Research Electives
During the first year, fellows from the
Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center will spend nine months on the clinical service and three months on electives.
- The first elective will be a rotation in a basic science laboratory to learn the approaches and vocabulary of bench research that are integral to modern medicine.
- The second elective month can be used for a clinical research or an outcomes research experience. It is expected that the fellow will again have an in-depth tutorial experience but may also develop a short (e.g., retrospective) project.
- During the third elective month, fellows may plan for their research years and / or take one of the clinical electives.
Research on the Developmental Biology of the Digestive System
Faculty: Mike Bates, MD, PhD (Lab web site)
Minimum duration: 4 weeks
Goals and objectives
Understand the basic molecular / genetic and morphological processes required for normal development of the digestive system, particularly in mammals
Appreciate the potential for alterations in development to contribute to human disease and for developmental insights to contribute to treatment of digestive disorders
Brief description of the experience and expectations of the fellow:
In this elective, the fellow or resident has the opportunity to learn about the regulation of digestive system development. The goals will be reached by a combination of bench experiences (based on the interests and prior experience of the fellow or resident, as well as on current projects in the laboratory), selected readings relating development and human disease, and discussions. The bench experience will include the opportunity to harvest and study mouse embryos.
There will be significant opportunities to interact with members of other laboratories who focus on various aspects of the development of the digestive system and other organ systems, as well as to attend seminars and journal clubs relevant to development. At the conclusion of the elective, a brief presentation of experimental findings or of a literature review is expected.
Introduction to Laboratory Liver Research
Faculty: Jorge A. Bezerra, MD (Lab web site)
Minimum duration: Two weeks (preferably four weeks)
Goals and objectives
Exposure to routine laboratory protocols
Participate in weekly laboratory meetings
- Develop a basic science hypothesis based on preliminary or published data
Brief description of the experience and expectations of the fellow:
Key ingredients for a successful laboratory experience include the:
Acquisition of technical expertise
Ability to exchange ideas with colleagues
Development of a hypothesis that is based on preliminary experiments or published data
Therefore, the overall goal of the elective is to provide gastroenterology residents / fellows with an introduction to these ingredients through a hands-on experience in the laboratory setting.
Specifically, the fellow will learn initial laboratory skills by joining a laboratory assistant or post-doctoral fellow in the execution of a set of assays to answer a specific biological question. Introduction to data acquisition, interpretation, and informal group discussion will be emphasized. The fellows are expected to learn the basis of a molecular assay, to engage in a focused review of published data and to propose one hypothesis-driven experiment.
Quality Improvement Elective
Faculty: John Bucuvalas, MD and Susan Moyer, MD
Minimum duration: 4 weeks
Goals and objectives
Learn general principles of quality improvement
Apply these principles to clinical care in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition
Brief description of the experience and expectations of the fellow:
Research in health care delivery and in quality improvement are an integral part of the strategic plan for Cincinnati Children's and for the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. A safe and reliable health care delivery system is critical for best care and also provides the foundation for gaining new knowledge through translational and clinical research.
Several members of the division are involved in efforts to improve delivery systems at the divisional, hospital and national level. Efforts are focused on:
Increasing outpatient access
Preventing errors
Developing interdisciplinary care teams to best deliver care
Improving patient flow through the acute care settings
These efforts are aligned with national and local efforts, and Cincinnati Children's is considered a leader in this field. This one-month elective will provide a structured curriculum and hands-on experience with an ongoing quality improvement effort in the area of liver transplantation or IBD.
Clinical or Basic Research in Gastroenterology
Faculty: Mitchell B. Cohen, MD
Minimum duration: 4 weeks
Goals and objectives
Hands-on participation in an ongoing project (clinical or basic) that relates to diarrheal disease research
Participate with members of the laboratory in weekly meetings, formal and informal discussions and help determine if a longer experience in the laboratory is desirable
Brief description of the experience and expectations of the fellow:
Fellows or residents will be introduced to the research being performed in the laboratory. The overall goal of the experience is to provide residents or gastroenterology fellows with an introduction to clinical or basic research. The specific clinical project will focus on study design, data collection, regulatory issues, and / or data analysis. The specific basic science project will focus on molecular physiologic studies of the guanylin ligand family.
A hands-on approach will be taken, and the fellow or resident will learn one or more techniques. Introduction to data acquisition, interpretation and literature review of relevant published data will be emphasized.
Basic / Translational Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Faculty: Ted Denson, MD and Xiaonan Han, PhD (Lab web site)
Minimum duration: 4 weeks
Goals and objectives
Exposure to routine laboratory protocols
Participate in weekly laboratory meetings
Develop and test a hypothesis based on preliminary or published data
Brief description of the experience and expectations of the fellow:
The JAK / STAT signal transduction pathway mediates the cellular response to both inflammatory cytokines and potentially beneficial growth factors. The Denson lab is investigating mechanisms by which alterations in JAK / STAT signaling lead to growth failure and impaired mucosal healing in children with IBD.
Collaborative studies are ongoing with colleagues in rheumatology, oncology, and immunology. The aims of these studies are to define specific aspects of the gut mucosal immune system that cause chronic inflammation and cancer in IBD. This work is currently employing tissue culture systems, murine models of colitis, and patient based studies.
During the four week rotation, the fellow will:
- Attend weekly lab meetings and discuss one paper from the literature in this forum
- Learn one or more molecular techniques
- Design a series of experiments to test a hypothesis related to an ongoing project in the lab.
This rotation will provide exposure to ongoing basic / translational research in IBD and will help to determine whether a longer-term laboratory-based research project is desired.
Basic Science Research
Faculty: Mike A. Leonis, MD, PhD
Minimum duration: 4 weeks
Goals and objectives
Hands-on participation in an ongoing basic science liver disease research project to help determine if a longer experience in the laboratory is desirable
Participate with members of the laboratory in weekly meetings and informal discussions
Develop increased understanding of the scientific method and issues related to developing a successful fellow-to-faculty transition to a career in research
Brief description of the experience and expectations of the fellow:
The overall goal of this elective experience is to provide the fellow with an introduction to the basic science laboratory setting. During this elective time, the fellow will be introduced to several basic laboratory techniques (e.g., PCR analysis) and will participate in data acquisition and interpretation of this data in an ongoing research project.
Specific research projects will focus on molecular or physiologic studies of the Ron receptor tyrosine kinase with respect to this receptor's involvement in inflammation and / or tumorigenesis in the liver. Review of the literature related to the specific research project and discussion of various hypothesis-driven research programs will also be a part of the rotation.
Basic Research in Gastroenterology
Faculty: Jeffrey A. Rudolph, MD
Minimum duration: 4 weeks
Goals and objectives
Exposure to routine laboratory protocols related to apoptosis / cell survival research
Development the skills necessary to present data (through participation in weekly laboratory meetings and informal discussions)
Development of skills to form a basic science hypothesis if a longer experience is desired
Brief description of the experience and expectations of the fellow:
Fellows or residents will be introduced to the research being performed in the laboratory. The overall goal of the experience is to provide gastroenterology residents or fellows with an introduction to basic research. The specific basic science project will focus on molecular of physiologic studies of cyclic nucleotide regulated cell survival mechanisms.
A hands-on approach will be taken, and the fellow or resident will learn one laboratory technique in detail and be exposed to several others. The student will also be expected to learn how to analyze the data and determine the relevance based upon the scientific literature. A brief laboratory presentation will be expected at the end of the rotation.
Basic Research in Gastroenterology
Faculty: Kris A. Steinbrecher, PhD
Minimum duration: 4 weeks
Goals and objectives
Participation in an ongoing research project
Exposure to and experience with lab research protocols
Brief description of the experience and expectations of the fellow:
Fellows will be introduced to the basic science research methods. A hands-on approach will be taken so that the fellow can learn one or more techniques relevant to the study of interactions between intestinal bacteria, Toll-like receptors and the regulation of gene expression through NF-κB. Introduction to data acquisition, interpretation and literature review of relevant published data will be emphasized.
