• About the ACG Institute
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2006-2007 Institute Annual Report

Capital Campaign

The ACG Institute is proud of the dramatic advancement of the Capital Campaign, launched in 2002.   Highlights of 2007 include the unstoppable momentum of the Campaign, exceeding all expectations as we celebrate surpassing, by far, the original goal of $12 million.  Against the backdrop of significant new organizational developments reflecting the important stature of the ACG Institute in the life of the College, this year featured new educational offerings and major research support for colorectal cancer prevention through an RFA. 

An essential factor in the Campaign’s outstanding results is the generous expression of corporate support and commitment by key leaders in the GI marketplace coupled with record-setting gifts from individual physicians and private gastroenterology practices.  The success of this Campaign promises to create a strong and viable future source of resources to support clinical gastroenterology research and important patient and physician education priorities.  View the ACG Institute Donor Wall of Fame including pledges as of October 1, 2007.

Mission

The ACG Institute's primary mission is to advance the field of clinical gastroenterology through education and research. Consistent with that mission, the ACG Institute for Clinical Research & Education serves as a forum in which to build on the goals of the College. The Institute promotes research in clinical gastroenterology, educates physicians and the public, and provides resources to support the future needs of clinical gastroenterology, GI patients, as well as young clinical investigators who as they develop careers in academic gastroenterology, enrich knowledge and treatments in digestive diseases.

Founded in 1994, the ACG Institute for Clinical Research & Education has emerged as a major source of funding for patient care oriented gastroenterology research, and an active and effective sponsor of educational programming for consumers and physicians alike.

ACG Institute Leadership

Established under the ACG Bylaws, the ACG Institute Board of Directors is appointed by the ACG Board of Trustees and reports to the Board. The Institute's Management Subcommittee operates under the leadership of the ACG Institute Director, and is appointed by the ACG Board of Trustees. This group has responsibility for oversight of the educational and research activities of the Institute.

ACG Institute Management Subcommittee

• Edgar Achkar, M.D., FACG, Cleveland, OH - ACG Institute Director
• Christina M. Surawicz, M.D., FACG, Seattle, WA
• David Y. Graham, M.D., MACG, Houston, TX
• Linda Rabeneck, M.D., FACG, Toronto, ON, Canada
• Mitchell L. Shiffman, M.D., FACG, Richmond
• Seymour Katz, M.D., MACG, Rosslyn, NY
• Lawrence S. Schiller, M.D., FACG, Dallas, TX

Advancing Knowledge About Digestive Disease Through Clinical Research

The Institute has enjoyed impressive growth in its ability to underwrite research, funding over $6 million in clinical research grants to more than 400 investigators since its inception. These funds have gone to clinical investigators tackling some of the most important challenges in the field of gastroenterology.

In supporting young investigators, the Institute is not only investing in research, but also in the careers of those individuals whose work in academic and clinical settings will define the specialty of gastroenterology in the new millennium. The energy, insights and accomplishments of these researchers are what fuel the Institute — their work holds the promise of breakthroughs that will make a difference in the way gastroenterologists will treat their patients in the future.

The Institute presently funds two career development awards. The Junior Faculty Development Grant is a two-year award designed to support a junior faculty member or mid-career clinical investigator of outstanding promise to establish an independent, productive career in gastroenterology or hepatology. Funded originally at $40,000 a year for each of two years, in 2002 the Institute increased the award to $50,000 a year for each of two years. In 2005, the Junior Faculty Development Award will increase to $75,000 per year for each of two years.

Enhancing Patient Care Through Physician Education

The Institute has staked a claim in the life of the College through the excellence of its educational initiatives. Whether educating consumers about screening for colorectal cancer or about serious GI disorders, or providing state-of-the-art educational tools for physicians to enhance their practice, the Institute has become an undisputed educational leader.

Under the auspices of the ACG Institute, many of the most distinguished clinicians, researchers and academicians in the field of gastroenterology have contributed to the educational mission of the College by writing and editing an impressive array of physician and patient education tools. These programs run the gamut from scientific monographs on topics including variceal bleeding in the cirrhotic and acute and chronic diarrhea, to interactive programs on H. pylori and GERD, special supplements on extra-esophageal manifestations of GERD in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, and treatment algorithms on ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, among many others.

The hallmark of the ACG Institute since its inception has been to share first-class educational materials with GI subspecialists, as well as primary care physicians, internal medicine specialists and family practitioners.

Promoting Awareness of Digestive Health Through Public Education

Along with clinical research and physician education, public education is the third corner of the Institute's pyramid of strength. Using its own funds, without support from other partners, the Institute has made a major financial commitment to supporting patient education on colorectal cancer screening and prevention. Educating patients about the Medicare preventive benefit, and ensuring that American adults over 50 understand the importance of screening and early detection of colon cancer has been a primary focus of the Institute's educational mission.

The ACG National Public Information and Education Campaign on GERD was launched in 1996 and for five years brought televised messages, print advertisements and other strategic communications to the American public about chronic acid reflux. This campaign marks the Institute's coming into its own as a force within the gastroenterology community. The Institute sponsored a major national consumer education initiative that exceeded expectations in reaching millions of frequent heartburn sufferers with ACG's messages urging them to see their doctor or GI specialist for frequent, persistent symptoms.

Gathering Data to Strengthen Patient Care Through Registry Projects

The ACG Institute has been the forum for several important registry projects conducted by ACG experts with the broad participation of ACG members in clinical practice. Results of the ACG GI Bleeding Registry project were published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, while data from the Medicare Colorectal Cancer Screening Registry were presented at the ACG Annual Scientific Meeting in 1999. Another successful registry project on variceal bleeding enjoyed an impressive participation rate. The Institute is proud to be able to provide the ways and means to support registry projects like these which enhance our understanding of GI diseases.

The College, under the auspices of the ACG Institute for Clinical Research & Education, supports clinical gastroenterology research and faculty development awards each year. The College's goal is to foster clinical breakthroughs in gastroenterology by supporting research that promises to improve patient care and strengthen practitioners' capabilities.

Reporting Form (for use by past ACG grant recipients only)

Colorectal Cancer Prevention Action Plan

The ACG Colorectal Cancer Prevention Action Plan reflects the College's longstanding commitment to improving colorectal cancer screening. For 2007, the ACG Institute issued a Request for Applications pursuant to the Action Plan for the second of a planned series of RFAs for a one-time grant of $150,000.

In developing the RFA, the leadership of the ACG Institute recognized that in spite of multiple efforts to promote colorectal cancer screening, utilization rates remain low and adherence to surveillance guidelines is highly variable. There was consensus among colorectal cancer experts involved in developing the RFA that the measurement of quality of performance of colorectal cancer screening tests was of critical importance.
In the RFA, the Institute sought to promote research geared toward improving the quality of colorectal cancer screening and/or surveillance, with the ultimate goal of reducing colorectal cancer incidence and mortality.

Two highly regarded proposals emerged from a review of the submissions, and, in an unprecedented development, the ACG Board of Trustees moved to support both projects. Funding was awarded to Dr. Cynthia Ko at the University of Washington for her project "Colonoscopy Quality and Outcomes in Clinical Practice," and to Dr. Linda Rabeneck at Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre in Toronto for an investigation of "New or Missed Colorectal Cancer After Colonoscopy."

The ACG Colorectal Cancer Prevention Action Plan is an ambitious, multi-faceted effort approved by the ACG Board of Trustees in 2004. Under this plan, the College has earmarked significant resources to support large clinical research grants on specific clinically important topics in colorectal cancer prevention-research in improving the safety, effectiveness and acceptability of colonoscopy, and other colorectal cancer prevention strategies. In 2005 the College made its first award through the Action Plan when a one-time grant of $100,000 was awarded for research on chromocolonoscopy in the detection of flat colorectal neoplasms to Charles Kahi, M.D. and his colleagues in Indianapolis.

Funding Cutting Edge Clinical Research

The ACG Institute for Clinical Research and Education is pleased to announce the award of $812,959 in support of clinical research in gastroenterology. Selected for funding were seventeen Clinical Research proposals totaling $362,959. In addition, the Institute selected three Junior Faculty Development Award winners, increasing the total number of awardees to twenty. Since the inception of the ACG Institute in 1994, the generous support of industry and ACG members has allowed the Research Committee to provide over $9.0 million to 437 physicians in support of research directly relating to the clinical gastrointestinal practice. The proposals awarded funding in 2008 are listed below:

American College of Gastroenterology
ACG Institute for Clinical Research & Education

ACG 2008 Junior Faculty Development Grants

A two-year grant of $75,000 per year for each of two years

Jasmohan Singh Bajaj, MD, MBBS, MS
Medical College of Wisconsin
The Natural History of Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy and its Effect on Psychosocial Outcomes

Alphonso Brown, MD, MS Clin Epi
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Harvard Medical School
The Role of Angiopoeitin-2 in the Development and the Severity of Acute Pancreatitis

Evan Dellon, MD
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Biomarkers of Eosinophil Activation and Inflammation for Diagnosis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

ACG 2008 Clinical Research Awards

Johane P. Allard, MD
The Toronto General Hospital
Alterations in the Hepatic and Erythrocytes; Phospholipids in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease or Chronic Hepatitis C Infection

Farah Bahrani-Mougeot, PhD
Carolinas Medical Center
Determination of the Microbial Etiology of Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis: A Molecular Approach

Eric Benchimol, MD
The Hospital for Sick Children
The Incidence and Outcomes of Childhood Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Ontario, Canada

Marc Bissonnette, MD
The University of Chicago
Role of ErbB Signals in Malignant Transformation of Barrett's Esophagus

Rok Seon Choung, MD
Mayo Clinic
Incidence, Prevalence and Costs of Diabetic Gastroparesis 1995 to 2006: A US Population-Based Study

Jeffrey Cloud, MD, MPH
University of Virginia, Dept. of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Quantitative Variations of Fecal Flora in Recurrent Clostridium Difficile Associated Diarrhea

Darwin Conwell, MD
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Comparison of Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Pancreas to Secretin Stimulated Pancreas Function Test in the Diagnosis of Chronic Pancreatitis

Jessica Davila, PhD
Baylor College of Medicine
Process of Care and its Effect on Outcomes for Locally Advanced and Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

Kerry Dunbar, MD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Confocal Endomicroscopy for Evaluation of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Kanwar Gill, MBBS
Mayo Clinic Jacksonville
Minimally Invasive Detection of Lymphatic Micrometastases in Pancreatic Cancer

Binu John, MD
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
The Role of Derangement in Creatine Metabolism in Skeletal Muscle Wasting in Liver Cirrhosis

Benjamin Levitzky, MD
The Cleveland Clinic
Propofol in Combination with Opiods and Benzodiazepines vs. Opioids and Benzodiazepines alone Titrated to Moderate Sedation for Esophagoduodenoscopy

Rohit Makkar, MD
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Psychological Factors in Irritable Pouch Syndrome and Other Pouch Disorders

Francisco Marrero, MD
Cleveland Clinic
Does a Catheter Across the LES Obstruct the Flow of Liquids into the Stomach while Recumbent? If Yes, Can This be Prevented by Either a Smaller Bolus Size or Posture Change?

Michael Rosen, MD
Vanderbilt University
The Role of IL-13 and NKT Cells in New-Onset Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis

Sameer Saini, MD, MSc
University of Michigan Health System
Time Trends in Colonoscopy Quality in the United States between 2000 and 2006

Stacie Vela, MD
Medical University of South Carolina

Proteomic Analysis of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm Cyst Aspirate

** The work supported through ACG's research grants provides important new contributions to the science and practice of clinical gastroenterology, both today and in the future. If you would like to see an example of a project supported by an ACG grant relating to hemochromatosis which has blossomed into a web-based informational source, click on the URL below:
www.uwgi.org/hemochromatosis

Clinical Research Grants

In 2008, the American College of Gastroenterology will again offer Clinical Research Awards of up to $35,000 for original research in clinical gastroenterology. To be eligible for the Clinical Investigator Research Grant, at least one of the investigators must be an ACG member or trainee at the time of submission of the grant proposal. Physicians in training (interns, residents and fellows) are eligible to apply provided that the work is conducted under the preceptorship of a more senior or experienced investigator. Awardees will be selected based on feasibility, scientific and clinical significance, originality and anticipated contribution of the research to clinical practice. Applications will also be evaluated on the availability of adequate resources, including personnel and facilities.

2008 ACG Clinical Research Award Deadline An original and six (6) copies of the completed application package for the Clinical Research Award must be received by the deadline of Friday December 7, 2007. Awardees will be notified by April 1, 2008 with the award period to begin in July 1, 2008.

2008 Clinical Research Award Application (pdf)

Junior Faculty Development Grants

The American College of Gastroenterology is seeking applications for the 2008 ACG Junior Faculty Development Award. The primary goal of this career development grant of $75,000 per year for each of two years is to assist promising clinical researchers to develop research and careers that have a direct bearing on clinical gastrointestinal practice. This includes assistance to a junior faculty investigator to ensure that a major portion of the investigator's time is protected for clinical research. The Junior Faculty award provides support for junior investigators working toward independent careers in clinical research related to gastroenterology or hepatology.

To be eligible for the Junior Faculty award, applicants must be physicians who hold full-time faculty positions at a North American (U.S. or Canada) university, medical school, or other health care institution at the time of funding of the application, should it be approved. Applicants also must be members of the ACG at the time of application. This award is not intended for fellows, but for junior faculty who have demonstrated unusual promise and have some record of accomplishment in research. Established investigators are not eligible. Candidates must devote at least 50% of their effort to clinical research related to gastroenterology or hepatology.

Junior Faculty Development Award Deadline An original and six (6) copies of the completed application package for the Junior Faculty Award must be received by the deadline of Friday December 7, 2007. The award period will begin July 1, 2008.

2008 Junior Faculty Development Grant Application (pdf)

The International GI Training Grant program was initiated in 1995, and originally provided partial financial support to physicians outside the United States and Canada to receive clinical or clinical research training or education in Gastroenterology and Hepatology in selected medical training centers in North America.

This year, a second grant has been added, The North American International GI Training Grant, which will provide partial financial support to a U.S. or Canadian GI Fellow in training or a GI Physician who has completed training within the last 5 years, to receive clinical or clinical research training or education in Gastroenterology and Hepatology outside of North America.

Grants are to be used for travel to and from the training center and to the ACG Annual Meeting as well as for incidental expenses related to the training. Currently, $10,000 is awarded annually for each grant.

2008 International GI Training Grant Award
NEW - 2008 North American International GI Training Grant Award

Past Recipients of the International GI Training Grant: