Gastroenterology

The Division of Gastroenterology at the Washington University School of Medicine represents one of the finest examples of an academic training program, dedicated to the study of digestive and liver diseases. The balance of outstanding faculty, exemplary facilities and a cohesive philosophy ensure consistent excellence across the missions of maintaining national prominence in research, teaching and patient care.

News Stories & Tip Sheets:

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From bench to bedside Heuckeroth receives Clinical Scientist Award in Translational Research June 5, 2009 -- Heuckeroth Download Robert Heuckeroth has won a Clinical Scientist Award in Translational Research from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Heuckeroth, a Washington University pediatric gastroenterologist who treats children with Hirschsprung disease and other gastrointestinal disorders at St. Louis Children's Hospital, was one of only four physician-scientists nationwide to receive the prestigious award.

Scoping out cancer-causing disorder Technique eradicates problems in most patients with Barrett's esophagus May 27, 2009 -- Edmundowicz Download A procedure that uses heat generated by radio waves to treat Barrett's esophagus, a condition caused by acid reflux (severe heartburn), can eliminate signs of the potentially cancer-causing disorder and reduce the risk that the disease will progress.

Preventing obesity, but not gallstones Genetically engineered mice don't get obese, but do develop gallstones May 6, 2009 -- Mice lacking the L-Fabp gene (left) don't become obese on a high-fat diet like normal mice. Download Obesity and gallstones often go hand in hand. But not in mice developed at the School of Medicine. Even when these mice eat high-fat diets, they don't get fat, but they do develop gallstones. Researchers say the findings offer clues about genetic factors related to gallstones, and they believe better understanding of those factors may one day allow physicians to monitor people at risk and even, perhaps, to intervene before gallstones become a serious problem.

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Faculty Experts:

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Jeffrey I. Gordon The Dr. Robert J. Glaser Distinguished University Professor and Head of the Department of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology and Professor of Medicine Gordon Gordon is internationally known for his research on gastrointestinal development and how gut bacteria affect normal intestinal function and predisposition to health and to certain diseases. Expertise: molecular biology, pharmacology, gut biology, microbes, bacteria, intestines, gastrointestinal development, … Media assistance: (314) 286-0109 / reckessg@wustl.edu

Samuel Klein Danforth Professor Klein The Danforth Professor of Medicine and Nutritional Sciences, Samuel Klein is an internationally renowned expert on obesity and weight loss. Expertise: Obesity, nutrition, weight loss Media assistance: (314) 286-0110 / jdryden@wustl.edu

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Related News Clips:

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Bringing Bellyaching to an End U.S. News & World Report Dec. 2, 2008 -- There's something about digestive difficulties that makes them hard to discuss in polite company — which leaves many of us suffering one problem or another in silence. Yet fixes can be as simple as making informed lifestyle changes or taking over-the-counter remedies. WUSTL gastroenterology professor Themos Dassopoulos, codirector of inflammatory bowel diseases, comments.

Scientists Look to Vaccines in the War on E. Coli The New York Times and 1 others May 1, 2007 -- Vaccines for people and for cattle are just two approaches under development to prevent or treat food poisoning by the strain E. coli O157:H7. Right now, scientists can do little medically to fight the pathogen, which was responsible for two severe outbreaks last fall. WUSTL pediatrics professor Phillip Tarr, a gastroenterology specialist, comments on the difficulty of treatment.

Officials consider spinach labeling plan Associated Press and 32 others Sept. 22, 2006 -- Federal health officials said Thursday that more explicit labeling was just one proposal under consideration for allowing fresh spinach back on the market. Others include stepped-up regulation of how spinach is grown and processed. WUSTL pediatrics gastroenterology professor Phillip Tarr describes the illness and what people should do if they think they have the illness.

Duodenal ulcers like mayor's likely due to bacteria, not stress Associated Press State & Local Wire and 6 others July 10, 2006 -- The type of ulcer for which Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor has been diagnosed is likely caused by bacteria, not stress, according to doctors. Normally, the gastrointestinal system protects itself against acid imbalance, but bacteria can cause an infection that interferes with acid regulation, said WUSTL gastroenterologist Matthew Ciorba. It was long thought that stress or diet caused ulcers, but that's no longer the case.

Bucking the mainstream on Crohns Newsday (NY) May 16, 2006 -- Crohn's disease is marked by inflammation that can occur anywhere from the mouth to the anus and is characterized by bloody diarrhea, severe cramping and intestinal blockages - fistulas - that require doctors to surgically remove portions of the intestines. Reporting a year ago in the New England Journal of Medicine, Korzenik and co-theorist Dr. Brian Dieckgraefe, a gastroenterologist at Washington University in St. Louis, found that after one Leukine injection a day for 56 days, patients' quality of life improved and Crohn's symptoms dramatically retreated. Korzenik said additional studies are planned.

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