Division of Gastroenterology Today
The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the Department of Medicine at Penn is a robust academic unit, with 66 full-time faculty members whose clinical and scientific expertise covers the spectrum of areas within modern gastroenterology. There are 23 fellows in training and more than 250 staff members across five primary sites, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn-Presbyterian Medical Center, Pennsylvania Hospital, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania-Cedar Avenue, and Penn Medicine at Radnor.
The clinical focus of the Division includes inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Hepatology and liver transplantation, gastrointestinal oncology, gastrointestinal motility and physiology, esophagology, nutrition, advanced interventional endoscopy, and general gastroenterology. In recent years the Division has seen robust growth in the number of patients awaiting liver transplantations and obtaining liver transplants; increased numbers of endoscopic procedures in the setting of a rigorous quality assurance program; and an increasingly complex mix of GI and Hepatology subspecialty consultations in IBD, upper GI disorders, nutrition, and motility/physiology from local, regional and national referral partners. The division includes a significant health systems research group and has been a leader in the development of innovative approaches to providing care.
The Division participates actively in the education and training of undergraduate students, medical and graduate students, combined degree students, medical residents, and GI/Hepatology fellows and advanced fellows. The fellowship is supported through two NIH T32 training grants, one in basic sciences and the other in clinical epidemiology. Medical students are encouraged to participate in both basic science and clinical curricula, as are undergraduates; the division holds two NIH R25 training grants for undergraduates, one for bench research training and one for epidemiology training.
Sponsored program awards and proposals have grown impressively over the years. Among the GI faculty of 66 members, there are 19 physician-scientists and research faculty engaged in NIH-funded research, and many of the clinician-educators have funded research programs. Total sponsored programs awards were an impressive $17 million in FY22. The Division has witnessed the rapid emergence of multidisciplinary research-funded efforts that have nurtured collaborative relationships across the Penn campus and worldwide. Within the Division and beyond, GI and Hepatology research at UPenn is supported by the NIH/NIDDK UPenn Center for Molecular Studies in Digestive and Liver Diseases (P30), co-directed by Gary Wu, MD (Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology) and Klaus Kaestner, PhD (Department of Genetics). The center, one of only 17 in the United States, includes more than 40 members and associate members coming from five schools at the University of Pennsylvania as well as the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. It provides access to research core facilities, an annual symposium, weekly research seminars, and other enrichment events.>https://www.med.upenn.edu/CMSDLD/
With the institution of Dr. Jorge Marrero as the T. Grier Miller Professor and Division Chief in July 2022, the Division is poised to continue building on its strong foundation in pursuing the tripartite mission of providing superb clinical care, carrying out innovative and ground-breaking research, and educating the medical leaders of the future.