manager
Dr. Nina Pollard is a dedicated Clinical Research Manager with over ten years of experience in public health and a genuine passion for improving patient lives. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology, a Master of Public Health from Kent State University, and a Doctor of Public Health, building a strong foundation in both research and community engagement. With three years of hands-on experience in clinical research, Nina is committed to making research approachable, meaningful, and patient-focused. Known for bringing warmth, understanding, and even a bit of fun to her work, she strives to create connections that advance liver research while keeping compassion at the heart of every study.
Kenina Black, CRC
