Patient Oriented Research in Gastrointestinal Cancer Screening

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This K24 Mid-Career Investigator Award will facilitate training GI fellows participating in a specialized Training Program in GI Epidemiology (T32-DK062708), mentoring of junior faculty applying for/completing career development awards, and performance of patient-oriented research in GI cancer screening trials funded by NIH and VA. "The best predictor of future success may be past achievement." As principal investigator and Director of the U. of Michigan Training Program in GI Epidemiology, I have successfully mentored 100% of the participants to careers in academic medicine. In our program, GI fellows complete a Master's program in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis and undergo extensive mentoring and supervision from senior investigators which contributes to their successful transition to academic medicine. I also mentor junior faculty on K23, R21, and other career development awards after they complete this training program. In addition to providing protected time to mentor trainees and junior faculty, this grant will also facilitate my research career objective: identification of risk factors for GI cancer and development of more effective tools for GI cancer screening. I have successfully completed K23 and R21 grants which have led to multiple publications. Currently, I am PI of a VA-funded Center grant about the application of family history and genomic tools to improve colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, and co-investigator of a U54 grant developing in vivo biomarkers for the identification of dysplasia in the esophagus and colon during endoscopy. These on-going research projects will provide a platform for trainees and junior faculty to develop their own research. Also, the U. of Michigan provides an outstanding environment and resources, including our specialized Training Program in GI Epidemiology, our NIH-funded Michigan Clinical Research Unit, VA-funded Center of Excellence for Practice Management and Outcomes Research, and our School of Public Health's specialized Master's Programs in Clinical Epidemiology. Unfortunately, mentoring of GI fellows and junior faculty is unfunded. The current U54 and VA funding pay for research supplies, equipment, and ancillary personnel, but provides inadequate funding to protect my time for patient-oriented research and mentorship. This K24 award will provide essential support to achieve my mentorship and research goals. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This award will provide support to mentor young investigators performing patient-oriented GI cancer screening research. It will also provide the candidate to complete studies on this topic. The proposed studies will improve screening techniques for Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma, facilitate appropriate screening of patients with a family history of colorectal cancer, identify modifiable risk factors for colon adenomas, and identify new tools to detect dysplasia in the gastrointestinal tract.