Increase in GI-disease diagnoses nudges researchers to take action

With five large research universities, it is no surprise that Maryland is a hub for brilliant minds. One of these research universities is Johns Hopkins University (JHU). At JHU, you can find innovative scientists, not only students but faculty, who are researching solutions to common problems like an increasing population of individuals with chronic digestive diseases.

Nearly 70 million Americans are affected by gastrointestinal (GI) diseases each year. Of those GI diseases, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “an estimated 3.1 million adults (1.3%) in the United States have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.”