Charina Marie Ramirez, MD
Pediatric Gastroenterologist
Associate Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Languages Spoken:
- English
Biography
Charina Ramirez, M.D., is a pediatric gastroenterologist at Children’s Health℠ and an associate professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
After receiving her medical degree from the UT Medical Branch at Galveston, Dr. Ramirez completed an internship and residency training in pediatrics at Children’s Medical Center.
Dr. Ramirez completed her fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at UT Southwestern and Children’s Medical Center. She also served as a research fellow studying lipid metabolism during this time. She was awarded the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation fellowship grant.
Dr. Ramirez’s research interest involves cholesterol transport in the murine models of Nieman-Pick Type C disease and Lysosomal Acid Lipase Deficiency. Currently, she’s evaluating the effects of a low carbohydrate diet in pediatric patients with metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Education and Training
- Medical School
- University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (2003)
- Internship
- Children's Medical Center Dallas (2004), Pediatrics
- Residency
- Children's Medical Center Dallas (2006), Pediatrics
- Fellowship
- UT Southwestern - Children's Medical Center (2010), Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Board Certification
- American Board of Pediatrics/Gastroenterology
Conditions
- Abdominal Migraines
- Achalasia
- Alagille Syndrome
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (A1AT)
- Ascites
- Biliary Atresia
- Celiac Disease
- Childhood Overweight and Obesity
- Chronic Abdominal Pain (Stomach Ache)
- Cirrhosis
- Colic
- Colon Polyps
- Colorectal Cancer
- Constipation
- Crigler-Najjar Syndrome
- Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS)
- Diarrhea
- Dubin-Johnson Syndrome
- Dysphagia (Swallowing Disorder)
- Encopresis
- Esophageal Strictures
- Failure to Thrive (FTT)
- Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP)
- Fecal Incontinence
- Feeding Disorder (PFD)
- Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome (FAPS)
- GI Bleeding
- Gastroenteritis
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- Gilbert's Disease
- Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori) Infection
- Hemochromatosis
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hirschsprung's Disease
- Intrahepatic Cholestasis Liver Diseases
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Lactose Intolerance
- Liver (Hepatic) Tumors
- Liver Failure
- Malabsorption
- Metabolic Liver Disease
- Microscopic Colitis (Lymphocytic Colitis or Collagenous Colitis)
- Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC)
- Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
- Peptic Ulcer
- Rumination Syndrome
- Viral Hepatitis
- Vomiting and Nausea
- Wilson's Disease
Treatments
Departments and Programs
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Research Interests
- Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease in Pediatrics (Evaluation in Primary Care Setting, Effects of Low Carbohydrate Diet, Evaluation in Primary Care Setting, Genetics of Fatty Liver Disease, Cystic Fibrosis-Associated Liver Disease in Pediatrics, and Niemann-Pick Type C Disease)
- Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
- Pediatric Liver Disease
- Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease
- Rare Metabolic Liver Diseases
- Niemann-Pick Type C Disease
- Lysosomal Acid Lipase Deficiency
- Peroxisomal Disorder and Zellweger Spectrum Disorder
- Bile Acid Synthesis Defect
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Publications
- Ontogenesis and Modulation of Intestinal Unesterified Cholesterol Sequestration in a Mouse Model of Niemann-Pick C1 Disease. Lopez AM, Ramirez CM, Taylor AM, Jones RD, Repa JJ, Turley SD, Digestive diseases and sciences 2019 Jul
- Delineation of metabolic responses of Npc1-/-nih mice lacking the cholesterol-esterifying enzyme SOAT2 to acute treatment with 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin. Ramirez CM, Taylor AM, Lopez AM, Repa JJ, Turley SD, Steroids 2020 Dec 164 108725
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Professional Activities
- American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
- North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
- Texas Medical Association
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Awards and Honors
- D Magazine Best Doctor 2022
- D Magazine Best Pediatric Specialist 2019-2021