The goals of this training program in academic gastroenterology are to train, nurture and develop both physician scientists (MD, MD/PhD) and PhD scientists for productive and sustaining careers as academic investigators in the broad field of digestive and liver diseases. The overarching objectives are to train individuals in preparation for independent careers in basic, translational and clinical investigation through mentored interactions supplemented by course work and guided study. The training program in academic gastroenterology draws upon the institutional resources within the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences with over half the core faculty preceptor group (6/11) having joint appointments in clinical (Medicine) as well as basic science departments, including Pharmacology and Molecular Biology (3), Cell Biology (1), Biochemistry and Biophysics (1), Molecular Microbiology (1). In addition, 5 of 7 collaborating faculty preceptors have joint appointments in clinical and basic science departments, including Cell Biology (2), Genetics (1), and Immunology (2). Other features of this training program include the intellectual enrichment emanating from two NIH funded centers, including a Digestive Disease Research Core Center and a Clinical Nutrition Research Unit. This depth and range of interaction between basic science departments, academic programs and laboratories insures that our trainees are exposed to the most vigorous research and training opportunities in fields including molecular genetics, cell and molecular biology, immunology and developmental biology. In addition to these programs in basic science, our trainees have opportunities in clinical translational investigation, including metabolic studies in obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, viral hepatitis, esophageal motor physiology, inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer genetics. Formal coursework is expected of our clinical investigator trainees, who will work towards an MPH degree. We propose to select three trainees each year, each of whom will be funded for two years by this training grant
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