Dr. Matthew H. Myles, the candidate for the SERCA grant, is a burgeoning investigator who has demonstrated commitment to biomedical research through his many accomplishments. Most pertinently, Dr. Myles earned his DVM, residency certification in comparative medicine, and he is a candidate for a PhD in veterinary pathobiology with an expected graduation date of summer semester 2003. During the period of SERCA grant, Dr. Myles will obtain additional training that will help prepare him as an independent research investigator. To develop his scientific skills Dr. Myles will participate in a variety of seminars and journal clubs relevant to his area of research. Dr. Myles will attend specialized topical courses at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and The American Association of Immunologists advanced course in immunology. Perhaps most advantageous, Dr. Myles will receive outstanding research mentoring from Drs. Craig Franklin, Frank Booth, and Brian Dieckgraefe. The focus of Dr. Myles' research project is characterization of the host response to Helicobacter hepaticus induced-enteritis. Preliminary studies show that development of enteritis in mice is dependent upon host-susceptibility factors and characterized by a Thl mucosal immune response. The short-term goals of this grant application are to profile global gene expression changes in response to H. hepaticus induced typhlitis, to delineate key regulators of the mucosal immune response, and determine the role of epithelium in the pathogenesis of disease. The long-term goal is to develop Helicobacter hepaticus-induced typhlitis into a rodent model of Crohn's disease. Working under the tutelage of Drs. Craig Franklin, Frank Booth, and Brian Dieckgraefe provides a unique opportunity for learning. Their combined expertise in the fields of rodent Helicobacter infections, host-pathogen interactions, animal model development, DNA array technology and analysis, cellular signaling pathways, and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease is essential to the success of this project.