AGA honors four young gastroenterologists with prestigious Research Scholar Awards

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Research Foundation has announced its 2011 research scholars. The grants have been awarded to four outstanding young gastroenterologists who promise to make significant strides in the field of gastrointestinal research.

"We have an unapologetically idealistic viewpoint that our work will help shape the future of our field, and are passionate about supporting and advancing the careers of young researchers by providing critical funding," said Nicholas F. LaRusso, MD, AGAF, chair of the AGA Research Foundation. "It is the work and discoveries of these gifted scholars that will open doors to new treatments and exciting new areas of knowledge. By fostering their growth, we are helping to ensure the future of gastroenterology and hepatology research and practice."

The 2011 AGA research scholars are:

• Ashwin Ananthakrishnan, MD, MPH, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston: A prospective study of diet and risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
• Carla Coffin, MSc, MD, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada (AGA-Vertex Pharmaceuticals Research Scholar Award in Hepatitis C Translational Research): Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Quasispecies and Lymphotropism in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Confected Patients.
• Karen Edelblum, PhD, University of Chicago, IL: Gamma delta (γδ) intraepithelial lymphocyte migration and epithelial interaction in intestinal disease.
• Anne Henkel, MD, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL: The role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the pathogenesis of NASH.

The prestigious Research Scholar Awards offer each scientist $60,000 for two years to help support his or her research. The goal of the Research Scholar Awards is to guarantee the perpetuation of strong science through the encouragement of young physician investigators and, ultimately, to improve patient care through digestive diseases research.

These extremely competitive awards ensure that bright, young physicians and scientists devote their careers to advancing the field of digestive health through research. Awards are based on the qualifications of the candidate, the quality of the candidate's research proposal and the commitment of the candidate's institution to protect 70 percent of his or her time for research.

The Research Scholar Awards program was launched in 1984 to provide crucial early support to investigators who show promise in academic gastroenterological research. The program's premise recognized that resources awarded early on could provide a stable platform from which future research funding would be derived. During and after their time as an AGA research scholar, recipients have made important contributions to the field of gastroenterology, and many former award recipients have gone on to hold distinguished appointments in major medical institutions in the U.S. and Canada.