
Postdoctoral trainees will perform experiments to study basic physiological processes including bile secretion and the enterohepatic circulation of bile salts using zebrafish. Mechanisms of diarrhea and gastric secretion will be examined with killifish opercula and frog intestine respectively. Confocal microscopy will be used to assess bile acid secretion in zebrafish, and in isolated rat hepatocyte sandwich cultures. Modern molecular biology and immunocytochemical approaches will be used to identify specific transport proteins and bioinformatic approaches will be used to analyze respective genes and gene sets, including mutations which disrupt these processes and result in clinical disease. Disease models of biliary atresia and liver regeneration will also be examined in zebrafish.
Fellows will benefit from close interactions with senior investigators in Liver and GI physiology and pathophysiology who will guide them through the performance of the experiments, share meals, and take the time to discuss their career goals. Fellows will benefit enormously by working closely with other fellows from different programs and sharing their insights into Liver and GI research.
The course is organized around several laboratory modules, including in-depth bioinformatics components, and separate sessions on “How to write a grant” and “How to write a paper and get it accepted in Hepatology or Gastroenterology”.
Course Director
- James L. Boyer, M.D.Ensign Professor of Medicine; Emeritus Director, Liver CenterYale University School of Medicine
Faculty
- Shi-Ying Cai, DScSenior Research ScientistYale University School of Medicine
- Paul A. Dawson, Ph.D.Professor, Gastroenterology, Department of PediatricsEmory University School of Medicine
- David C. Dawson, Ph.D.Professor Emeritus, Department of Physiology an Pharmacology; Former Director, MDI Biological LaboratoryOregon Health and Science University
- Joel H. Graber, Ph.D.Senior Staff Scientist, Director of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics CoreMDI Biological Laboratory
- Susan Hagen, Ph.D.Associate Professor, SurgeryHarvard Medical School
- Michael H. Nathanson, M.D., Ph.D.Gladys Phillips Crofoot Professor of Medicine and Cell BiologyYale University School of Medicine
- Michael A. Pack, M.D.Professor of MedicinePerelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
- Patricio Silva, M.D.Professor of Medicine, Section of Nephrology, Hypertension, and Kidney TransplantationTemple University School of Medicine
- W. Kelley Thomas, Ph.D.Director, Hubbard Center for Genome StudiesUniversity of New Hampshire
- Xiao Zhao, M.D.Instructor of MedicineUniversity of Pennsylvania
Check-in for housing keys is 5:00-6:00pm on Saturday.
The course begins with dinner on Saturday, followed by an orientation and social.
Lectures and laboratory rotations take place Sunday through Friday.
Departure from campus housing is by 9am on Saturday.
Participating students will receive a more detailed schedule prior to arrival.
Course participants reside in on-campus double occupancy housing. Single occupancy assignments, if available, can be arranged with an extra fee.