PROJECT SUMMARY (ADMIN) The overarching mission of the Center for the Molecular Studies in Digestive and Liver Diseases (CMSDLD) is “To foster innovative and impactful digestive and liver disease research by supporting state-of-the art, creative experimental approaches and to stimulate others to enter these areas of research”. Drs. Gary Wu and Klaus Kaestner are the co-Directors of the CMSDLD and Dr. Rebecca Wells is the Associate Director in charge of the enrichment and pilot feasibility programs. Each member of the leadership team is a full professor with significant leadership experience at the Perelman School of Medicine and nationally. Drs. Wu and Kaestner have complementary strengths that enable them to effectively lead the Center congruent with the theme of “Host- environmental interactions in digestive and liver disease research from bench to bedside”. As a preeminent molecular biologist with expertise in epithelial stem cell biology, Dr. Kaestner represents the basic wet bench research community of CMSDLD. Dr. Wu has expertise in microbiome and nutritional biology as the co-Director of the PennCHOP Microbiome Program and the Director of the Penn Center for Nutritional Science and Medicine (PenNSAM), respectively. He represents center members with research interests in the microbiome and diet with an emphasis on translational and human subject research. Dr. Wells adds to the strength of the leadership team as a liver biologist having held leadership positions nationally in the AASLD. Her expertise was invaluable in the development of the new Liver Biology theme group in the CMSDLD research base. The Administrative Core meets regularly with the IAB, which is composed of leaders of collaborating centers and institutes at Penn and CHOP as well as the VA Medical Center. Feedback and advice are also obtained on a regular basis from an EAB of leading investigators nationally, a number of whom are Directors of DDRCCs. The Administrative Core is a cohesive unit that seeks to accomplish the following Specific Aims: (1) To oversee the scientific, programmatic, operational and fiscal affairs of CMSDLD through regularly scheduled meetings between CMSDLD Leadership and Center Administrative staff; (2) To provide support for the scientific core facilities and foster relationships between cores through regularly scheduled meetings between CMSDLD Leadership, Core Directors and Technical Directors; (3) To coordinate the oversight and implementation of the pilot and feasibility grant program; (4) To foster the career and professional development of Center Associate Members by providing access to biomedical research cores, pilot feasibility awards, and enrichment programs designed specifically for junior investigators; (5) To coordinate the internal and external advisory board meetings, as well as the steering committees of the Cores; (6) To promote interdisciplinary research within the Penn community and between Penn and related institutions (Children’s H...