AASLD Foundation Awardee Spotlight
With support from generous donors, AASLD Foundation proudly invests in innovative hepatology research and in the people who study and treat liver diseases. At the core of our work are the talented researchers and clinicians who work tirelessly to find better treatments and more cures for liver diseases. Read more about our researchers and learn more about our funding programs.
|
|
|
Hanna Blaney, MD, MPH Ashwani K. Singal Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award, 2024
Emerging Liver Scholar, 2020
"I am honored to receive this award, especially given my academic interest in alcohol-associated liver disease. This award allows me to attend conferences where I can learn about the newest Hepatology innovations and network with Hepatology’s best and brightest. As a former Emerging Liver Scholar, I know that AASLD Foundation is committed to furthering our understanding of liver disease by investing in the development of the next generation of Hepatologists."
|
|
|
|
Jin Ge, MD, MBA Frank J. Tusa Pilot Award for Research in Hepatic Encephalopathy, 2024
Anna S. Lok Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award, 2021
Emerging Liver Scholar, 2017
"I am truly inspired and immensely grateful to be selected for this award. This pilot study is a stepping stone toward harnessing state-of-the-art generative artificial intelligence technologies to catalyze the development of innovative digital health solutions, setting a new standard in patient care."
|
|
|
|
Nidhi Jalan-Sakrikar, PhD Gupta Family Pilot Award in PSC Research, 2024 "This award provides crucial funding to explore innovative research questions and lay the groundwork for larger-scale studies. It will allow us to generate new insights into disease pathogenesis and have the opportunity to make tangible contributions to improving the lives of PSC patients. Fellowships and awards like these empower young researchers like me to pursue careers in this field. I would like to offer my gratitude to the donors of AASLD Foundation and their substantial support to basic liver research and the next generation of liver scientists." |
|
|
|
Davide Povero, PhD, MBA Pinnacle Research Award in Liver Diseases, 2024 "I have been applying for the Pinnacle award over the past four years and knowing that my proposal has been selected for funding, makes a huge impact personally and on my research program. With the support of the AASLD Foundation Pinnacle Award, I will have the opportunity to further strengthen my research program in preparation for federal funding applications. I am beyond grateful to the AASLD Foundation research awards committee, AASLD Foundation leadership and everyone who supports the Foundation for this prestigious award." |
|
|
|
Yilin Yang, PhD Gupta Family Pilot Award in PSC Research, 2023 "With the support from the AASLD Foundation Gupta Family Pilot Award in PSC Research, I will be able to continue my pursuit of translating my insights into effective therapies for patients and begin my transition toward becoming an independent liver researcher. I am deeply grateful for this honor and am excited to see the impact that this award will have on both my personal and professional growth." |
|
|
|
Thomas Cotter, MD, MS Clinical, Translational, and Outcomes Research Award in Liver Diseases, 2023
"I am truly honored and humbled to receive this prestigious career development award. This award will build important research skills and help explore factors that influence racial and ethnic disparities in liver disease outcomes and thus inform future interventions. I am grateful to the AASLD Foundation who continue to do an incredible job supporting early-career investigators and to the donors who make these awards possible." |
|
|
|
Yael R. Nobel, MD, MS Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award, 2023
"As an early-career investigator, this support from the AASLD Foundation has been critical in helping me to launch my research program. The work that this pilot award allowed me to achieve has laid the foundation for my future work investigating the gut microbiome as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool for patients with autoimmune liver diseases. Equally importantly, it has provided important opportunities to connect with other clinicians and investigators in AASLD to introduce me to potential mentors and collaborators across the hepatology community." |
|
|
|
Kaitlin Malick-Petschulat, MSN, FNP-BC Emerging Liver Advanced Practice Provider Program, 2023
"As an APRN in a low-resource area, the training, mentorship, and career development opportunities offered by the AASLD Foundation Emerging Liver Advanced Practice Provider Award will advance my goal of increasing patient access to high-quality Hepatology care." |
|
|
|
Anya I. Mezina, MD, MSc Joseph R. Bloomer Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award, 2023
"I am deeply grateful to be the recipient of the Joseph R. Bloomer Award, and for the remarkable legacy of Dr. Bloomer, which inspires me to pursue excellence in my own work and encourages me to contribute to the ongoing pursuit of scientific insights into genetic liver diseases."
|
|
|
|
Nghiem B. Ha, MD, MAS Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award, 2023
"I’m incredibly grateful and honored to receive this award. The AASLD Foundation has provided me with tremendous support throughout my career at every stage–the Emerging Liver Scholar award during residency to the Early Career Investigator Award in Clinical/Translational Science and the Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow award during fellowships–which have and will always serve as the essential foundation for my career development into a clinician-investigator to improve the care of patients living with liver disease." |
|
|
|
Enis Kostallari, PhD, MS Pinnacle Research Award, 2019
"The Pinnacle Award helped me starting my independent research program for which I received my first R01 federal grant as a junior investigator (fundable score on the first submission), which started on June 2023... The Pinnacle Research Award is a crucial professional achievement leading to a myriad of new possibilities which, I hope, will help our fight against liver diseases."
|
|
|
|
Alexander S. Vogel, MD Advanced Transplant/Hepatology Fellow Award, 2022
“With the support of the AASLD Foundation, I now have the opportunity to further study the burden and current treatment of chronic liver disease for American Indian and Alaskan Native communities. I cannot thank the AASLD Foundation donors enough for generously supporting me at this early stage in my career as a hepatologist.” |
|
|
|
Sarah L Maxwell, MD Advanced Transplant/Hepatology Fellow Award, 2023
“This award is an important early step in developing my research and clinical career in addressing pediatric liver disease among vulnerable populations. I am committed to research and designing interventions that will reduce the increasing global epidemic in pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.” |
|
|
|
Cynthia L. Hsu, MD, PhD Clinical, Translational, and Outcomes Research Award in Liver Disease, 2023
"This Award comes at a critical point in my career as I start as junior faculty and allows me to carve out protected research time to think about and perform experiments. I hope that my research will have an important impact on the lives of patients with alcohol-associated liver disease and alcohol use disorder. This award makes the research that I do possible." |
|
|
|
Advanced Transplant/Hepatology Fellow Award, 2022
“The AASLD Foundation has been instrumental to my career as a clinician-researcher - from the Emerging Liver Scholar program in 2016 to the AASLD Advanced/Transplant Hepatology award. The opportunities provided by the AASLD Foundation are unparalleled. I feel very fortunate to be a part of the incredible community and am grateful to those who have donated to the AASLD Foundation to support the next generation.” |
|
|
|
Julius M. Wilder, MD, PhD Clinical, Translational, and Outcomes Research Award, 2018
"My career, research, and leadership all started with a grant from AASLD Foundation five years ago. This seemingly small opportunity changed the course of my entire career.” Watch this video to learn more about how this AASLD grant as impacted his career.
|
|
|
|
Austin Minnick, MSPAS Emerging Liver Advanced Practice Provider Program, 2022
“By participating in the AASLD emerging APP program, I cannot think of a better way to further myself academically, professionally, and clinically. It is an all-encompassing program that offers everything I wish to further in my career.” |
|
|
|
Vincent Chen, MD Clinical, Translational, and Outcomes Research Award in Liver Disease, 2020
“As you know, the early career stage, between completion of training and receipt of increasingly-scarce federal funding, is a crucial time period for junior investigators. Obtaining the AASLD Clinical, Translational, and Outcomes Research Award will support me during this period and help me transition from a mentored clinical fellow to an independent liver researcher in the next few years. The efforts of donors make it possible to nurture an upcoming generation of liver investigators.” |
|
|
|
Eva Billerbeck, PhD Pinnacle Research Award, 2019
“Limited access to human liver tissue and the lack of immune-competent small animal models has impeded studies of hepatic antiviral immune mechanisms. However, we have recently succeeded in establishing the first immune-competent mouse model of an HCV-related virus, Norway rat hepacivirus (NrHV). Our initial characterization of this model revealed significant virological and immunological similarities with HCV infection in humans and now opens the opportunity for in-depth mechanistic studies of anti-hepaciviral immunity in vivo. My proposed research will shed new light on hepatic innate and adaptive anti-hepaciviral immunity and may result in a mouse model of advance liver disease.” |
|
|
|
Amar Nijagal, MD Clinical, Translational and Outcomes Research Award, 2021
“The AASLD Foundation Clinical, Translational, and Outcomes Research Award has provided me the momentum needed both in terms of recognition from world leaders in hepatology and financial support to carry out experiments. This award will foster my transition from a junior investigator to an independent surgeon-scientist.” |
|
|
|
Karn Wijarnpreecha, MD, MPH Advanced Transplant/Hepatology Fellow Award, 2021
"I can’t get to this stage of my career without ELS program and AASLD Foundation. I will continue support AASLD Foundation to pass this opportunity to other young scientist physicians." |
|
|
|
Weici Zhang, PhD AASLD Foundation Gupta Family Pilot Research Award in PSC, 2020
"AASLD Foundation's unparalleled commitment to funding the future of hepatology has made it possible for me to further my research in Autoimmune Liver Diseases, and has facilitated my career in a profound way." |
|
|
Elizabeth Aby, MD 
