This application is submitted in response to RFA DK-04-014, Silvio O. Conte Digestive Diseases Research Core Center, requesting continued funding of the Texas Gulf Coast Digestive Diseases Center (called DDC for simplicity). This Center serves basic and clinical scientists at institutions within the Texas Medical Center (Baylor College of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston) and at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Our qualifying Funded Research Base is $22,182,225 million (direct costs) and includes 44 separate awards from NIDDK totaling $9,016,286 million (direct costs). Reflecting the goals of these projects, this is a Center for Gastrointestinal Development, Infection and Injury. This Center was developed from a core group of investigators who began interacting formally in 1996, to explore the need and interest in establishing a DDC. These interactions were initiated by a Pediatric Training Program in Gastroenterology at Baylor whose faculty represent key investigators in our DDC. Institutional resource commitments in space, funds and personnel support this effort, including new positions in basic and clinical departments for multidiscliplinary, independent, faculty to establish new research programs. This Center facilitates on-going Digestive Diseases research, promotes translational research between basic and clinical areas, develops new projects, nurtures new investigators, and provides GI educational activities. Support is requested for an Administrative Core, four Basic Science Cores (Morphology, Gene Expression and Proteomics, Gastrointestinal Immunology, Integrative Biology) and one Clinical Core (Study Design and Clinical Research Support). Pilot/Feasibility and Enrichment Programs, including a Career Development Initiative, to support innovative ideas and new investigators in Digestive Disease research and foster collaboration are a key part of the DDC, and have been extremely successful The Center draws together a multidisciplinary group of investigators, including basic scientists with proven track records of success, and well-coordinated clinical programs dealing with pediatric and adult GI patients. Center leaders are senior scientists-administrators experienced in directing interactive, multidisciplinary programs. A large, multi-ethnic population of infants and adults with Digestive Diseases emphasizes the need and the opportunities for this Center. Various groups involved in GI research and education in the Gulf Coast Area of Texas have shown the willingness to enthusiastically work with the Center. This NIDDK-funded DDRCC will promote and coordinate Digestive Disease activities in the area.
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