Basic Research
Basic science research in the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases focuses on inflammation and injury, metabolism, and cancer biology. See faculty profiles for further detail.

Ezra Burstein, M.D., Ph.D.
Research Interests: COMMD proteins: We study the regulation of endosomal protein sorting and immune function by members of this protein family. Genetics of inflammatory disorders: Our lab investigates the genetic basis of disorders of immune function, particularly affecting the GI tract Mucosal immunity and immune-tumor interactions in the GI tract.
Burstein Research Lab

Jeffrey D. Browning, M.D.
Research Interests:Pathogenesis of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Luke Engelking, M.D., Ph.D.
Research Interests: Cholesterol and Fat Metabolism, Enteroendocrine Cell Biology, SREBP, Scap and Insig Proteins
Engelking Research Lab

Jay Horton, M.D.
Research Interests: Hepatic steatosis, Lipid metabolism

Yujin Hoshida, M.D., Ph.D.
Research Interests: Liver cancer, Liver cirrhosis, Molecular classification, Precision medicine, Prognostic prediction
Liver Tumor Translational Research Program

Rodney Infante, M.D., Ph.D.
Research Interests: Cachexia, Cytokine-Associated Adipocyte Lipolysis, Lipid Metabolism, Obesity

Ravikanth Maddipati, M.D.
Research Interests: Cancer Genetics, Cancer Metastasis, High Risk and Hereditary Cancer Screening, Pancreatic Cancer, Pancreatitis
Maddipati Research Lab

Ayaz Najafov, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Anti-tumor immunity, Cancer, Immunogenic cell death, Immunotherapy, Necroptosis signaling
Najafov Research Lab

Venuprasad Poojary, Ph.D.
Research Interests: Colon Cancer, Gut Microbiota, Inflammasome, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBDs), Th17/Treg Differentiation
Poojary Research Lab

Hans-Christian Reinecker, M.D.
Research Interests: Control of adaptive host-defenses by Schlafen family proteins. Controlling innate and adaptive immune responses by Sensor Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING). Developing strategies to induce anti-tumor immunity for cancer immunotherapy. Targeting intracellular microtubule based microbial pattern recognition to control disease mechanisms of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
Reinecker Research Lab

Emre Turer, M.D., Ph.D.
Research Interests: Apoptotic and Inflammatory Signaling, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Intestinal Epithelial Cell Biology, Mucosal Immunology
Turer Research Lab