About

Brigid Boland is an Associate Adjunct Professor in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego. She completed her MD at UC San Francisco School of Medicine in 2008, following her undergraduate studies at Yale University in 2003. Her education and training include an Advanced Fellowship at UC San Diego in 2015, a Fellowship at UC San Diego in 2013, and a Residency at UC San Diego in 2010. Her research focuses on gene expression, inflammatory bowel disease, personalized medicine, biomarkers, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease. She is involved in clinical trials and research activities aimed at elucidating molecular determinants and predictors of inflammatory bowel diseases, utilizing single-cell RNA and protein approaches. Her work includes identifying biomarkers predictive of clinical and endoscopic responses to therapies such as vedolizumab, and she has contributed to the understanding of molecular disease subtypes in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Boland has received awards including the UCSD Career Development Award, KL2 CCFA Career Development Award, and recognition as a Future Leader by CCFA San Diego/Riverside.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Immunology
• Internal medicine
• Biology
• Biochemistry
• Computational biology
• Genetics
• Chemistry
• Bioinformatics
• Gastroenterology
• Neuroscience
• Dermatology
• Pathology
• Chromatography
• Physiology

Selected publications

• Treatment and Outcomes of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis in Newly Diagnosed Adults in the United States, 2007 to 2023

  Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology · 2026-04-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Outcomes of Difficult-to-Treat Ulcerative Colitis: Impact of Primary Nonresponse vs Secondary Loss of Response to Prior Therapies

  Gastro Hep Advances · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• New approach methodologies in Crohn’s disease link molecular disease subtypes to clinical outcomes

  American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology · 2026-02-10 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  In this prospective study, Penrose et al. evaluate a living biobank of genotyped and phenotyped patient-derived organoids (PDOs) as predictive tools in Crohn's disease, demonstrating their ability to faithfully capture past, present, and future disease behavior. By positioning PDOs as new approach methodologies (NAMs), this work extends PDO-informed precision medicine beyond oncology and into complex inflammatory disorders, translating molecular diversity into actionable clinical insights.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Quantitative Food Compounds Enable Dietary Ontology Referencing across 500 Foods and Human Plasma

  Analytical Chemistry · 2026-01-19

  articleOpen access

  Accurate and reproducible dietary assessment remains a persistent challenge in the clinical and nutritional sciences. We present a validated liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method for the absolute quantification of 200 literature-curated food compounds across 500 food item extracts and human plasma samples. The assay uses external matrix-matched calibration and robust quality control, including postextraction recovery, matrix effect assessment, and intra- and interday precision validation, demonstrating high linearity (R2 > 0.99), low coefficients of variation (<15%), and recovery within 100 ± 15% for >75% of analytes. Using 200 authentic food standards against 500 complex food items resulted in reproducible detection and quantification of 102 food compounds across diverse food classes. Their specificity and distribution were evaluated at multiple levels of dietary ontology. Supervised multivariate analysis (PLS-DA) identified discriminative compound panels that classified foods such as citrus, dairy, and vegetables with high accuracy. Key compounds such as hesperidin, hypaphorine, and piperine demonstrated strong source specificity and were applied to human plasma samples from an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cohort following a Mediterranean diet. Food compound concentrations tracked with dietary intake, confirming hypaphorine’s association with hummus and piperine’s correlation with black-pepper-containing meals. This study demonstrates the utility of a rigorously validated targeted metabolomics workflow for both food chemistry and translational dietary intake research. The framework enables quantitative mapping of food molecules to dietary exposures and supports the development of more objective, chemistry-based dietary assessment strategies in clinical contexts.

  PublisherDOI

• Editorial: Remission Ambition—How Far Should We Push in Older Adults?

  Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics · 2025-11-20 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  STRIDE-II guidelines affirm the importance of achieving endoscopic remission as the principal long-term therapeutic target in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) [1]. Achieving deep remission early in the disease course of patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease is associated with a reduced risk of disease progression with a reduction in treatment failure, risk of hospitalisation, and intestinal resection. However, studies demonstrating the link between endoscopic remission and reduced risk of complications predominantly included younger patients with IBD, limiting applicability to older patients [2, 3]. While the prevalence and incidence of IBD in older adults are rising, there is a paucity of evidence guiding management in this population. With 15% of individuals diagnosed at age ≥ 65 and aging of existing individuals with IBD, specific targets that balance disease control with pharmaceutical burden are needed [4]. Older adults with IBD face distinct challenges, including a high burden of chronic corticosteroid use, limited uptake of steroid-sparing immunomodulatory agents, and elevated rates of unplanned healthcare utilization and disability [5]. The decision to escalate therapy is frequently limited by concerns about the risk of infection or malignancy and polypharmacy in older patients, contributing to hesitancy in prescribing advanced therapies. Selection of treatment requires carefully balancing the relative risk of complications from the disease and complications related to the therapies in the context of an individual's functional status and co-morbidities. Therefore, the exact therapeutic target is more nuanced in older patients with IBD. Age-specific data are needed to influence the management of this growing group of patients, and the incremental benefit of achieving endoscopic remission may be important to define. Tang et al. compared the incidence of major IBD-specific adverse events (a composite of hospitalizations, surgery, and prescription of corticosteroids for IBD-related symptoms) in adults ≥ 60 years with IBD with mild endoscopic disease activity to those with no disease activity [6]. Mild endoscopic disease activity had an increased adjusted odd ratio (aOR) of 4.16 (95% CI 2.10–8.41) for risk of an IBD-specific adverse event at 1 year when compared to patients who were in endoscopic remission. Furthermore, this four-fold greater risk of IBD-specific adverse events persisted at 5 years (aOR 4.31, 95% CI 2.04–9.11). This study has highlighted the importance of achieving endoscopic remission not only in young but also in older patients with IBD who may benefit from treatment of inflammation with steroid-sparing approaches. By applying STRIDE guidelines more rigorously to adults ≥ 60 years with IBD and achieving tighter disease control, adverse events including hospitalizations and subsequent disability may be prevented. Gloria Lin: conceptualization, writing – original draft. Brigid S. Boland: conceptualization, writing – review and editing. This article is linked to Tang et al. papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.70414 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.70471. Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL PROGRESSION SCORE TO QUANTIFY DISEASE PROGRESSION IN CROHN’S DISEASE

  Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · 2025-02-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS Crohn’s disease (CD) is a progressive disease that often leads to complications requiring pharmaceutical and surgical interventions. There is no standard definition of disease progression. The Crohn’s &amp; Colitis Foundation IBD Plexus program formed a Workgroup to address unmet need for CD patients who progress despite treatment. The study aimed to develop a CD progression score using longitudinal, registry data linked to claims and assess if real world data allows for categorizing CD patients with progression. METHODS CD patients in the IBD Plexus and HealthVerity® dataset were observed from diagnosis (index) until disease progression or endpoint, defined as three or more CD surgeries or total colectomy. A progression score was developed utilizing clinical factors, and patients were categorized into low, moderate, or high progression on index. Progression criteria were weighted based on expected relative impact on progression. Kaplan Meier estimation was used to examine time to endpoint and confirm that patients in each category had distinct survival curves. The categorization and potential utility of the score was evaluated using an extended Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS 2,229 CD patients were categorized on index and each time they progressed to a new category or endpoint. Survival analysis confirmed that progression score categories created were distinct. Model results further demonstrated the score’s utility, as each subsequent progression category was increasingly associated with progression or endpoint. CONCLUSION The authors hope development of this score will help clinicians better understand the progression journey of patients and encourage future research to reduce disease burden by halting or slowing disease progression. Table 2. Progression Score Component and Weights Figure 3. Kaplan-Meier Curve for Disease Progression in CD

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• P0485 Seroproteomic index of endoscopic activity associates with endoscopic outcomes in a longitudinal cohort of adults ulcerative colitis

  Journal of Crohn s and Colitis · 2025-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Background A seroproteomic index of endoscopic activity (serum index) is validated in adult CD but its performance in Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is lacking. We prospectively evaluated the serum index in an observational cohort of adult UC undergoing longitudinal endoscopic assessments. Methods UC underwent Montreal classification, were consented and followed longitudinally for their outcomes (clinical and endoscopic) at a single center. Serum specimens were collected at the time of assessments. The UC endoscopic index score (UCEIS) was calculated, with scores above 4 points indicating endoscopic active disease. Clinical symptoms were measured using the partial Mayo score with score &amp;lt; 2 points indicating clinical remission. The serum index which is a composite of CRP-HS plus 12 other proteins in an algorithm that associates with endoscopic outcomes in CD was applied unmodified in UC. The index ranges from 0 to 100 points where higher index are associated with higher likelihood of endoscopic active disease. All sera were processed by an accredited clinical laboratory. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC with area under the curve [AUC]) and logistic regression were employed to evaluate the index in distinguishing endoscopic outcomes. Nonlinear mixed effect models were used to correlate the longitudinal changes in UCEIS (&amp;gt;1 endoscopic assessment). Results A total of 231 patients with UC (mean age 41 years, n=115 females) were enrolled, and 294 serum samples with an UCEIS score were collected. Average partial Mayo score was 2.5±2.7 points [SD] with 50% assessments in clinical remission. Average UCEIS was 2.2±2.3 points (22% [n=66] with UCEIS&amp;gt;4 points). Average CRP, and serum index was 5.2±8.1 mg/L, and 38±19 points, respectively. Comparison in distinguishing UCEIS&amp;gt;4 points yielded significantly higher AUC with serum index (AUC=0.797±0.034) than with CRP (AUC=0.714±0.035) (p=0.047). In subjects with more than one endoscopic assessment (n=49/112 endoscopies), the change in partial Mayo scores, CRP and serum index associated with the changes in the UCEIS (Table). At optimal cutoff, serum index above 42 points yielded 73% sensitivity and 78% specificity in identifying moderate to severe endoscopic disease (OR= 9.0 95%CI: 5.0-17.2) (p&amp;lt;0.001) (PPV=52%, NPV=89% with 25% pretest probability). In multivariate analysis, endoscopic active disease associated with the absence of clinical remission (aOR=0.05 (95%CI: 0.01,0.16) with each point increase in serum index yielding 1.05 (95%CI: 1.03,1.07) fold higher likelihood of endoscopic active disease (Figure). Conclusion We have validated the performance of a seroproteomic index of endoscopic activity in adults with UC demonstrating its potential as a non-invasive biomarker.

  PublisherDOI

• 1216: A LIVING ORGANOID BIOBANK OF CROHN’S DISEASE PATIENTS REVEALS DISTINCT CLINICAL CORRELATES OF MOLECULAR SUBYTPES OF DISEASE

  Gastroenterology · 2025-05-01

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Tu1918: REAL-WORLD OUTCOMES WITH DIFFICULT-TO-TREAT ULCERATIVE COLITIS BASED ON REASONS FOR FAILURE OF PREVIOUS ADVANCED THERAPIES

  Gastroenterology · 2025-05-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• IL-23p19 Antagonists vs Ustekinumab for Treatment of Crohn's Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

  The American Journal of Gastroenterology · 2025-03-12 · 10 citations

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing interleukin (IL)-23p19 antagonists with ustekinumab, stratified by prior biologic exposure, in patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: Through a systematic review through August 17, 2024, we identified phase 2 and 3 RCTs comparing IL-23p19 antagonists vs ustekinumab in adults with moderate-to-severe CD. The primary outcome was achieving clinical remission at ∼1 year, and secondary outcomes were achieving endoscopic remission and serious adverse events. We performed subgroup analyses based on prior exposure to biologic therapy, primarily tumor necrosis factor antagonists. Certainty of evidence was appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. RESULTS: We included 5 head-to-head RCTs with a treat-through design (n = 2,506), of which 1 was conducted exclusively in patients with prior tumor necrosis factor antagonist exposure. On meta-analysis, patients treated with IL-23p19 inhibitors may be more likely to achieve clinical remission (relative risk [RR], 1.18 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.36) (low certainty of evidence) and endoscopic remission (RR 1.53, 95% CI 1.07-2.20) compared with ustekinumab. On subgroup analysis, IL-23p19 antagonists are probably more efficacious than ustekinumab in patients with prior biologic exposure (clinical remission: RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.16-1.48; endoscopic remission: RR 1.61, 95% CI 1.27-2.05) (moderate to high certainty), but not in biologic-naive patients (clinical remission: RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.90-1.08; endoscopic remission: RR 1.16, 95% CI 0.82-1.65). IL-23p19 antagonists may be associated with a lower risk of serious adverse events as compared with ustekinumab (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.61-1.02). DISCUSSION: IL-23p19 antagonists are probably more efficacious and safer than ustekinumab in patients with moderate-to-severe CD in patients with prior biologic exposure, but not in biologic-naive patients.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• USING SINGLE-CELL RNA AND PROTEIN APPROACHES TO ELUCIDATE MOLECULAR DETERMINANTSAND PREDICTORS OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES

  NIH · $720k · 2020–2023

Frequent coauthors

• William J. Sandborn

  154 shared

• Siddharth Singh

  143 shared

• Parambir S. Dulai

  Northwestern University

  137 shared

• Niels Vande Casteele

  University of California, San Diego

  66 shared

• John T. Chang

  VA San Diego Healthcare System

  64 shared

• Eugenia Shmidt

  University of Minnesota

  63 shared

• Matthew Bohm

  Indiana University School of Medicine

  55 shared

• Arun Swaminath

  54 shared

Education

• MD

  UCSF Medical Center

  2008

Awards & honors

• UCSD 2017 - 2019 KL2 CCFA (2017 - 2019)
• Career Development Award AGA (2015 - 2018)
• Future Leader CCFA San Diego/Riverside (2017)