2023 Research & Career Development Award Recipients

AASLD Foundation is pleased to announce our 2023 Research & Career Development Awardees. These exceptional investigators and clinicians have received one to three-year grants supporting innovative research in liver diseases, career development for early career investigators, and specialized training for front-line providers treating liver patients.  

Pinnacle Research Award in Liver Diseases

 

Hui Han, PhD  Hui Han, PhD 
  University of Illinois at Chicago 
  Project Title: Role of Macrophage Derived Osteopontin in Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis 
  Mentor: Natalia Neito, PhD 

 


Ty D. Troutman, PhD  Ty D. Troutman, PhD 
  Cincinnati Children’s Hospital 
  Project Title: ATF3-Dependent Mechanisms for Kupffer Cells in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease 
  Mentor: Chandrashekhar Gandhi, PhD, FAASLD 

 


Shengmin Yan, PhD  Shengmin Yan, PhD 
  Tulane University School of Medicine 
  Project Title: Roles and mechanisms of cholestasis in alcohol-associated hepatitis 
  Mentor: Xiao-Ming Yin, MD, PhD, FAASLD 

 


The 2023 Pinnacle Research Awards in Liver Diseases are made possible through independent grants and unrestricted donations from Gilead Sciences, AASLD, and donors to the AASLD Foundation.   


 

Clinical, Translational, and Outcomes Research Award in Liver Diseases 

Thomas Cotter, MD   Thomas Cotter, MD 
  UT Southwestern Medical Center 
  Project Title: Determining the Influence of Biological and SDOH Factors in Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Prognosis of Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease 
                        Mentor: Mack Mitchell, MD, FAASLD

 

Cynthia L. Hsu, MD, PhD  Cynthia L. Hsu, MD, PhD 
  University of California, San Diego 
  Project Title: The role of gut microbial ethanol production in alcohol use disorder and alcohol-associated liver disease 
                       Mentor: Bernd Schnabl, MD, FAASLD 

 

The 2023 Clinical, Translational, and Outcomes Research Awards in Liver Diseases are made possible through independent grants and unrestricted donations from Gilead Sciences, AASLD, and donors to the AASLD Foundation. 


 

Afdhal/McHutchison LIFER Award 

 

Rohil Jain, PhD 
Massachusetts General Hospital 
Project Title: Measurement of Mitochondrial Redox State & Injury via Resonance Raman Spectroscopy During Machine Perfusion of Human Livers 
Mentor: Shannon Tessier, PhD 

 

The 2023 Afdhal/McHutchison LIFER Award is made possible through an independent grant from the Liver Institute and Foundation for Education and Research (LIFER) and donors to the AASLD Foundation. 


 

Gupta Family Pilot Award in PSC Research

Yilin Yang, PhD  Yilin Yang, PhD 
  Yale University 
  Project Title: The therapeutic implication of hepatic lymphatics in primary sclerosing cholangitis 
  Mentor: Yasuko Iwakiri, PhD, FAASLD 

 

The 2023 Gupta Family Pilot Research Award in PSC Research is made possible through the Gupta Family Research Fund and donors to the AASLD Foundation.  


 

Autoimmune Liver Diseases Exploratory Research Award 

 

Hossam Abdelsamed, PhD 
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center 
Project Title: Understanding mechanism(s) regulating generation/maintenance of autoimmunity in liver transplant patients 
Mentor: Angus Thomson, PhD 

 

The 2023 Autoimmune Liver Diseases Pilot Research Award is made possible through a generous contribution given to establish this award and unrestricted donations from AASLD Foundation donors.


 

Pilot Research Award in Liver Diseases 

 

 Tess (Therese) Bittermann, MD   Tess (Therese) Bittermann, MD 
  University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine 
  Project Title: A pilot investigation into the effects of increased ambient heat exposure on cirrhosis outcomes 
  Mentor: David Kaplan, MD, FAASLD, FACP, AGAF 

 

The 2023 Pilot Research Award in Liver Diseases is made possible through unrestricted donations from AASLD and donors to the AASLD Foundation.


 

Anna S. Lok Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award 

 

Nghiem Ha, MD, MAS  Nghiem B. Ha, MD, MAS 
  University of California, San Francisco  
  Mentor: Jennifer Lai, MD 

 

 

The 2023 Anna S. Lok Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award is made possible through the Anna S. Lok Fund for Excellence in Research and Training and donors to the AASLD Foundation.  


 

Joseph R. Bloomer Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award 

 

Anya I. Mezina, MD, MSc  Anya I. Mezina, MD, MSc 
  University of Pennsylvania 
  Mentor: David Kaplan, MD, FAASLD, FACP, AGAF 

 

 

The 2023 Joseph R. Bloomer Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award is made possible through a bequest from the estate of Dr. Joseph Bloomer and donors to the AASLD Foundation.  


 

Kimberly A. Brown Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award 

 

Praveena Narayanan  Praveena Narayanan, MD 
  Mayo Clinic Rochester 
  Mentor: Pramod K. Mistry, MD, PhD, FRCP, FAASLD 

 

 

The 2023 Kimberly A. Brown Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award is made possible through the Kimberly A. Brown Fund and donors to the AASLD Foundation. 


 

Ashwani K. Singal Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award 

For Research in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease

 

Sasha Deutch-Link  Sasha Deutsch-Link, MD     
  University of North Carolina School of Medicine 
  Mentor: A. Sidney Barritt, MD, MSCR, FAASLD 

 

 

The 2023 Ashwani K. Singal Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award is made possible through the Singal Family Fund and donors to the AASLD Foundation. 
 


 

Vinay Sundaram Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award 

 

Robert Wilechansky  Robert M. Wilechansky, MD 
  Massachusetts General Hospital 
  Mentor: Tracey Simon, MD 

 

 

The 2023 Vinay Sundaram Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award is made possible through the Vinay Sundaram Legacy Fund and donors to the AASLD Foundation. 
 


 

Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award for Research in Autoimmune Hepatitis

 

Silvia Nastasio, MD 
Boston Children’s Hospital  
Mentor: Maria Serena Longhi, MD, PhD

 

The 2023 Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award for Research in Autoimmune Hepatitis is made possible through a generous anonymous donor in support of AIH-related research. 


 

Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award 

 

 Yael R. Nobel, MD, MS     
  Columbia University 
  Mentor: Elizabeth Verna, MD 

 

 

 Sarah L. Maxwell, MD     
  University of California, San Francisco 
  Mentor: Emily Perito, MD 

 

 

Kathleen Yan, MD  Kathleen Yan, MD 
  University of Colorado School of Medicine  
  Mentor: Lisa Forman, MD 

 

 

Divya Ayyala-Somayajula, MD, MAS  Divya Ayyala-Somayajula, MD, MAS 
  University of Southern California  
  Mentor: Norah Terrault, MD, MPH, FAASLD 

 

 

The 2023 Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Awards are made possible through unrestricted donations from AASLD and donors to the AASLD Foundation. 


 

The Future of Hepatology Starts with You  

Interested in supporting early career investigators and innovative Hepatology research? 

Donate to AASLD Foundation today!

PAST AWARDEES:

2022
2021
2020 
2019