Supporting NEW CLINICAL RESEARCH CATEGORIES The ACG Institute recognized two areas in need of critical research support - established investigators in need of bridge funding and research utilizing the GIQuIC database. To address this need, ACG offers funding for the Established Investigator Bridge Funding Award (up to $300,000 over two years) and a new joint society award, the ACG/ASGE Epidemiologic Research Award in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (up to $50,000). The 2021 recipients of the newest ACG Clinical Research Awards describe the impact of these awards on their research and their projects:
2021 ACG Established Investigator Bridge Funding Award Johane Allard, MD Toronto General Hospital Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Relationship Between Hepatic Gene Expression, Intestinal Microbiome and Disease Severity
The focus of our research is to assess the contribution of the intestinal
2021 ACG/ASGE Epidemiologic Award in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Jason Dominitz, MD, MHS University of Washington School of Medicine Comparison of Colonoscopy Quality Metrics Among Individuals Undergoing Diagnostic Colonoscopy for an Abnormal Fecal Occult Blood Test, Abnormal FIT-DNA Test or Average Risk Screening Colonoscopy in a National Colonoscopy Registry
microbiome in the pathogenesis and severity of NAFLD. Little is known about
My co-investigators and I greatly appreciate the support of the ACG/ASGE
the relationship between the intestinal microbiome, hepatic gene expression and
Epidemiologic Research Award in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Using data from
NAFLD severity. We will leverage our previously funded work (Canadian Institute
the GI Quality Improvement Consortium (GIQuIC), our study will compare
of Health Research: CIHR) to assess this relationship and use an integrative
colonoscopy findings and follow-up recommendations between diagnostic
multi-omics approach. This approach combines shotgun metagenomics, liver
colonoscopy for an abnormal fecal immunochemical test (FIT) vs. an abnormal
transcriptomic, stools and plasma metabolites, diet and clinical phenotyping to
FIT-DNA (aka Cologuard®) vs. screening colonoscopy. Results of this study will
reveal specific molecular mechanisms involved in this process.
help inform adenoma detection rate (ADR) benchmarks for these indications, as adenoma detection information is especially limited for colonoscopy performed
Receiving the ACG Established investigator Bridge Funding Award (previously
to evaluate an abnormal FIT-DNA screening test. We will also examine the
named the Mid-Career/Senior Scientist Bridge Funding Award) is a great
impact of indication on withdrawal time, on use of additional testing, such
honor. I am very excited and extremely grateful for the funding which will
as performance of EGD, and on colonoscopy surveillance recommendations.
further enhance our current research program in non-alcoholic fatty liver
Finally, the results will help to establish real-world point estimates to inform
disease (NAFLD) by supporting hepatic transcriptomic, computing analysis and
assumptions for cost-effectiveness models of colorectal cancer screening and
integration of multi-omics data.
may identify targets for future interventions to improve the process of screening and surveillance for colorectal cancer. We would not be able to do this study without the funding from the ACG/ASGE Research Award.
12 | 2020–2021 ACG Institute Annual Report of Programs & Activities
