Overview
The research programs carried out by the members of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center are broad-based and aligned with our vision to maintain a strong, nationally recognized program at the forefront in clinical practice, fellowship training, and education as well as research.
Today, the clinical and basic research programs of the division focus on:
- Pathogenesis and novel vaccines for diarrheal diseases
- Liver repair and transplantation
- Mechanisms of gastrointestinal and liver development
- Bile acid and cholesterol metabolism
- Bone metabolism
- Practice guidelines and cost effectiveness of care
- Participation in clinical trials
Individually, each research program is successful; as a group they foster frequent interaction among faculty within the Division and with other investigators of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
Our clinical research programs are facilitated by the General Clinical Research Center of Cincinnati Children's and the University of Cincinnati, which is directed by James Heubi, MD, a member of our division.
A greater level of interaction and opportunities for programmatic growth are being pursued with the development of the Program for Research and Education in Intestinal Disorders (PREID) and the establishment of the Digestive Health Center (DHC): Bench-to-Bedside Research in Pediatric Digestive Disease, both under the leadership of Mitchell B. Cohen, MD.
The goal of the PREID is to develop a premier research, teaching, and education program in Pediatric Gastroenterology. The research focus of the PREID is in inflammatory and secretory disorders of the intestine with overlapping emphasis on the relevant developmental biology. There are four identified central areas of investigation:
- Mechanisms of intestinal infection/diarrheal disease
- Pathophysiology and therapy of inflammatory bowel disease
- Pathophysiology and treatment of food allergy
- Mechanisms of intestinal development
This program complements the efforts of the Pediatric Liver Care Center to develop programs in pediatric hepatology and the institution-wide efforts to develop and enlarge programs related to immunobiology and developmental biology.
Currently, the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation has 520,000 square feet of research space. Construction has begun on a new 11 story research building that will provide an additional 363,000 square feet when completed in 2007. The Research Foundation has a wide variety of core facilities and services to support basic and clinical research.
