Research Focus Area

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