AASLD News

Progress In A Pandemic: The Year In Review

BY RAYMOND CHUNG, MD, FAASLD AASLD PRESIDENT As the pandemic entered its second year, 2021 continued to test and challenge us all. Challenges notwithstanding, I am thrilled to report that as a society, AASLD continued to accomplish great things and has made good on the objectives originally laid out in our strategic plan in 2018. I want to describe several of our most important accomplishments

AASLD Remembers Seymour M. Sabesin, MD, FAASLD

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) was recently notified that one of our esteemed members, Seymour Sabesin, MD, FAASLD, passed away on January 4, 2021. Dr. Sabesin was a distinguished gastroenterologist, serving as a Clinical and Research Associate at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD followed by a residency at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical

Major New Health Bill Is Introduced in Congress

Recently, Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Fred Upton (R-MI) introduced a bill that is universally known as “Cures 2.0.” The bill is the next iteration of legislation passed in 2016 called the 21st Century Cures Act. AASLD has been following the development of this legislation closely since the sponsors began discussions of it in 2019. The bill is 173 pages long and we cannot do justice to all its

Improved Center-specific Practices May Ease Effects Of Socioeconomic Deprivation For Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients

Data from a new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting Digital Experience® – held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases – found that while neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation is associated with worse adverse long-term outcomes after liver transplant in children, improving center-specific practices can mitigate these effects for young at-risk patients.

Meet Dr. Noelle Ebel, 2021 Leonard B. Seeff Award Recipient

Dr. Noelle Ebel, recipient of the 2021 Leonard B. Seeff Award for Outstanding Research by an Early Career Investigator, was part of a team that created the largest North American registry for COVID-19 infection in children with liver transplants. Dr. Ebel will present her award-winning research this Monday, November 15th during Parallel 31: Clinical/ Translational Research in Pediatric Hepatology

Thank You From the Foundation!

The AASLD Foundation offers sincere thanks for the generosity and support of AASLD Committee and SIG leaders. This year, the Foundation hosted our first Committee/SIG Fundraising Challenge. Committees and SIG Steering Committees were given a goal to collectively raise $25,000 to help support a 2022 Pilot Research Award. Our amazing leaders banded together and exceeded this goal raising over $51

The Need for Liver Transplants is Skyrocketing Among Older Americans

Media Contact: Caroline Laurin Phone: (703) 299-9766 Onsite phone: (617)-954-2945 Email: media@aasld.org ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A new study has found that the proportion of older Americans who need a liver transplant (LT) has sharply increased in recent years, often due to the rising number of cases of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). As the U.S. population ages, researchers estimate that more

AASLD Distinguished Achievement Award: Raymond F. Schinazi, PDF, FAASLD

The Distinguished Achievement Award is given to an individual in honor of sustained scientific contributions to the field of liver disease and the scientific foundations of hepatology. The award honors a sustained contribution rather than a single discovery or major achievement. This year’s recipient is Raymond F. Schinazi, PhD, FAASLD, and the Francis Winship Walters Professor of Pediatrics and

HCV Guidance Updates

HCVguidelines.org — a website developed by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the Infectious Diseases Society of America to provide up-to-date guidance on the management of hepatitis C — was recently revised to reflect important developments in the identification and management of chronic hepatitis C (HCV). Notably, there has been several important updates within the

Hepatology Communications Earns Its First Impact Factor: An Interview with Editor Gyongi Szabo

AASLD’s Open Access journal, Hepatology Communications, rose to new heights this year. The journal, under the leadership of Dr. Gyongyi Szabo, received its first Impact Factor of 5.073 in June, which places it in the top third of all journals in the Gastroenterology/Hepatology category. Through the drive and tenacity of Dr. Szabo’s team, Hepatology Communications was also accepted for inclusion in

AASLD Remembers Two of Its Own

Alan Frederick Hofmann, MD, FAASLD The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) acknowledges the passing of an esteemed member and fellow who made significant contributions to our field. Alan Frederick Hofmann, MD, FAASLD, passed away on September 7, 2021. Dr. Hofmann was a gastrointestinal physiologist, biochemist, and clinician notable for his extensive basic, translational

Congress Starts the Appropriations Process, But Has a Long Way To Go

As the House and Senate get ready to go on their traditional August recess, we have seen the first signs of movement in the congressional appropriations process. The House Appropriations Committee has released 10 of its 12 FY22 bills, seven of which have been combined into a single bill and passed the House on July 29. Those seven bills include funding for NIH, CDC, HRSA, and the VA. The good news

World Hepatitis Day 2021

On World Hepatitis Day, July 28, 2021, AASLD joins colleagues and community voices around the world with an urgent call to action for Hepatitis Elimination by 2030 because “Hepatitis Can’t Wait.”

AASLD Governance Election Update

AASLD is pleased to announce the election of new Governing Board and Foundation Board members who will begin their terms in January 2022. The 2021 Nominating Committee met on April 6, 2021 and selected finalists for the positions of Councilor, Secretary, Foundation Board Trustee, Councilor-at-Large and members of the 2022 Nominating Committee.