Association of Women Endoscopists (AWE) was established in 2017 by prominent Southern California Interventional Endoscopists, Dr. Mary Lee Krinsky, Dr. Phoenix Nguyen, and Dr. Sonya Reicher. Its primary objective is to facilitate the professional growth of women in the realm of interventional endoscopy through an array of educational programs, leadership initiatives, and collaborative research opportunities. While the AWE's founding roots lie in empowering women in this field, its mission and offerings are open to and embrace all individuals who share a passion for advancing interventional endoscopy, regardless of their gender or role in the medical field. 

The mission of AWE is multifaceted, with a particular emphasis on promoting advanced knowledge and skill sets related to both current and emerging endoscopic practices. AWE’s focus is not limited to just technological and procedural advancements but extends to address the unique dynamics affecting the well-being of endoscopists. Since its establishment, AWE has garnered recognition for organizing five highly acclaimed annual therapeutic endoscopy courses, featuring distinguished speakers from across the globe. Their most recent event attracted over 500 participants, demonstrating the growing interest in and impact of AWE's initiatives. The organization has also embarked on various collaborative research projects involving multiple institutions, as well as international partners.  

AWE continues to thrive and evolve. Its future plans encompass expanding its educational offerings, both virtual and in-person, and fostering broader research collaborations. AWE's ongoing commitment is to inspire, empower, and advance all participants in the dynamic field of interventional endoscopy.

AWE Co-Founders

  • Mary Lee Krinsky, DO

    Mary Lee Krinsky, D.O. is a Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and a nationally recognized interventional endoscopist at UC San Diego Health. Her clinical and research interests include endoscopic management of gastrointestinal cancers and pancreaticobiliary disease, endoscopic innovation, quality in endoscopy and ergonomics. She has expertise in EUS, ERCP, cholangioscopy, capsule endoscopy, endoscopic stent placement, and management. She completed her general GI fellowship at Yale University and her advanced endoscopy fellowship at Columbia University in New York. Dr. Krinsky served as the President of the San Diego GI Society in 2005. She currently serves on the editorial review board for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and on the NIH/NIDDK Data and Safety Monitoring Board for the Type I Diabetes and in Acute Pancreatitis Consortium. Dr. Krinsky is a co-founder of the Association of Women Endoscopists, and a member of Women in Endoscopy group.

  • Phuong T. Nguyen, M.D.

    Phuong T. Nguyen, M.D., is the Medical Director of Hoag Advanced Endoscopy Center and an advanced endoscopist in Newport Beach. She is a nationally recognized expert in the field of gastroenterology, and is one of Orange County’s most experienced physicians in the use of minimally invasive GI procedures, including her expertise in the outpatient imaging procedure, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). ​Dr. Nguyen also specializes in the endoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obesity. Dr. Nguyen graduated from the David Geffen School of Medicine of UCLA and completed her Internal medicine residency at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia. She completed her general GI fellowship and her therapeutic endoscopy fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. She is board-certified by the American Board of Gastroenterology. Dr. Nguyen is a co-founder of the Association of Women Endoscopists, and a member of Women in Endoscopy group.

  • Sonya Reicher, M.D.

    Dr. Reicher completed her general GI fellowship training at the Division of Digestive Diseases at UCLA, and interventional endoscopy training at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. She is Associate Chief of the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division and Director of Endoscopy at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Reicher’s clinical and research interests focus on evaluating innovative interventional endoscopic techniques and on improving the diagnostic yield of endoscopic procedures through molecular and immunohistochemical analyses. Dr. Reicher is a Fellow of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and of the American College of Gastroenterology. She is a co-founder of the Association of Women Endoscopists and a member of Women in Endoscopy Group.