Postdoctoral trainees will perform experiments using classical physiological models such as determinants of bile secretion in the isolated perfused skate liver, mechanisms of organic anion transport and calcium signaling in isolated hepatocytes, studies of the enterohepatic circulation in everted gut sacs from skate and hagfish, mechanisms of diarrhea with chloride secretion from the shark rectal gland and gastric section in the frog stomach. Confocal microscopy will be used in isolated cell preparations to follow excretion of organic anions and calcium signaling. Modern molecular biology 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.

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 “Responsible Conduct of Research” and “How to write a paper and get it accepted in Hepatology or Gastroenterology.”

• Organic anion transport and secretion – determinants of bile formation
• Physiologic Imaging in liver cells and tissues
• Enterohepatic circulation
• Mechanisms of Intestinal secretion
• Mechanisms of Gastric secretion

Participants will complete three of the rotations over the six-day course. The first day of each rotation involves intensive experimental work, and the second day involves analysis and presentation of the work to the entire conference group.