# Treatment Approaches and Outcomes in Pouch-related Disorders after Colectomy for Ulcerative Colitis

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2021 · $200,052

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This overall goal of this mentored patient-oriented research career development award is to improve our
understanding of pouchitis and other inflammatory conditions after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal
pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Dr. Barnes is a motivated clinical researcher at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), with a specific interest in the study of inflammatory bowel diseases. Over the
next five years, Dr. Barnes will work with his mentorship committee to continue his progression towards his
goal of independence. His mentorship committee includes experts in gastrointestinal epidemiology and
comparative effectiveness (Kappelman), patient reported outcomes [(PROs) DeWalt], and precision medicine
(Kosorok). Each member has an established track record of mentoring junior faculty, consistent peer-reviewed
support, and high research productivity. Dr. Barnes’s career development objectives are as follows: 1) develop
a new skillset in comparative effectiveness research using real-world data; 2) obtain knowledge and
experience in the development of PRO assessments; 3) acquire new skills in machine learning and precision
medicine principles which will allow for the incorporation of clinical and microbiota data into new risk modeling
for patients undergoing restorative proctocolectomy with IPAA, and 4) transition to independence. To achieve
his career development objectives, Dr. Barnes will participate in structured coursework, conduct mentored
research, and will participate in workshops through the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences
Institute, including the R-Writing Group. The research and training environment at UNC is well established. For
fiscal year 2019, UNC ranked tenth among both private and public universities nationwide for National
Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding to domestic institutions of higher education. The specific aims of this
research project are 1) to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of specific biologic therapies for the
treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions of the pouch after IPAA; 2) to develop PRO items for evaluating
quality of life and specific symptom domains among patients after IPAA. Techniques for PRO development will
include identifying symptom domains relevant to patients after IPAA using qualitative research methods,
selecting candidate items for IPAA-specific PROs using existing PRO instruments where appropriate, and
performing cognitive interviews with patients after IPAA to ensure content validity; and 3) to demonstrate novel
methods for identifying predictors of chronic pouchitis using a machine learning approach. Expanding an
existing prospective cohort, Dr. Barnes will utilize the stool microbiome, laboratory data and clinical variables to
create signatures for identifying predictors of chronic pouchitis. The combination of mentorship, didactics, and
research experiences offered through this K23 proposal will allow Dr. Barnes t...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10103883
- **Project number:** 1K23DK127157-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Edward Barnes
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $200,052
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-02-05 → 2025-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10103883

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10103883, Treatment Approaches and Outcomes in Pouch-related Disorders after Colectomy for Ulcerative Colitis (1K23DK127157-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10103883. Licensed CC0.

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