Dr. Luis Gerardo Alcalá, from the Digestive System Department of the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and researcher of the Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Digestive Tract group of the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), has been awarded a grant to present his research project at the Young Investigator Forum of the American Association of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (ANMS) in Philadelphia (USA). His work was selected through a competitive process involving basic and clinical researchers from around the world, of which only two European candidates were awarded.

The winning work that will be presented at this conference corresponds to the most recent results of a competitive project financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FIS, Ref: PI17/01794), whose principal investigator is Dr. Carolina Malagelada, from the Digestive System Department at Vall d'Hebron Hospital. The main objective of the project is to develop new, more sensitive and accurate technologies for the assessment of small bowel motor function. 

In the work, the research team reports the higher diagnostic power of high-resolution intestinal manometry in patients with suspected small bowel motor disorder compared to conventional technology. This is a technology developed and validated in the Digestive Functional Tests Unit of the Vall d'Hebron Hospital. The most significant result of this project is that high-resolution intestinal manometry is able to identify abnormalities in new contractile patterns, which went unnoticed by conventional manometry.

ANMS Young Investigator Forum

The Young Investigator Forum of the American Association of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (ANMS) is an opportunity for young investigators from around the world who are interested in developing an academic career in the area of neurogastroenterology and motility. 15 researchers will attend this meeting, where participants will have the opportunity to present their research work in front of a group of experts in the field, in addition to taking part of working groups to discuss proposals for improvement and mentoring on how to obtain funding in the United States and Europe to develop an academic career.