UPenn Digestive and Liver Center

The mission of the UPenn Digestive and Liver Center is to unite investigators with interests in digestive and liver disease in the exploration of creative experimental approaches, as well as to stimulate others to enter these areas of research. The scientific focus of the Center revolves around host-environmental interactions in digestive and liver disease research from bench to bedside. The Center is divided into three thematic areas: Intestinal Biology, Liver Biology, and the Microbiome. Center resources include five biomedical research cores to support research in both model systems and human subjects, a pilot & feasibility program, and various enrichment activities including a weekly seminar series, liver and intestinal stem cell clubs, and an annual retreat.

If you would like to become a member, please submit the requested information enclosed in our membership application.

Announcements

Message from Our New Center Director, Ken Cadwell!

Dear Colleagues and Friends, 

I am honored to step into the role of Director of the UPenn Digestive and Liver Center and to have the opportunity to serve such an accomplished community. As I begin this new chapter, I first want to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Gary Wu for his exceptional leadership and dedication over the years. Gary’s contributions have been instrumental in shaping the Center’s success, and I am delighted that he has graciously agreed to continue serving as a co-Associate Director alongside Dr. Becky Wells. I am lucky to have their guidance as we build on the strong foundation they have established and navigate the challenges that may arise during this politically volatile period. 

This edition of our quarterly newsletter brings exciting updates, including the announcement of our pilot award winners. The selection process was highly competitive, with a remarkable number of outstanding applications. This is a testament to the innovative research happening across our community. Congratulations to the awardees; your work embodies the excellence we strive to foster. 

You may also notice that we’ve simplified our name to the UPenn Digestive and Liver Center, a change intended to make our identity clearer and easier to remember while staying true to our mission. 

In my new role, I am committed to supporting our excellent core services and promote community building through the many enrichment activities organized by the Center. I look forward to working with all of you to drive our Center’s continued growth and impact. 

Warm regards,  Ken

Grant Citation

Please cite the UPenn Digestive and Liver Center (P30DK050306) in all publications related to core usage.

NOT-DK-24-031: “Availability of Administrative Supplements to Broaden the NIDDK Clinical Research Workforce": 

This administrative supplement is designed to broaden the clinical research workforce with a specific focus on research coordinators. The supplement will provide funds to hire, train and support clinical research coordinators for up to two years to improve the outreach, recruitment, and community engagement of NIDDK clinical research studies, leading to more transformative research.

NIDDK Strategic Plan for Research

To review the NIDDK Strategic Plan for Research, click here.

Check out this NIDDK Resource Website (dkNET): https://dknet.org/

dkNET is a search portal funded by NIDDK that helps researchers find research resources relevant to their research and keep up to date on new tools, services and mandates to support robust and reproducible science. Research resources include reagents, organisms, software tools, databases and services.

Latest Publications from Center Members

  • T-cell immunosenescence limits CD19 CAR T-cell function in chronic lymphocytic leukemia Monday, August 24, 2026

    CD19-directed CAR T-cells (CTL019) can produce durable remissions in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but therapeutic success depends on whether autologous T-cells expand, persist, and retain cytotoxic function after manufacturing. Failure of CLL T-cells is often attributed to exhaustion, although many dysfunctional CLL T-cells retain inflammatory cytokine production. We tested whether this paradox reflects immunosenescence, an aging-like program defined by costimulatory loss, DNA damage,...

  • Recompensation After Etiologic Cure in U.S. Veterans with HCV-Related Decompensated Cirrhosis Monday, August 24, 2026

    CONCLUSIONS: Recompensation occurs in a meaningful proportion of patients with HCV-related decompensated cirrhosis after SVR and is associated with improved survival. Patients with preserved liver synthetic function and less severe portal hypertension are more likely to recompensate, while further decompensation reduces this likelihood. Ascites resolution alone identified most patients achieving Baveno VII-defined recompensation, suggesting it may serve as a pragmatic clinical marker of...

  • Spatial transcriptomics reveals distinct cell type dynamics following opioid dependence in female mice with the common human μ-opioid receptor variant Oprm1 A118G Monday, August 24, 2026

    Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a complex neuropsychiatric condition shaped by multiple factors including genetics. The A118G single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs1799971) in the µ-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) has been associated with heightened risk for opioid and other substance dependencies, but the molecular basis of this effect remains unclear. Importantly, mice with the orthologous SNP, Oprm1 A112G, recapitulate many of the divergent behavioral responses to opioids documented in humans with the...