Dr. Jean-Pierre Raufman is a Professor at Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, USA. Dr. Raufman is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. He is a graduate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and trained at the University of Michigan and the National Institutes of Health. He has published more than 120 original papers and more than 20 book chapters. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and sits on several NIH Study Sections and an FDA Advisory Panel. Dr. Raufman is the Program Director for an NIDDK T32 Training Grant, Training in Gastroenterology Research.

Dr. Raufman's primary research interest is the study of regulatory molecules and signal transduction in the gastrointestinal tract. His research, funded by both the VA and NIH, focuses on mechanisms whereby cholinergic agonists regulate gastrointestinal cell signaling and function, particularly the promoting effects of bile acids on colon neoplasia. These studies use both in vitro and in vivo colon cancer models, including transgenic animals, to evaluate molecular pathways and changes in gene expression that regulate neoplastic cell proliferation and apoptosis. Molecular pathways under investigation include post-muscarinic and post-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling that is mediated by ERK, PI-3kinase/AKT, and NF-kappaB. Moreover, the role of matrix metalloprotease activation in regulating release of EGFR ligands, primarily HB-EGF, in mediating activation of these signaling pathways is being explored. It is anticipated that this line of investigation will reveal novel therapeutic targets to treat colorectal cancer.