The Cleveland Digestive Diseases Research Core Center is focused around the central theme of Mechanisms of Digestive & Liver Inflammation. To enhance cooperation, communication, and collaboration, we have organized our 38 Center members and 23 associate Center members into five scientific areas of emphasis:
1. IBD & Intestinal Inflammation
Leader: Theresa Pizarro, PhD, CWRU Research Topic: Innate immune mechanisms of experimental inflammatory bowel disease
2. Gut Microbiome & Inflammation
Leader: Thaddeus Stappenbeck, MD, PhD, CCF, LRI Research Topic: Role of the gut microbiome in intestinal inflammation, Crohn's disease, and multiple inflammatory bowel diseases beyond the gastrointestinal system
3. Liver Inflammation
Leader: Laura Nagy, PhD, CCF Research Topic: Hyperammonemia and sarcopenia in cirrhosis, role of adipose in alcohol-induced liver injury, development of novel any-obesity therapies, and inflammatory mediators as novel targeted therapies for adult liver disease
4. Barrett's Esophagus & Esophageal Inflammation
Leader: Amitabh Chak, MD, CWRU Research Topic: Genetic determinants of familial Barrett's esophagus
5. HIV-Induced Digestive Immunometabolism & Inflammation
Leader: Grace McComsey, MD, CWRU Research Topic: The effect of HIV and drug use on gut integrity, and oral inflammation, and gut integrity after HIV therapy with metabolic complications