Dear Applicant,

The Division of Gastroenterology-Hepatology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine offers two positions for 3 years of training in clinical and investigative gastroenterology-hepatology.

During the first year of our fellowship program, there is an emphasis on clinical and consultative gastroenterology with rotations at the University of Connecticut and The Hospital of Central Connecticut. In the second year, rotations focus on advanced procedures, liver transplantation, and senior consultation on selected patients. Senior faculty at Hartford Hospital and St. Francis Hospital participate in this phase of the program. In the third year, intensive exposure to GI-liver research is designed to stimulate interest and develop skills in research. The third year also includes a Hartford Hospital rotation that offers substantial exposure to ERCP and EUS.

Major assets of the Program are the “hands on” procedural experience and diversity of the very large patient population. The Division also maintains a variety of investigative interests primarily at the University Hospital. With the recent addition of Dr. Petr Protiva, we have now added research expertise in the relationship of nutrition to Colon Cancer. The fellowship program supports a wide array of research and clinical programs. The training environment includes opportunities for medical students (Scholars in Medicine Program), house officers (Academic Program for Training in Liver Research), postdoctoral (Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D.) fellows and GI trainees. Examples of research opportunities and current research projects include:

I. Liver Research Laboratory

A. Dr. George Wu (M.D., Ph.D. [Biochemistry] Albert Einstein College of Medicine; GI, Albert Einstein College of Medicine)

1. Molecular strategies for the treatment of viral hepatitis
2. Targeted gene delivery and expression in mammalian cells
3. Animal models of viral hepatitis
4. Clinical drug trials for viral hepatitis

B. Dr. Catherine Wu (Ph.D. [Biochemistry] City University of NY)

1. Molecular biology and regulation of collagen synthesis
2. Animal models of viral hepatitis

C. Dr. Petr Protiva (M.D., Charles University, Czech Republic, G.I., Saint Francis-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia University)

1. Nutritional influences in the development of colon cancer
2. Drug-induced liver disease

II. Collaborative Projects and Translational Science

The Division encourages interaction with the large number of Medical School Faculty whose basic or clinical science interests are related to gastroenterology. For example, we have collaborations with the Center for Molecular Medicine (Genomics of Colon Cancer), the Department of Pathology (Immune Activation in Irritable Bowel Disease) and the Department of Community Medicine (Oxidative Stress Markers in Liver Disease).

Each Wednesday afternoon, at the University Hospital, there are meetings of faculty and fellows for GI Grand Rounds, GI Pathology and GI Radiology conferences. There are also monthly meetings of the GI Journal Club, a GI Physiology Conference, a Research Journal Club, and didactic sessions on GI disease.