The American Gastroenterological Association Foundation named Boston-based Harvard Medical School assistant professor Kyle Staller, MD, its researcher of the month.
What you should know:
1. Dr. Staller received the AGA Research Scholar Award in 2016.
2. He used the grant to fund a research project on fecal incontinence and its associated risk factors.
3. Dr. Staller believes understanding the risk factors behind fecal incontinence could help stop women from developing the condition.
4. So far, he found that high quantities of dietary fiber paired with moderate exercise lessened the risk of developing fecal incontinence.
5. Dr. Staller is using the baseline data to support an application for a National Institutes of Health grant.
6. On the research scholar award, he said, "If I didn’t have the AGA Research Foundation grant, I don’t know if the opportunity would be there for me to go on to the next level. The AGA grant gives you the opportunity to get that baseline data so you can become a competitive applicant for longer-term grants."