Visiting Scientists Program
Our Visiting Scientist Program hosts scientists and faculty from other institutions for extended stays of one or two years, during which they participate as visiting faculty in the research projects of Center investigators. The Center accepts visiting scientists at all levels of their career and provides them with the flexibility to tailor their experience at the Center to their own needs and interests. These visitors are normally supported by their own institutions or grant agencies but, under exceptional circumstances, they may be supported by the Center.
While studying at the Center, visiting scientists have access to expert psychologists, gastroenterologists and physiologists, providing a wide variety of opportunities to learn vital skills and techniques in the treatment and research of functional GI and motility disorders. Visiting scientists also have the chance to observe patient care, participate in research meetings and teaching conferences (CME), and expand their training experience by meeting with other faculty within the UNC Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Visiting scientists are expected to lecture or make presentations and, in this way, to bring new skills and knowledge to the Center's resident clinicians and investigators. They write academic publications related to functional GI and motility disorders, and are invited to write articles for the Center's quarterly Digest newsletter that are representative of their particular clinical care or academic interests.
Recent visiting scientists include:
Our Visiting Scientist Program hosts scientists and faculty from other institutions for extended stays of one or two years, during which they participate as visiting faculty in the research projects of Center investigators. The Center accepts visiting scientists at all levels of their career and provides them with the flexibility to tailor their experience at the Center to their own needs and interests. These visitors are normally supported by their own institutions or grant agencies but, under exceptional circumstances, they may be supported by the Center.
While studying at the Center, visiting scientists have access to expert psychologists, gastroenterologists and physiologists, providing a wide variety of opportunities to learn vital skills and techniques in the treatment and research of functional GI and motility disorders. Visiting scientists also have the chance to observe patient care, participate in research meetings and teaching conferences (CME), and expand their training experience by meeting with other faculty within the UNC Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Visiting scientists are expected to lecture or make presentations and, in this way, to bring new skills and knowledge to the Center's resident clinicians and investigators. They write academic publications related to functional GI and motility disorders, and are invited to write articles for the Center's quarterly Digest newsletter that are representative of their particular clinical care or academic interests.
Recent visiting scientists include:
- Motoyori Kanazawa, MD, PhD, is from the Department of Behavioral Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan, where he is an Assistant Professor and director of the teaching program. He was a Visiting Scientist at the Center from July 2002 to June 2004, during which he completed a number of epidemiological and physiological studies. His research interests have included the study of visceral perception in functional dyspepsia using cerebral evoked potential, epidemiological studies of learned illness behavior in IBS, and trans-cultural studies comparing the characteristics of IBS patients in the US and Japan. He has returned to Tohoku University, but he continues to collaborate with Center investigators.
- Albena Halpert, MD, was a Visiting Scientist at the Center from July 2002 to June 2004. She has a special interest in patient education and carried out research on the educational needs of FGID patients and the impact of providing this education on health outcomes. She also carried out research on the physiology of incontinence and defecation. Dr. Halpert is now directing the functional GI and motility program at Boston University Medical Center, but she continues to collaborate with Center investigators.
- Andree Rasquin, MD (September 1994 to June 1995) is a Professor of Pediatric Gastroenterology and former Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology at St. Justine Hospital, University of Montreal, Canada. Her visit to the UNC Center led to a career change from working in liver disease to research and clinical care in pediatric functional GI disorders. Since her visit, Dr. Rasquin has set up a pediatric functional GI program and has received a $1 million grant from the Janssen Foundation to support this effort. She has also been co-Chair of the Rome II and Rome III Pediatric Functional GI Disorders Committee.
