Surgical Research Training in Gastrointestinal Diseases

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The UTMB Department of Surgery T32 research training program provides state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research training experiences for surgical residents interested in diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, pancreas, and liver. Our central goal is to prepare our fellows to become productive, independent physician- scientists and future leaders in academic surgical research. With this competitive renewal application, we are requesting continued support to train three postdoctoral fellows per year. Our highly structured, degree- granting curricula are designed to provide fellows with comprehensive foundational training in essential scientific knowledge, methodologies, technical skills, and ethical considerations pertinent to the effective practice of either basic and translational biomedical laboratory research or comparative effectiveness and patient-centered outcomes research related to GI diseases. Since its inception, the program has trained 32 postdoctoral fellows. Of those who have completed their clinical training, 52% are currently in academic surgery, and half of those have successfully competed for NIH funding. Trainees have been mentored by faculty working at the cutting edge of scientific knowledge and utilized the most up-to-date technologies and experimental approaches available to the field of GI disease research. Initially focused on the endocrinology of gut peptide hormones and large animal models, today our program faculty study the GI microbiome and patho- genic organisms, GI immunology, inflammation and tissue fibrosis, mechanisms of GI tissue normal growth, injury repair, and carcinogenesis, epidemiology and clinical outcomes research. They use genetically modified rodent models, multiple cell-type culture systems, the latest omics technologies and bioinformatics approaches, high resolution molecular imaging, advanced molecular and cellular separation technologies, sophisticated gene editing and expression methods, recombinant DNA, microRNA and reporter gene assays, adaptive cellular transfer procedures, epigenetics, and state-of-the-art methods to isolate, analyze and culture tissue- and disease-specific microbiomes. Our highly collaborative and productive faculty mentors (with 550 publications in the past 5 years, and over $23 million in current grant funding) represent 9 UTMB departments (5 clinical / 4 basic science). This multidisciplinary training environment has fostered the productivity of our fellows, who have published a total of 85 scientific papers (average of 6 papers/fellow; 2.8 first author publica- tions) in the past 10 years. Our strong track record stands as evidence for our success in recruiting minorities and women into our training program. In the past 10 years, 60% have been women and 40% also identified as an underrepresented minority. In summary, we have established a robust record of achievement by preparing our fellows to become productive, independent physician-scientists and future leaders in academic surgical research. With further support from the NIH and NIDDK, we will continue our rich history of success and meet the ever-growing need to prepare well-trained physician-scientists to enter the biomedical workforce.