Research Overview

The Stanford University Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Training Program have been supported by the NIH for over 35 years. The grant supports 4 fellows per year. 

The program prepares these postdoctoral fellows for careers in academic gastroenterology while conducting research in digestive diseases. This is accomplished by providing a highly select and accomplished group of academically oriented trainees a research experience mentored by members of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and other affiliated faculty interested in digestive disease research. 

The training utilizes established research programs in the areas of genetics, engineering, developmental and cancer biology, microbiology, immunology, cell and molecular biology, outcomes and health policy research, epidemiology, and other relevant basic and clinical sciences that span the spectrum from bench to bedside.

A Synthesis of Basic and Clinical Science

The facilities, faculty and research programs at Stanford offer new and exciting opportunities in a unique environment that takes advantage of the continuing fusion between basic and clinical sciences. Quality and ability of the faculty are further attested to by the amount of independent research grant support awarded to individual members.

Potential fellows are (a) individuals who have completed internal medicine or pediatric residencies and a year of clinical GI training, and are interested in bench and/or clinical research as well as postdoctoral PhD scientists who wish to pursue research in an area related to digestive diseases. Physician trainees undergo one year of intense clinical training at our three teaching hospitals (Stanford Hospital, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, and the Palo Alto VA Hospital), and participate in an ACGME accredited fellowship program. The program then requires a minimum of two years of research training. In any given funding year, the program supports two second year fellows and two third year fellows doing research. After this period of training, most fellows generally apply for a transitional award from the NIH that leads them to independent investigator status. Notably all of the Stanford fellows who have applied for such awards ultimately received one.