The Divsions of Liver Diseases and Gastroenterology have been jointly awarded an NIH Training Grant in Gastroenterology under the joint direction of Drs. Scott Friedman and Steven Itzkowitz. The goal of this new Training Program is to prepare M.D., Ph.D., or M.D./Ph.D. postdoctoral fellows for careers as independent investigators in academic gastroenterology. A diverse and experienced faculty provide the opportunity to learn contemporary methods of cellular and molecular biology or clinical research by mentorship in one of four broad areas:

1. Injury, Fibrosis, and Signaling
2. Cancer Biology and Immunology
3. Molecular Basis of Transport and Gene Therapy or
4. Patient-Based Clinical Investigation in Hepatobililary and Gastrointestinal Diseases

The training provides a solid foundation for future success in investigative gastroenterology. Expert faculty have been recruited from the Divisions of Gastroenterology, Liver Diseases, and Cardiology, and other clinical and basic science departments and centers within the School of Medicine (Department of Pediatrics; Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology; Department of Health Policy; Center for Immunobiology; Department of Gene and Cell Medicine; and Department of Oncological Sciences). Trainees enter this program with one of four backgrounds:

1. M.D.s or M.D./Ph.D.s who have completed 18 months to 2 years of training in adult clinical gastroenterology
2. M.D.s or M.D./Ph.D.s who have completed 1-2 years of gastroenterology fellowship plus a year of clinical hepatology fellowship
3. M.D.s or M.D./Ph.D.s who have completed one year of a clinical pediatric gastroenterology fellowship
4. Ph.D. trainees who have completed a doctoral program in life sciences

Trainee candidates are expected to devote a minimum of three years to training in either laboratory- or patient-based research. Each year this grant supports 4 trainees: 1-2 trainees at the PGY 5 level, 1-2 at PGY 6, and 1 at PGY 7. At least 90 percent of trainees' time is devoted to working in the laboratory or hospital setting on a specific, individualized research project under the guidance of one or more faculty mentors. In addition, all trainees participate in weekly laboratory or clinical group meetings, attend relevant divisional, departmental, and institutional research-oriented conferences, and enroll in specifically designed coursework in laboratory or clinical investigative methods. This integrated proposal emphasizing translational research emerges from a dynamic, rapidly growing academic institution, one that has created an ideal environment for equipping outstanding clinicians and biomedical trainees to elucidate and treat gastrointestinal diseases.

Mentors

• Injury, Fibrosis and Signaling
  • Fibrosis and Signaling
    • Scott Friedman, M.D., Medicine/Liver Diseases
  • Injury
    • Arthur Cederbaum, Ph.D., Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry
    • Andrea Branch, Ph.D., Medicine/Liver Diseases
• Cancer Biology and Immunology
  • Cancer Biology
    • Steven Itzkowitz, M.D., Medicine/Gastroenterology
    • Stuart Aaronson, M.D.,Ph.D., Oncological Sciences
  • Immunology
    • Lloyd Mayer, M.D., Immunobiology
    • Jonathan Bromberg, M.D., Ph.D., Gene and Cell Medicine
• Molecular Basis of Transport and Gene Therapy
  • Transport
    • Fred Suchy, M.D., Pediatrics
    • Ben Shneider, M.D., Pediatrics
  • Gene Therapy
    • John A. Martignetti M.D./Ph.D., Human Genetics
    • Savio Woo, Ph.D., Gene and Cell Medicine
• Clinical Investigation in Hepatobiliary and Gastrointestinal Diseases
  • Mark Chassin, M.D., Health Policy
  • William Redd, Ph.D., Oncological Sciences
  • Thomas Schiano, M.D., Medicine/Liver Diseases

Fellows

• 2001-2002
  • Tonya Kim (E. Fisher)
  • Xianyang Yio (Itzkowitz)
• 2002-2003
  • Brian Radbill, M.D. (Friedman)
  • Adeyemi Lawal, M.D. (T. Schiano)
  • Brian Koo (Mayer)