AG&M annual report 2018

and diabetes. So we have a gastroenterologist and
an endocrinologist working in the same research
institute who can start to work together. Those kinds of
connections are logistically challenging, but it
is developing.”
Today, the AG&M is directly promoting this kind of
research, promoting collaboration and a pragmatic
clinical application, through its innovation grants.
Examples include, the work of PhD students Sofieke
de Jonge and Kyra van Rijn measuring small bowel
motility with dynamic MRI. This could, they hope have
applications for clinical neurogastroenterology. Also
Michel van Weeghel, analytical chemist who manages
the UMC Amsterdam’s Core Facility (for) Metabolomics
(CFM), is working with research technician Bauke
Schomakers through an AG&M innovation grant
developing tracer-based metabolomics (fluxomics).
This should make it possible to measure dynamics
in metabolism using stable labeled isotope tracers
and, thus, help predict the severity of metabolic
disease and so target treatment more to an individual
patient’s needs.
These are described in more detail later in in this
annual report. And there are many more examples.
Though this is still early days for the AG&M in terms
of a research institute, this kind of grant funding
demonstrates the fostering of collaboration is
already underway. Van de Graaf: “Here we can show
that we have already begun to help in bringing
together expertise from imaging experts and
gastroenterologists.” Another example is research, in
which he himself is involved, where a resected liver is
attached to an advanced pumping device outside of
the body in order to test different surgical strategies
and the hepatic metabolism. “Here, in our case, there
is collaboration between surgeons and basic scientists
from both locations of the Amsterdam UMC.”
“Here we can show that we have
already begun to help in bringing
together expertise from imaging
experts and gastroenterologists.”
And while Van de Graaf is hesitant to claim specific
success in its short life for the AG&M, he believes it has
consciously built upon the strong connections which
already existed, for example between gastroenterology
and hepatology on one side, and surgery and imaging,
on the other. Meanwhile there are signs of better links
between, for example, pediatric gastroenterology, such
as research into necrotising enterocolitis, and basic
science on gut research. “Those types of connections
are getting stronger,” he says, adding that the potential
of the AG&M as a center of excellence on a European
level is already being demonstrated at the United
European Gastroenterology (UEG) conference by “the
impressive number of sessions chaired by our
principal investigators”.
The mission and vision of the AG&M directors
AG&M
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