- Why UT Physicians
With more than 2,000 clinicians certified in more than 80 medical specialties and subspecialties, UT Physicians provides multispecialty care for the entire family.
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With more than 2,000 clinicians certified in more than 80 medical specialties and subspecialties, UT Physicians provides multispecialty care for the entire family.
J. Marc Rhoads, M.D., was inspired to become a physician by a childhood experience.
“My best friend, Mike Newman, died of bone cancer when we were teenagers,” said Dr. Rhoads, division director and professor of pediatric gastroenterology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. “He wanted to be a doctor. He was part of an NIH study on immunotherapy to try and cure him. It made an impact on me to see him sick and learn about research.”
It was in Bangladesh during medical school at Johns Hopkins, where Dr. Rhoads began to hone his interest in gastroenterology. “It is a very poor country with a high infant mortality rate,” Dr. Rhoads explained. “Children were dying every day of diarrheal disease. I wanted to investigate super oral rehydration therapy and be a part of future research.”
Dr. Rhoads is a pediatric gastroenterologist who specializes in the treatment of diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, colic, celiac disease, abdominal pain. His research studies focus on the benefits of probiotics in several models of human disease. His other research interests include gut microbiome, autism spectrum disorders, and the GI tract and autoimmune disorders. He has contributed to numerous health articles that can be found on the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
He provides compassionate, evidence-based care but will consider alternative “outside the box” treatments for his patients. He primarily sees infants, children and adolescent patients.
When not practicing medicine, he enjoys traveling with his wife, playing classical and contemporary piano, and traveling abroad.
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS:
University of Texas at Houston, Department of Pediatrics, Division Director of Pediatric Gastroenterology, 2006-
Ochsner Clinic Foundation, Pediatrics Department, Section Head, Division of Gastroenterology. December 2002-2006. Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Tulane University, 2003-2006
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Professor, September 1998- December 2002.
Director, Fellowship Training Program in Pediatric Gastroenterology. 1994-2001.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Associate Professor, July 1992- September 1998.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Assistant Professor, July 1986 – June 1992.
Adjunct Associate Professor. North Carolina State University, Department of Anatomy, Physiological Sciences, and Radiology. 1999.
Adjunct Associate Professor. University of North Carolina, Department of Nutrition, 2000.
HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS:
Children’s Memorial Hermann
L.B.J. Hospital
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
CERTIFICATION:
American Board of Pediatrics Board Certification, January 19, 1986.
Subspecialty Board Certification in Pediatric Gastroenterology, 1990, re-certified in 1997, 2004, and 2011.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (AND COMMITTEES OF THESE):
LOCAL: Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center (Baylor, M.D. Anderson, University of Texas). Internal Advisory Committee
NATIONAL: North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition
Society for Pediatric Research; American Gastroenterological Society
HONORS AND AWARDS:
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases/Burroughs Wellcome Young
Investigator Award, 1986
University of North Carolina Faculty Development Award, 1986
NIH Clinical Investigator Award, 1990.
University of North Carolina Research Council Award, 1996
Annual Award for Excellence in Teaching, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, 2000.
America’s Top Doctors, 2001-present.
Best Doctors, 2005-present.
Chairman’s Research Award: Ochsner for Children, Pediatrics Dept., 6/2004
America’s Top Pediatricians 2009
U.S. News and World Report: Top 1% of Pediatric Gastroenterologists 2013-2015.
Houstonia Magazine: Top Doctors 2013
PUBLICATIONS AND CITATIONS:
1. He B, Hoang TK, Wang T, Ferris M, Taylor CM, Tian X, Luo M, Tran DQ, Zhou J, Tatevian N, Luo F, Molina JG, Blackburn MR, Gomez TH, Roos S, Rhoads JM, and Liu Y. Resetting microbiota by Lactobacillus reuteri inhibits T reg deficiency-induced autoimmunity via adenosine A2A receptors. J. Exp. Med. 2017; 214 (1): 107-123, 2017. PMID: 27994068.
2. Thornhill, C., Navarro, F., Alabd Alrazzak, B., Hashmi, S., DebRoy, A., Rhoads, J., and Imseis, E. Insufflation with Carbon Dioxide during Pediatric Colonoscopy for Control of Post-Procedure Pain J. Clin. Gastro 2018: 52(8): 715-720. PMID: 29210902.
3. Fatheree NY, Liu Y, Taylor CM, Hoang TK, Cai C, Rahbar MH, Hessabi M, Ferris M, McMurtry V, Wong C, Vu T, Dancsak T, Wang T, Gleason W, Bandla V, Navarro F, Tran DQ, and Rhoads JM. Lactobacillus reuteri for infants with colic: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. J Pediatr 191:170-178, 2017. PMID: 28969890. [Editorial in J. Pediatr 2017; 191: 5-6.]
4. He B, Hoang HK, Tran DQ, Rhoads JM, and Liu Y. Adenosine A2A receptor deletion blocks the beneficial effects of Lactobacillus reuteri in regulatory T-deficient scurfy mice. Front. Immunol. 8: 1680, 2017. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01680. PMID: 29270168. PMCID: PMC5723640.
5. Hoang TK, He B, Wang T, Tran DQ, Rhoads JM, Liu Y. Protective effect of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 against experimental necrotizing enterocolitis is mediated by Toll-like receptor 2. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 315(2):G231-G240, 2018. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00084.2017. PMID: 29648878. PMCID: PMC6139641.
6. Ray P, Navarro F, Liu Y, Bell CS, Denson LA, Fatheree NY, Hoang T, and Rhoads JM. GM-CSF antibodies and peripheral Treg cells as potential markers of disease activity to guide therapeutic decisions in pediatric IBD. J Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2 (1): 8, 2018. doi: 10.21767/2575-7733.100037.
7. Rhoads JM, Collins J, Fatheree NY, Hashmi S, Taylor CM, Luo M, Hoang TK, Gleason WA, Van Arsdall MR, Navarro F, and Liu Y. Infant colic represents gut inflammation and dysbiosis. J Pediatr. 203: 55-61, 2018. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.07.042. PMID: 30177353.
8. Liu Y, Tran DQ, and Rhoads JM. Probiotics in disease prevention and treatment. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 58 (S10): S164-S179, 2018. doi: 10.1002/jcph.1121. PMID: 30248200.
9. Liu Y, Alookaran JJ, and Rhoads JM. Probiotics in autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Nutrients. 10, 1537, 2018. doi: 10.3390/nu10101537. PMID: 30340338.
10. Mai T, Fatheree NY, Gleason W, Liu Y, Rhoads JM. Infantile Colic: New insights into an old problem. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America. 47(4):829-844, 2018. PMID: 30337035.
11. Moye LM, Liu Y, Coarfa C, Putluri N, Rhoads JM. Plasma Urea Cycle Metabolites May Be Useful Biomarkers in Children With Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Front Pediatr 2019 Jan 10;6:423. doi: 10.3389/fped.2018.00423
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