The Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center (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 the MD Anderson Cancer Center).

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, is the DDC co-director. Lenard Lichtenberger, Ph.D., professor of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas Health Science Center and Lopa Mishra, M.D. at MD Anderson Cancer Center are associate directors.

Current DDC membership numbers 129 with over $14.7 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 Medical Center 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.