Learn more about the Division of Gastroenterology's research programs.
The Gastroenterology and Hepatology Clinical Research Program (GHCRP) at the University of Pennsylvania brings together clinical investigators from diverse backgrounds with a common interest in gastrointestinal and liver disease research.
GHCRP members conduct research studies using many different methodologies such as randomized controlled trials, observational cohort and case-control studies, decision modeling, discrete choice experiments, controlled feeding experiments, and meta-analysis.
The GHCPR meets on a monthly basis to discuss recently completed, ongoing, or planned research. If you are interested in attending the GHCPR meetings, please contact Dr. Lewis or Lauren Malizia (lmalaizia@mail.med.upenn.edu) for additional information.
Physician scientists and the Perelman School of Medicine conduct a broad spectrum of research in Barrett's Esophagus, from basic laboratory studies and translational approaches, to clinical trials.
In the basic science laboratories, scientists are utilizing innovative genetic approaches in mice to identify the Barrett’s “cell of origin”. They are also adapting tissue engineering approaches to develop human cell based models for Barrett’s Esophagus. The role of Notch signaling, Notch pathway inhibitors, oxidative stress and DNA damage in disease onset and progression are active areas of study. Lastly, as human Barrett’s susceptibility genes are identified by collaborators studying high-risk Barrett’s Esophagus families, these novel model systems will be used to test these gene candidates for activity and function.
In the clinics, physicians are actively enrolling patients in a number of studies including efforts to identify the cell of origin for Barrett’s based on gene expression profiles, to determine if intestinal stem cell markers predict disease recurrence after radio-frequency ablation, and whether other biomarkers can be used to predict responsiveness to ablation therapy. A description of the current clinical trials can be found here.
In addition, Penn investigators collaborate with the NIH-sponsored Cancer Prevention Network to explore novel chemopreventive therapies for Barrett’s esophagus.
Research Funding
U54 CA163004-02
NIH/NCI
Stem Cells and the Origin of Barrett's Esophagus
Project Information
Our program offers state-of-the-art cancer risk evaluation, genetic counseling, genetic testing and medical care from an expert clinical team of physician specialists, genetic counselors and researchers.
In addition to participating in and leading cancer genetics research, our clinical team participates in ongoing education and values internal collaboration, meeting regularly with other cancer specialists at Penn Medicine.
Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk Evaluation Program (GI CREP)
The Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk Evaluation Program (GI-CREP) at Abramson Cancer Center offers comprehensive information, evaluation and support for patients who may be at an increased risk for developing gastrointestinal cancer (such as colon, gastric, or pancreatic cancer) and/or gastrointestinal polyps due to a hereditary syndrome.
Following your evaluation, our clinical team provides an expert assessment and a plan for managing your gastrointestinal cancer risk.
The Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk Evaluation Program team leads cancer genetics research, and participates in ongoing education. Our clinical team values internal collaboration, meeting regularly with other cancer specialists at Penn Medicine.
Learn more about the Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk Evaluation Program
There is not only a growing national interest in improving the process and delivery of care, but also in testing these interventions in a rigorous way.
Penn Gastroenterology aims to advance its mission through the creation of a Quality Improvement and Delivery Science (QUIDS) program. This program will develop and implement a coordinated, comprehensive, and continued effort to monitor, and improve safety and quality outcomes. This will be interrelated with research and educational efforts.
The overarching goals of the program will be the following:
- Improve the quality of healthcare delivery to patients in the Gastroenterology division by focusing on three quality domains: safety, outcomes, and service excellence.
- Demonstrate thought leadership in health care delivery science through research and scholarship.
- Advance the education of faculty, fellows, and other trainees, as well as staff, in applying principles of quality improvement and health care delivery science to the care of patients with gastrointestinal and liver diseases.
The QUIDS program is a multi-disciplinary team of faculty, trainees, researchers, and operational staff to coordinate these efforts, prioritize and implement projects across the GI division at all sites. The QUIDS program works in a coordinated fashion with the Department of Medicine and Penn Medicine.
Program Leadership
Shivan Mehta, MD, MBA, MSHP
Co-Director
Nuzhat Ahmad, MD
Co-Director
The mission of our NIH-funded Digestives Diseases Research Center is to unite investigators with interests in digestive and liver disease in the exploration of creative experimental approaches as well as to stimulate others to enter these areas of research. The scientific focus of the Center revolves around host-environmental interactions in digestive and liver disease research from bench to bedside. Research amongst Center Investigators includes the molecular regulation of cellular processes in the digestive tract and liver, how they are integrated with the immune system, and their responses to environmental exposures such as diet and the microbiota. The Center is divided into three thematic areas: Intestinal Biology, Liver Biology, and Microbiology/Immunology. Center resources include four scientific cores to support research in both model systems and human subjects for Center Investigators, a pilot project program, weekly seminar series, an annual retreat, and various enrichment programs.
Visit our Center for Molecular Studies in Digestive and Liver Diseases website
Overview
The Center for Data, Outcomes, and Team Science (CDOTS) is a collaborative infrastructure that facilitates educating the next generation, impact clinical practice/delivery of care via QI/QC/Safety, and promotes innovative research that will push GI Hep forward by promoting team science through care delivery innovations.
CDOTS is a collaborative research infrastructure for health system data led by Dr. Serper and co-facilitated by Dr. Mahmud, Dr. Kaplan, and Dr. Lewis. CDOTS provides a secure, HIPAA compliant storage and computing environments for Microsoft Azure Databricks. The environment supports statistical analyses, including machine learning, AI, and deep learning. CDOTS is supported by two part-time master’s level biostatisticians – Siqi Zhang and Jonathan Heintz from the Biostatistics and Analytics center who are responsible for data wrangling, data curation, and statistical analyses. The data warehouse contains >170,000 patient with gastrointestinal and liver diseases with >3M encounters. We anticipate growth of this data warehouse as Lancaster General and Doylestown Health get added to Epic.
With linkage to radiology, pathology, endoscopic, and linkage to the Penn Medicine Biobank, CDOTS will allow deep learning and has the potential to impact care of patients in a unique fashion.