"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."