We are proud to announce Kathryn Hamilton, PhD of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) was awarded the AGA-Beyond Celiac Pilot Research Award in Celiac Disease. Her project is titled Deciphering Cell Interactions Driving Inflammatory Epithelial Cell States.
Dr. Hamilton studies chronic inflammation in the gut and how it can damage the gut barrier. Her main focus was on Crohn’s disease, and this award will allow her to continue to develop this line of study in celiac disease. This kind of research is essential to being able to develop future treatments for gastrointestinal diseases and to understand the commonalities among these conditions.
When asked what drew her to study digestive diseases, Dr. Hamilton wrote, “My path to studying the gut was paved with curiosity and circumstance. I developed a love for cooking in graduate school, transforming ingredients into delicious meals. But my grandmother’s struggle with Crohn’s disease revealed how eating can be fraught with pain and restriction, profoundly affecting her quality of life. […] I realized the gut was more than digestion. When the epithelial barrier fails, as in Crohn’s or celiac disease, consequences span every aspect of life.”
This is a one-year, $40,000 grant. Beyond Celiac is committed to funding celiac disease research to accelerate research and a cure. Check out past grants we’ve awarded.
Read more about Dr. Hamilton and the work she will conduct with this award on the CHOP website.