Advances in Motility and in Gastroenterology-AIMING for the future

PROJECT SUMMARY Functional gastrointestinal (GI) and motility disorders are remarkably common in children and often debilitating; moreover, these disorders remain challenging to treat effectively. Despite this, there has not been a single research conference in the United States in the past 10 years dedicated to advancing the treatment of functional GI and motility disorders in children. This proposal seeks funding support for a one-day symposium on pediatric neurogastroenterology to be held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) in Hollywood, Florida on October 24, 2018. The goal of the symposium is to bring together leading clinicians and scientists to review the state of the art in the diagnosis, pathophysiology and management of functional GI and motility disorders in children, and build a foundation for advancing new scientific and therapeutic strategies. The symposium is organized into three modules, each focused on defining the state of the art in the diagnosis and management of pediatric functional GI conditions in a systematic, segment-based approach to the digestive tract. The talks are structured to frame the key questions that remain in understanding the underlying pathophysiology and highlight novel therapies on the horizon. In addition to didactic sessions, there will be small-group sessions that will include hands-on demonstrations ranging from advanced diagnostic techniques to specialized neuromodulatory therapies. Each of the modules will also incorporate a research talk from a junior investigator (postdoctoral fellow, clinical fellow, or junior faculty member) selected from submitted abstracts. The educational objective of this symposium is to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the field of pediatric neurogastroenterology and the exciting new directions in which the field is advancing. The scientific objectives of this conference are to provide a forum for clinicians and scientists with common interests to meet and share their expertise, to build collaborative research networks focused on pediatric functional GI disorders, and to inspire trainees and young investigators to pursue basic, clinical and translational research in pediatric neurogastroenterology. In these ways, the symposium seeks to build a new foundation that will stimulate advances in the diagnosis and management of children with functional GI and motility disorders for years to come.