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Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Research
The Section includes many of the leading researchers in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition in the country. Research in the Section bridges across basic sciences, translational medicine, and clinical research related to pediatric gastrointestinal and liver diseases. Ongoing laboratory research includes investigations of the roles of cell signaling, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress in hepatocyte injury in the cholestatic and fatty liver; the role of innate immunity in parenteral-nutrition associated liver injury; characterization of the pathogenesis of biliary atresia in a mouse model; the role of eosinophils in cellular injury and remodeling of the esophagous and intestines; vaccine development for diabetes prevention; and mechanisms of immunologic injury in a mouse model of celiac disease.
Clinical research includes clinical trials of new therapies for hepatitis B and C; evaluation of the genetics, epidemiology and outcomes of celiac disease; investigations of the etiology and development of new diagnostics and optimal therapies of eosinophilic esophagitis; development of new therapies for fibrotic and cholestatic liver diseases; studies of bone mineral metabolism in chronic liver disease; investigation of the etiology, pathogenesis, and outcomes of biliary atresia; a clinical trial of corticosteroids in biliary atresia; a study of the cause and a clinical trial in acute liver failure in children; diagnosis and treatment of liver disease associated with cystic fibrosis; new treatments for inflammatory bowel disease; evaluation of outcomes of pediatric liver transplant recipients; and a longitudinal study of genetic causes of intrahepatic cholestatic liver diseases in childhood.
Faculty Research Interests
Dr. Glenn Furuta’s research seeks to understand the role of eosinophils in the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical research investigations focus on new diagnostics and treatments in eosinophilic esophagitis. Basic and translational studies seek to determine the relationship between the eosinophils and resident cells of the intestinal mucosa, including the epithelium.
Dr. Edward Hoffenberg studies the epidemiology and clinical features of celiac autoimmunity in early childhood and conducts clinical trials in inflammatory bowel disease and inherited polyposis syndromes.
Dr. Robert Kramer’s research interests include clinical trials in eosinophilic esophagitis, the roles of therapeutic and biliary endoscopy in children, clinical research in pediatric obesity, and outcomes of bariatric surgery in children.
Dr. Edwin Liu's work focuses on the study of autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes and celiac disease, analysis of current diagnostic testing for celiac disease, and the genetics of celiac disease.
Dr. Amethyst Kurbegov evaluates outcomes of gastrointestinal disorders.
Dr. Cara Mack investigates the cause of biliary atresia in both humans and in a mouse model. Her research is defining the immunologic pathways involved in the bile duct and liver injury of this disease and searching for targets of this aberrant immune response. In addition, she is investigating genetic influences on the susceptibility to biliary atresia.
Dr. Michael Narkewicz’s research interests include clinical studies in children with biliary atresia, clinical trials and transmission in chronic viral hepatitis, hematologic and immunologic complications following pediatric liver transplantation, improved diagnosis and treatment of cystic fibrosis-associated liver disease, and clinical trials in acute liver failure. Dr. Narkewicz is Chair of the Cystic Fibrosis Liver Disease Study Group.
Dr. Deborah Neigut’s primary interest is in education delivery.
Dr. Jason Soden’s major scientific interest is the management and outcomes of children with intestinal failure. He is involved in a new national effort to better understand the cause and improve therapies in parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease and other complications of short bowel syndrome.
Dr. Ronald Sokol's major scientific interests include treatment and prevention of complications of cholestatic liver diseases; human vitamin E deficiency states; oxidative mechanisms of liver injury in cholestasis, copper toxicity, and hepatic steatosis; regulation of mitochondrial dysfunction in hepatocellular necrosis and apoptosis; the use of antioxidants in human health and disease; and developing a severity of illness scoring system for acute liver failure. Dr. Sokol is the Chair of the Biliary Atresia Research Consortium and the Cholestatic Liver Disease Consortium.
Dr. Shikha Sundaram is investigating the role of factors that trigger non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in children who are overweight. She is a member of a national group studying the cause and treatment of primary sclerosing cholangitis in children. She also studies the long-term outcomes of pediatric liver transplant patients.
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