Dr. Eli Penn, MD

Dr. Daniel "Eli" Penn is a preeminent gastroenterologist focused on Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). He brings a unique blend of skill, precision, and empathy to our team, specializing in the comprehensive management of gastrointestinal disorders, with a particular interest in GI dysmotility, autonomic dysfunction, chronic pancreatitis, and hypermobile EDS.

Dr. Penn earned his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where he was recognized for his teaching and research excellence. He completed his residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Early in his career, he focused on becoming an expert in new endoscopic technologies, during which time he recognized patterns of misdiagnosis among patients with otherwise inexplicable symptoms, many of whom suffered from hypermobile EDS, including GI dysmotility, or at times undiagnosed chronic pancreatitis. In hEDS patients, a more careful history was needed and often revealed numerous common clinical features that had been previously overlooked, such as aberrant immunologic or neurologic functioning in multiple areas of the human body from skin to brain, joints, GI tract and spinal cord.

Since then, Dr. Penn has become a passionate advocate for the EDS community, educating other physicians about EDS while also caring for hospitalized EDS patients. He has also worked with Chronic Pain Partners as well as Mission: Cure to help raise awareness. Dr. Penn continuously expands his knowledge about EDS and has learned a great deal from the hundreds of EDS patients he has worked with over his 20 years of medical practice.

Dr. Penn's philosophy of patient care emphasizes thorough communication and persistence in finding solutions. He is known for making his patients feel comfortable and ensuring their concerns are fully addressed. He states, "I like to talk to my patients and spend time with them to make them feel really comfortable. Some gastroenterologists—if your scope has no answer—will invariably send you back to your primary physician either with an erroneous (but widely-recognized) acronym a diagnosis (IBS) or without providing any assistance whatsoever in obtaining the correct underlying diagnosis. Those of us who are cognizant of the higher rates of EDS: we keep going until we find the answer and a treatment plan, and to increase their patients’ understanding of the diagnosis and all other treatment options."

Dr. Penn's innovative approach and dedication to the EDS community make him an important addition to our team as a medical advisor.