D. Brent Polk, MD, AGAF

D. Brent Polk, MD, is Professor of Pediatrics and Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine; he served as chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Physician-in-Chief, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of The Saban Research Institute at CHLA. He also served as chair of pediatrics and vice dean for Child Health at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

Dr. Polk previously served as chief of the D. Brent Polk Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, director of the Digestive Disease Research Center and a tenured professor of Pediatrics and Cell and Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He received a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry from Ouachita University in Arkadelphia, Ark., and his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Clinical Interests

Digestive and nutritional diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

Education

Medical School:

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Internship:

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Childrens Hospital: Pediatrics

Residency:

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Childrens Hospital: Pediatrics

Fellowship:

Stanford University School of Medicine; Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition

Accomplishments

Certification:

Pediatric Gastroenterology; American Board of Pediatrics

Professional Memberships:

Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA)
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)
American Pediatric Society (APS)
American Physiological Society (APS)
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)
American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN)
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
Association of American Physicians (AAP)
Council of Delegates, Intestinal Disorders Section of AGA
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
Gastroenterology Research Group (GRG)
North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN)
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCP-E)
Society for Pediatric Research (SPR)

Awards:

American Gastroenterological Association Fellow, 2008
University of Arkansas College of Medicine, Distinguished Alumni Award, 2009
Grant W. Liddle Award, 2009
Who's Who in North American Education, 2012-2017
Council of Deans Fellows, Association of American Medical Colleges, 2014-2015
Shwachman Award, NASPGHAN, 2015
Mike Miller Memorial Award for Volunteer Excellence, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, 2016
University of Arkansas College of Medicine, Hall of Fame, 2016
American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow Election, 2016
Association of American Physicians Election, 2017
Alpha Omega Alpha Election, 2017
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Fellow, 2017

Other Information

Keck School of Medicine of USC

Publications:

Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 2 Restricts the Pathogenicity of CD8(+) T Cells in Mice With Colitis.
Punit S, Dubé PE, Liu CY, Girish N, Washington MK, Polk DB. Gastroenterology. 2015 Oct;149(4):993-1005.e2. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2015.06.004. Epub 2015 Jun 11. PMID: 26072395

Optical reconstruction of murine colorectal mucosa at cellular resolution.
Liu CY, Dubé PE, Girish N, Reddy AT, Polk DB. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2015 May 1;308(9):G721-35. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00310.2014. Epub 2015 Feb 26. PMID: 25721303

Redeeming an old foe: protective as well as pathophysiological roles for tumor necrosis factor in inflammatory bowel disease.
Dubé PE, Punit S, Polk DB. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2015 Feb 1;308(3):G161-70. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.00142.2014. Epub 2014 Dec 4. Review. PMID:25477373

Neonatal colonization of mice with LGG promotes intestinal development and decreases susceptibility to colitis in adulthood.
Yan F, Liu L, Cao H, Moore DJ, Washington MK, Wang B, Peek RM, Acra SA, and Polk DB. Mucosal Immunol. 2016 Apr 20. doi: 10.1038/mi.2016.43 PMID: 27095077

An LGG-derived protein promotes IgA production through upregulation of APRIL expression in intestinal epithelial cells.
Wang Y, Liu L, Moore, DJ, Shen, X, Peek, RM, Acra, SA, Li, H, Ren, X, Polk, DB, and Yan, F. Mucosal. Immunol. 2016 Jun 29. doi: 10.1038/mi.2016.57 PMID: 27353252

PubMed Polk DB [Author]

Research Interests:

The Polk laboratory studies the regulation of the growth and development of the intestine as it relates to injury, inflammation, regeneration and associated cancer. Our ultimate goal is to identify novel ways to better treat or prevent childhood inflammatory bowel disease.

Visit the Polk Laboratory.

Blacktiemagazine.com- CHLA Received $1.6M Gift to Create Pediatric Epilepsy Fellowship

Science Daily- Researchers Offer New Insights into the Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor in IBD

CNBC- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Extends Scientific Collaboration with Qassim University, Saudi Arabia

US News & World Report - Treating Crohn's Disease in Kids

CHLA.org - Treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Doesn’t Always Work; New Study Uncovers Why