Enrichment Program

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PROJECT SUMMARY The overall goal of the Enrichment Program of the Digestive Health Center (DHC) is to advance digestive disease research by creating a forum where investigators will present new research findings, learn about new technologies, and pursue new collaborations. The Director of the Program and DHC leaders pursue this goal with four complementary aims. In the First Aim “to promote knowledge sharing through a weekly seminar and workshop series,” the Program sponsors a series of highly interactive seminars and presentations by investigators from the academic health center and extramural scientists who are leaders in digestive disease research. These seminars also include technology-centered workshops that are given by Core directors and staff. Presenters receive timely feedback and suggestions on their experimental approaches and emerging technologies. Seminars and workshops represent a nidus of collaboration and knowledge-sharing among participants. In the Second Aim “to foster multi-disciplinary research by joint educational programs,” the Program Director seeks opportunities to partner with focus groups and other specialty Divisions to fertilize ongoing interests in the field. Examples include the partnership with the “Endoderm Club,” which focuses on organoid systems to model human disease. In this partnership, extramural distinguished speakers can participate in the Club’s meetings to present and discuss work-in-progress. We also partner with the Divisions of Developmental Biology and Immunobiology to expose DHC investigators and trainees to the most successful scientists in the field. Speakers meet with DHC investigators and trainees. In the Third Aim “to hold an annual scientific symposium to highlight digestive disease discoveries,” the DHC combines the annual visit of the External Advisory Board with a day devoted to digestive disease research via a highly subscribed symposium featuring a distinguished speaker and a scientific forum for the presentation of posters reporting novel findings by trainees and junior faculty. And in the Fourth Aim, “to increase visibility for digestive disease research in the Academic Health Center” the Program publishes a quarterly Newsletter that is circulated throughout the academic health center to share information on upcoming seminars, accomplishments and awards of DHC investigators, and updates of Core services.