# Training in Basic and Translational Digestive Sciences

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2020 · $273,187

## Abstract

The University of Michigan has a superb history of training in gastrointestinal sciences over the last several
decades. Since its inception in 1989, our original NIDDK-funded training program supported a large number of
physician scientists and clinical investigators, many of whom now maintain full time academic positions in the
U.S. The original grant, which was designed mainly to train physician scientists, was until 2009 continuously
funded for 20 years. In 2012 we started a new training program that focuses solely on training postdoctoral
(MD, PhD, MD/PhD) and predoctoral PhD candidate scientists interested in basic and translational digestive
sciences. In addition to eight gastroenterologist physician scientists (all R01 holders), we have expanded our
research base to include an additional 17 R01-funded basic and physician scientists from the Department of
Molecular and Integrative Physiology (7), Department of Pathology (3), Department of Cell and Developmental
Biology (2), Department of Microbiology and Immunology (2), Division of Infectious Diseases (1), Division of
Metabolism, Endocrinology, & Diabetes (1), and Division of Hematology/Oncology (1). This program
consolidates the major investigators who are conducting gastrointestinal research at the University of Michigan
Medical School into a strong core of mentors for the training of physician scientists and biomedical
investigators interested in basic and translational digestive sciences. Our group of 25 program faculty are all
members of the Michigan Digestive Diseases Core Center funded by NIH (P30 DK34933) since 1986, and
bring a long history of collaboration and team science. The training program focuses on three thematic areas
that provide exceptional cross-disciplinary collaboration amongst the participating faculty: 1) neurobiology of
obesity and appetite control, visceral pain and neurosignaling regulating GI motility; 2) molecular and cellular
mechanisms of inflammation, tissue injury and repair; 3) cell growth, differentiation, neoplastic development
and programmed cell death. Continued support is requested for 3 predoctoral trainees seeking PhDs in one of
eight disciplines that range from Physiology to Cell and Molecular Biology, and for 3 postdoctoral trainees. The
program will be co-directed by Chung Owyang, MD (Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology) and Bishr
Omary, MD, PhD (Chair of Physiology), and includes coursework, seminars, strong mentoring and other
enriching features. The efforts of the trainees will be supported by 25,000 ft2 of research space and more than
$20 million of annual NIH research funding. The combined mass and diversity of available resources and the
demonstrated successes of the training faculty past and current mentees provide strong evidence that this
program will be highly successful in training the next generation of investigators interested in basic and
translational digestive sciences.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9984348
- **Project number:** 5T32DK094775-09
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** CHUNG OWYANG
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $273,187
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-07-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9984348

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9984348, Training in Basic and Translational Digestive Sciences (5T32DK094775-09). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9984348. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*