Welcome

Welcome to the Texas Gulf Coast Digestive Diseases Center (DDC) Web Site.

The DDC is a federally funded center (NIH DK58338) designed to serve basic and clinical scientists at institutions within the Texas Medical Center (Baylor College of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston) and at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

The DDC Director is Mary K. Estes, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Virology and Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine. David Y. Graham, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Molecular Virology and Chief of Baylor Gastroenterology, is the DDC Co-director. Associate Directors are: Lenard Lichtenberger, Ph.D., Professor of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas Health Science Center, and Don Powell, M.D., Professor and Chair of Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch/Galveston.

Current DDC membership numbers 110 with over $12 million annually in digestive diseases-related research funding. The Center has particular strengths in the areas of gastrointestinal development, infection, and injury. Outreach and educational programs include a weekly seminar series, the GI Research Forum, and an annual summer Gulf Coast GI Research Forum. Pilot/Feasibility and Enrichment Programs to support innovative ideas and new investigators in Digestive Disease research and foster collaboration are a key part of our Center.

This website provides information on our mission, facilities, programs, and investigators.