GI Research Pathway

The Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center Gastroenterology Research Pathway is designed for trainees with a strong desire and motivation to pursue a career in clinical or basic science research in digestive diseases. The training program consists of two years of research and two years of clinical training.

Clinical Research Investigation

Two years are devoted to research training in clinical or basic science investigation. Fellows with an interest in clinical investigation enroll in the Clinical Research Scholar Program (CRSP) at Case Western Reserve University. This is a two-year curriculum that consists of a series of core courses and seminars covering all facets of including:

• Clinical epidemiology
• Computer programming
• Statistical analysis
• Study design and conduct

During the second year, fellows pursue elective courses in addition to core topics and conduct research leading to a thesis. The year culminates in a MS degree in Clinical Research.

The research topics are chosen with a faculty advisor and can include any facet of digestive diseases. The trainee designates a thesis committee that includes at least one key clinical faculty member in the Division of Gastroenterology & Liver Disease at University Hospitals.

Exceptional Training Program

The Gastroenterology Research Fellowship track has become an exceptional training program after the Division of Gastroenterology & Liver Disease secured Silvio Conte grant in 2015 to establish Cleveland Digestive Disease Research Core Center. University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, is one of only 17 institutions in the nation to receive this prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) award.

Digestive Disease Research Core Center

The Digestive Disease Research Core Center, also known as a Silvio Conte Center, brings together researchers from several departments who are performing basic, clinical and translational research in gastrointestinal and liver disease. It offers several core facilities to support research efforts, a pilot funding program, and sponsors a weekly research seminar series.

Fellows with an interest in basic science research are paired with a faculty preceptor and work in the laboratory for two years of supervised training. Depending on their background, fellows may also enroll in selected courses at Case Western Reserve University.

Expectations During the Research Years

During the two research years, which ordinally occur prior to the beginning of clinical rotations, fellows attend a half-day continuity clinic at University Hospitals. They are also expected to attend weekly Core Curriculum Conference, Clinical Conference, Journal Club and Grand Rounds. They will present a yearly didactic talk at the end of each academic year and be assigned to present and discuss articles at Journal Club. They will not be assigned to clinical rotations or call.

Clinical Years Structure

The two clinical years are structured similarly to the first two years of the Clinical track and include a total of 19 to 21 months of clinical rotations and one to three months of research. Fellows in the research track complete the same core clinical rotations as the fellows in the main track. The two research years are funded by an NIH-sponsored training grant in digestive diseases (T32) and are thus limited to U.S. citizens or permanent residents.