This study will provide the most accurate and reliable estimates to date on disease progression and clinical events in evolving chronic pancreatitis. We also hope to develop from the results of this study some lab tests that will help us with early diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis and also to discover any genetic factors that may affect your chances of developing chronic pancreatitis. The results of this study may also provide information that will open opportunities for new drug discovery. THIS STUDY IS ENROLLING BY INVITATION ONLY - The study is enrolling participants who are at different stages of chronic pancreatitis, including those with no known pancreas disease (controls), and those with abdominal pain, one or more attacks of pancreatitis, or chronic pancreatitis. Potential participant controls may be recruited though various tools, as well as approaching patients who come in for preventative services (screening colonoscopy, breast cancer screening, or influenza vaccination), and those being recruited as volunteers to other University studies. Participants in other study groups will be recruited through GI or Pancreas clinics or hospitalized patients.

The purpose of the study is to identify genes related to pediatric cardiomyopathy, a disease that causes poor function of the heart muscle. The heart muscle is responsible for moving blood throughout the body, and when heart muscle function is decreased, the heart cannot pump blood through the body well. We hope to understand how changes in genes cause poor heart function. It is important to understand the causes of cardiomyopathy so that we can prevent it or design better treatment. Potential subjects will be identified through the electronic medical record (EMR) by study staff. Study staff may also be notified by clinical staff of newly admitted/eligible patients via phone, email, in-person conversations, or through the EMR system. Eligible participants may also be identified via referral from other clinicians, or self-referral. 

Heterotaxy syndrome is a rare birth defect that involves the heart and other organs. Many cases are genetic. Fundamental lack of information about the genetic basis of heterotaxy and related congenital heart defects in the vast majority of children has hindered management and therapy. The study outlined in this protocol is designed to obtain information about the causes of heterotaxy and related congenital heart defects. In this study, we will perform genetic analyses on patients with heterotaxy and related congenital heart defects, or individuals at risk for these abnormalities. We will collect medical information related to symptoms and disease course. These results will provide important information on the causes, management, and prognosis of heterotaxy and related congenital heart defects. This study is intended to establish an ongoing registry and repository of samples. Patients will also be asked to provide information related to health problems of their family members which will be documented by study staff in a pedigree. Potential subjects will be identified through the electronic medical record (EMR) by study staff. Study staff may also be notified by clinical staff of newly admitted/eligible patients via phone, email, in-person conversations, or through the EMR system.

The purpose of this study is to help us better understand addiction and the risk for developing alcoholism and to help us understand how the brain makes choices about drinking alcohol. THIS STUDY IS ENROLLING BY INVITATION ONLY 

The purpose of this study is to examine how the immune system in humans works to prevent infections and disease. The immune system plays a critical role in preventing infections and tumor development, yet defects in the immune system can lead to disease. This research is focused on understanding inflammatory disease that affects millions of Americans in diseases including asthma, autoimmune disease and infection with pathogens. The benefits to participation that are reasonable to expect are that the blood samples obtained in this study will be used in the laboratory to study immune responsiveness. THIS STUDY IS ENROLLING BY INVITATION ONLY