About

The BIDMC Institute for Gut-Brain Research

Patients are the center of everything we do.

A message from the Director of Clinical Research, Dr. Trisha Pasricha:

Welcome! The BIDMC Institute for Gut-Brain Research comprises a highly motivated group of scientists with expertise in enteric neuroscience,  gastroenterology, psychology, epidemiology, biostatistics, and clinical trials with one goal: to help our patients.

Our research group is committed to helping ensure that one day no patient  is made to feel that their symptoms are "all in their heads." Over the years, our studies have helped transform the way we think about the enteric nervous system and treat diseases like irritable bowel syndrome. 

Housed within the Institute for Gut-Brain Research is an exciting collaboration between the clinical and basic scientists in the Division of Gastroenterology at BIDMC, the Movement Disorders Division in the Department of Neurology at BIDMC, and the Marcus Center for Aging Research at Harvard Medical School. We have established a specialized Parkinson's Disease Gastrointestinal Clinic, and our scientists conduct multi-omic and mechanistic studies in Parkinson's disease, the aging enteric nervous system, and other neurogastrointestinal disorders.

The Institute for Gut-Brain Research at BIDMC

Patients are at the center of everything we do in the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Institute for Gut-Brain Research.  Thanks to the participation of our patients, we are making breakthroughs and discovering new insights that can impact people from diseases like irritable bowel syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, and gastroparesis around the world.

We are grateful to you, our patients, for entrusting us to learn from your experiences and helping advance science. 

 

Research Area

Neurogastrointestinal disorders

The BIDMC Institute for Gut-Brain Research is committed to serving patients with a variety of disorders of gut-brain interaction. We have ongoing clinical studies in the following disease areas:

  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Functional bloating
  • Gastroparesis
  • Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
  • Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
  • Pelvic floor dysfunction

Research Area

Parkinson's disease

A growing body of literature suggests that in a subset of patients, Parkinson's disease may originate in the gut. The Pasricha lab has demonstrated that certain gastrointestinal symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing or constipation, can predict the onset of Parkinson's disease, sometimes more than a decade before motor symptoms develop. We have a robust clinical registry and biorepository of patients with Parkinson's disease and gastrointestinal symptoms that we are grateful to use to better understand disease pathogenesis.