Enrichment Program

Project Summary/Abstract Enrichment Program The Enrichment Program of the Medical University of South Carolina Digestive Disease Research Core Center (DDRCC) promotes the multidisciplinary exchange of ideas, lifelong learning, collaboration, and intra- and inter-institutional interactions. The Enrichment Program is directed by Antonis Kourtidis, PhD, who is taking over primary Director responsibilities of the Program from Dr. Don C. Rockey, MD, who will continue to serve as a co-Director of the Enrichment Program and is the DDRCC’s Center Director. Our goal is to continue on the current extremely successful trajectory and further expand the Enrichment Program with the support of DDRCC in order to: 1) provide continuous education for all members of the Center, representing basic, translational and clinical research; 2) foster interdisciplinary communication, research dissemination and collaborations across all members of the Center and with other institutions, particularly through our recently founded Eastern Alliance; 3) enhance the visibility of investigators and research programs locally, nationally and internationally, especially of our Junior Investigators; and 4) advance national and international recognition of the MUSC DDRCC and of its members. We will achieve the above goals through sustaining and expanding our robust DDRCC Seminar Series as a major forum of interdisciplinary, as well as intra- and inter-institutional scientific exchange in digestive and liver disease research at MUSC (Aim 1), and through promoting digestive disease research via our robust Annual Retreat, New Technologies Workshops, travel grants for junior investigators, science social events, and the recently established Eastern Alliance (Aim 2). By including DDRCC basic scientists, translational researchers and clinical investigators, the Enrichment Program will feature a bench-to-bedside approach for forging multidisciplinary collaborations thereby fulfilling a core mission of MUSC and of the NIH/NIDDK.