# The role of the Hippo Pathway in gastric homeostasis and metaplasia

> **NIH NIH K01** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $150,953

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 In this K01 application, I will get mentorship and protected research time to grow my skill repertoire to
pursue becoming a principal investigator in the field of gastric epithelial biology. My career development will be
nurtured through weekly meetings with Dr. Mills and Dr. DiPaolo, through convening an experienced senior
advisory committee, and opportunities for professional development through WashU and the NIH. Skill
development focus will include, but are not limited to, manuscript/grant preparation, seminars and courses
described in the career development section, and presentations at international conferences (DDW, FASEB,
etc.). Training includes coursework in biostatistics, workshops on bioinformatics, continued training in
bioethics, and participation diverse seminar series that will include me giving presentations, interacting with
visiting outside speakers, and attending journal clubs.
 The overarching hypothesis of this project is the following: The Hippo pathway is a central regulator of
gastric epithelial homeostasis and response to injury. We propose to address these Specific Aims with regards
to the role of the Hippo pathway in the gastric epithelium: 1) To address the sufficiency/necessity of the Hippo
pathway in maintaining normal, mature gastric epithelium cell identity during homeostasis and following injury
and the molecular pathways the interact with the Hippo pathway in driving acute dedifferentiation phenotypes
(gene expression, cell shape, cell proliferation). 2) To describe the role of the Hippo pathway in gastric
organoid growth and stemness. We will also address discovery of novel regulated and direct targets of
YAP1/TAZ in this in vitro metaplasia model.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10318980
- **Project number:** 5K01DK120800-03
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Spencer Gaffney Willet
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $150,953
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-01-15 → 2024-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10318980

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10318980, The role of the Hippo Pathway in gastric homeostasis and metaplasia (5K01DK120800-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10318980. Licensed CC0.

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