The Digestive Diseases and Nutrition Section trains students and physicians to care for patients and to carry out research in diseases of the digestive system and human nutrition.
The section’s research activities involve gastrointestinal stem cells (especially their involvement in cancer development, prevention, and therapy), study of Barrett's esophagus, study of pancreatic cancer, colon cancer screening, novel viral hepatitis therapies, clinical outcomes of endoscopic ultrasound, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Two faculty members have included novel endoscopic therapies into their practice, including endoscopic mucosal resection and radiofrequency ablation procedures, to remove early cancerous and precancerous lesions from the lining of the digestive tract with endoscopic instruments. Currently, we are the major center in the state for endoscopic ultrasound and ERCP. These specialized endoscopic interventions have made the University of Oklahoma the most premier digestive care facility in the state.