Administrative Core

PROJECT SUMMARY (ADMIN)
The overarching mission of the Center for the Molecular Studies in Digestive and Liver Diseases (CMSDLD)
is “To foster innovative and impactful digestive and liver disease research by supporting state-of-the art, creative
experimental approaches and to stimulate others to enter these areas of research”. Drs. Gary Wu and Klaus
Kaestner are the co-Directors of the CMSDLD and Dr. Rebecca Wells is the Associate Director in charge of the
enrichment and pilot feasibility programs. Each member of the leadership team is a full professor with significant
leadership experience at the Perelman School of Medicine and nationally. Drs. Wu and Kaestner have
complementary strengths that enable them to effectively lead the Center congruent with the theme of “Host-
environmental interactions in digestive and liver disease research from bench to bedside”. As a preeminent
molecular biologist with expertise in epithelial stem cell biology, Dr. Kaestner represents the basic wet bench
research community of CMSDLD. Dr. Wu has expertise in microbiome and nutritional biology as the co-Director
of the PennCHOP Microbiome Program and the Director of the Penn Center for Nutritional Science and Medicine
(PenNSAM), respectively. He represents center members with research interests in the microbiome and diet
with an emphasis on translational and human subject research. Dr. Wells adds to the strength of the leadership
team as a liver biologist having held leadership positions nationally in the AASLD. Her expertise was invaluable
in the development of the new Liver Biology theme group in the CMSDLD research base. The Administrative
Core meets regularly with the IAB, which is composed of leaders of collaborating centers and institutes at Penn
and CHOP as well as the VA Medical Center. Feedback and advice are also obtained on a regular basis from
an EAB of leading investigators nationally, a number of whom are Directors of DDRCCs. The Administrative
Core is a cohesive unit that seeks to accomplish the following Specific Aims: (1) To oversee the scientific,
programmatic, operational and fiscal affairs of CMSDLD through regularly scheduled meetings between
CMSDLD Leadership and Center Administrative staff; (2) To provide support for the scientific core facilities and
foster relationships between cores through regularly scheduled meetings between CMSDLD Leadership, Core
Directors and Technical Directors; (3) To coordinate the oversight and implementation of the pilot and feasibility
grant program; (4) To foster the career and professional development of Center Associate Members by providing
access to biomedical research cores, pilot feasibility awards, and enrichment programs designed specifically for
junior investigators; (5) To coordinate the internal and external advisory board meetings, as well as the steering
committees of the Cores; (6) To promote interdisciplinary research within the Penn community and between
Penn and related institutions (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia VA Medical Center); and (7) To
promote the mission of CMSDLD at national and regional levels, to scientific and lay communities.

Grant Number: 5P30DK050306-29
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Ken Cadwell