Research Accomplishments

The Gastroenterology Section has a long history of basic, translational and clinical research accomplishments. Dating back over 60 years, Drs. Joseph Kirsner and Walter Palmer led clinical research into aspects of acid-related peptic disorders and initiated immunologic research into the underpinnings of inflammatory bowel disease. The University of Chicago performed the first liver transplantations in the city of Chicago and the Section has maintained active research in intestinal cell physiology (including secretory functions and cytoprotection), carcinogenesis and chemoprevention, nutrition (including celiac disease), vitamin D and calcium homeostasis, mucosal immunology and genetics. The identification of the NOD2/CARD15 gene by Dr. Judy Cho and colleagues and mechanisms of heat shock protein protection against epithelial cell injury identified by Dr. Eugene Chang exemplify recent basic research accomplishments. Concurrently, clinical research in inflammatory bowel disease led by Dr. Stephen Hanauer and colleagues has led to the approval of numerous conventional, immunomodulatory and recent biologic therapies for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Dr. Irving Waxman has pioneered endoscopic ultrasound and mucosal resections for identification and treatment of extra luminal and mucosal tumors of the digestive tract. The Section maintains NIH funding for a Digestive Disease Training Center and a Digestive Disease Research Core Center as well as several individual research grants.

Education and Training

The multi-faceted academic program offered by the Section of Gastroenterology includes education for medical students, interns, residents, and fellows. Continuing medical education for physicians is also offered in weekly research and clinical conferences as well as multi-specialty conferences focusing on inflammatory bowel disease, endoscopic assessment, liver transplantation, and nutrition. Education within the Section of Gastroenterology consists of instruction at all levels of participation--outpatient clinics, inpatient areas, and laboratories with active student participation.

Drs. Stephen Hanauer and David Rubin direct the Gastroenterology fellowship training program. Each year 3-4 fellows are accepted into the 3-year training program that has been supported through an NIH training grant for 17 years. Trainees are exposed to a wide spectrum of clinical gastroenterology and have a variety of basic, translational or bench research options to pursue. The GI fellowship training program at The University of Chicago is committed to train young physicians for careers that emphasize digestive disease investigation in order to prepare them for academic research careers. Fourth year, 3rd tier, specialty training is currently offered in inflammatory bowel disease, liver transplantation, nutrition, and therapeutic endoscopy.

For information on our Goldgraber Fellowship Program, click here

Patient Care

The faculty of the Section of Gastroenterology treat patients with digestive tract and related disorders including inflammatory bowel disease, swallowing disorders, peptic disease, hepatitis and other liver diseases (including liver transplantation), pancreatic disease, celiac disease and other nutrition disorders, performs screening for colorectal cancer as well as genetic assessments for patients with familial cancers, and diagnoses and treats locally invasive colorectal, esophageal and gastric malignancies via mucosal resection. The Section of Gastroenterology at The University of Chicago was recently ranked among the 6 finest gastroenterology centers in the United States [*U.S. News & World Report, July, 2008]. The Section maintains an outpatient clinic and a state of the art procedure unit that annually sees 13,100 patients and performs 13,800 procedures. In addition the Section manages an inpatient service and a general consultation service as well as focused liver and nutrition consultation services.