The Gastroenterologists at MNGI Digestive Health are critical to our patients and our practice. They work hard to provide the best GI care each and every day, and while they are able to get to know our patients on a personal level, it’s not every day that our patients get to know them. For that reason, we are taking the opportunity to introduce you to our providers throughout the year.
Dr. Ibrahim Hanouneh is a talented Gastroenterologist who has been with MNGI since 2015 and primarily sees patients at our Eagan Clinic and Endoscopy Center. He is an author of several books, including Skinny Liver: Lose the Fat and Lose the Toxins for Increased Energy, Health, and Longevity; Skinny Liver: A Proven Program to Prevent and Reverse the New Silent Epidemic – Liver Disease, and a new book Regenerative Health: Discover Your Metabolic Type and Renew Your Liver for Life (coming out in 2024).
We sat down with Dr. Hanouneh to discuss his personal and professional interests, and hope it can provide some insight on why all of us at MNGI place such a high value on our passionate and curious providers!
What is your favorite part about working for MNGI Digestive Health?
- There are a lot of good things to say about MNGI, but I am biased since I work here. My favorite part is taking care of patients. And the other good thing about working for MNGI is the culture we have here and the people we work with, it feels like a family. I also work closely with the research department; it’s a great work culture and we connect quite well on many levels.
Why did you choose to study medicine?
- I like taking care of patients and to make a difference in the lives of others. It is rewarding.
What made you choose to specialize in Hepatology?
- I like the physiology of the liver; I find it very fascinating. What makes me excited about medicine and the liver, is that it’s really the only organ that will regenerate. When you cut off a piece of the liver for a live liver transplant, you can scan the liver of both the donor and recipient a few weeks after the surgery and find that the liver is back to its original size. It’s almost like science fiction.
What do you do for fun outside of work?
- Tennis and writing. I do have a book that was published in 2017 called Skinny Liver, I am proud of it. It has already been translated to 6-7 different languages. More recently, I have been working with a friend of mine, Kristin Kirkpatrick on a new book that will be coming out 02/2024 called Regenerative Health. We’re excited about it. It’s about how to regenerate your health, particularly how to regenerate your liver. We include some recipes from a chef who used to work at the White house, and even some Mediterranean recipes from my parents.
Where is your hometown? Where did you grow up?
- I grew up in Syria, in a town called Latakia right on the Mediterranean. It’s not too far from Turkey. Unfortunately, the town was hit by an earthquake recently but luckily my family has been safe. I lived there until age 18-19 and then I immigrated to the U.S. and moved to Cleveland, Ohio. So, I consider Cleveland to be my home in the U.S.
What has been your favorite vacation so far?
- It was a vacation from 2 years ago. We went to Tanzania and hiked Mount Kilimanjaro, which is the highest mountain in Africa. It was incredible. It took us five days to reach the summit. It was awesome. At the end of the trip I also saw some cool animals on a Safari.
