NIMA Introduces Its Clinical Advisory Board

The science behind NIMA has always been strong. Now we're making it stronger.

Since relaunching, we've heard a consistent message from the celiac and gluten-free community: you want to know that the people behind NIMA understand what it's actually like to live with this disease and that the product and company are grounded in real clinical expertise, not just technology. 

We heard you.

Today, we're proud to introduce NIMA's Clinical Advisory Board: three healthcare professionals who bring deep, complementary expertise to help shape how NIMA supports the celiac community, from the moment of diagnosis to the daily decisions that follow.

Kate Bourke, RD — Kate is a registered dietitian with extensive clinical experience translating complex nutritional science into practical, patient-centered strategies. She specializes in celiac disease, autoimmune conditions, and complex dietary management, bringing a rare combination of deep clinical knowledge and an approachable, patient-first communication style. Currently advising NIMA's Clinical Advisory Board, Kate is focused on shaping patient-facing programs and messaging. Her clinical insight and personal experience with celiac disease will help ensure that what NIMA communicates, and how we communicate it, reflects the real questions, fears, and needs of people at every stage of their celiac journey.

Salvatore (Salvo) Alesci, MD, PhD, Physician-Scientist and Research Strategist

Dr. Alesci brings over two decades of experience spanning pharmaceutical R&D, health policy, and patient advocacy. He holds an MD and a PhD in Experimental Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences, and has held senior leadership roles at Wyeth, Pfizer, Merck, and Takeda, guiding drug development programs across immunology, rheumatology, women’s health and musculoskeletal biology. He also served as Chief Scientist and Strategy Officer at Beyond Celiac, the leading research-driven patient advocacy organization for celiac disease, an effort shaped in part by his personal connection to celiac disease, as both of his children live with the condition.

His focus with NIMA is helping shape the company’s clinical and evidence-generation strategy, with particular emphasis on building the kind of data that clinicians, researchers, and patients can trust and act on. As NIMA advances its clinical data plan and longer-term goals around reimbursement, credibility, and broader access, Dr. Alesci’s expertise in translational medicine and research strategy is instrumental.

Jignesh Shah, MD — Gastroenterologist Dr. Shah is a board-certified gastroenterologist with over 20 years of clinical experience, practicing at hospitals across Southeast Houston. His clinical expertise spans celiac disease and malabsorption, inflammatory bowel disease, and a broad spectrum of gastrointestinal disorders.

He completed extensive training at the University of Louisville, including residency and fellowships in pediatrics, internal medicine, gastroenterology, hepatology, and clinical nutrition. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his commitment to patient care and clinical excellence.

As a practicing GI physician, Dr. Shah brings a critical, real-world perspective to NIMA’s next phase of growth—specifically, how new tools are recommended, adopted, and integrated into everyday clinical practice. On the advisory board, he focuses on guiding physician adoption pathways across screening, surveillance, and longitudinal monitoring, helping position NIMA as a standard component of care for managing celiac disease between visits.

What this means for you

For the NIMA community, this board represents something straightforward: the people guiding this product are the same people who work with celiac patients every day. Their expertise will shape the programs we build, the content we publish, the evidence we generate, and the conversations we have with the broader medical community on your behalf.

Celiac disease has more than 200 known symptoms. It takes an average of six to ten years to diagnose. There are still no FDA-approved treatments. These are not small problems. They require the sustained attention of clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates working together.

NIMA's Clinical Advisory Board is our commitment to being part of that work, not just as a tool that helps you test your food, but as an organization that takes your health seriously.

We're just getting started.