Introduction to DDRC

The Digestive Disease Research Center (DDRC) is located in the premises of Shariati Hospital in Tehran, Iran and is affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. It is the first established Gastroenterology and Hepatology research center in Iran and seeks to provide an optimal setting for research in digestive diseases. The DDRC is trying to recognize, produce and distribute information which serves the interests of the scientific society, patients and general population as a whole, in order to promote the overall health status of the society. The work done at this center contributes meaningfully to the development and progress in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology globally.

 Background & History

 The department of gastroenterology at Shariati hospital, the origin of DDRC, was established in 1976 by Professor Seyed Hossein Mirmadjlessi as the first subspecialty ward of gastroenterology in Iran. The hospital was named “Daryoush Kabir” at that time. The department, along with the regular weekly GI and liver disease meetings, acted as a center for management of patients with difficult gastrointestinal or hepatic disease. This department, concurrent with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, started training the first group of gastroenterologists in Iran.

 Mission

We believe that we have to serve patients, physicians, nurses, and the scientific society in general. For this purpose, we should utilize the most recent scientific information andtechnoloy in a systematic manner. Meeting local scientific needs and contributing efficiently to the development and generation of science at an international level is part of our duties. The DDRC should recognize, produce and distribute information which serves the interests of the scientific society, patients and general population as a whole, in order to promote the overall health status of the society. We believe that this is the best way to contribute to the independence and persistent development of our country, Iran. Providning a comfortable, well-equipped and friendly environment will allow flourishing of indtellectual capabilities and performance of the DDRC faculty, research fellows, and all those who participate in the progress of the DDRC. Therefore, the DDRC directing board feels the responsibility to maintain this environment, both physically and mentally, in order to direct its people to find their way toward scientific and medical activity of excellence.

Provision

Through continuous hard work and the best utilization of intellectual and scientific capabilities of contributing physician-scientists of the DDRC, we look forward to becoming one of the most prestigious educational, research and service institutes in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology worldwide; thus the work done at this center will contribute meaningfully to the development and progress of this branch of science globally. A large part of this endeavor will be dedicated to decreasing the burden of GI and liver diseases in this country. In addition, the institute tries to serve as a center of excellence for providing educational and informational support in this field.

 Goal 1:

 Increasing the share of the DDRC in development of science globally Objectives: 1- Increasing the number of research projects sponsored by the DDRC. 2- Increasing the number of DDRC publications in well-known, peer-reviewed journals 3- Absorbing better governmental and non-governmental financial support 4- Providing educational support in GI research 5- Developing an inclusive scientific-research directed system in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology.

 Goal 2: Developing and improving scientific relations with other centers of excellence nationally and internationally Objectives: 1- Providing appropriate setting for multi-center trials 2- Developing appropriate informatics se-up for promotion of scientific relations between the investigators of the center and with those at other local and international centers 3- Developing and updating a comprehensive bibliography of international centers of excellence for GI and hepatology research and education.

 Goal 3:

Problem-oriented post-graduate education in the field of GI and liver diseases Objectives: 1- Appropriate distribution of research products on center 2- Supporting applied research in the field of GI and liver diseases 3- Informing public of results of applied systematic research done at the DDRC.