Public policy advocacy is a powerful tool for improving liver health outcomes. Yet many health care practitioners and patients feel they lack the time, experience, or resources to engage effectively. This interactive community conversation brings together clinicians and patient representatives to explore practical strategies for influencing policy—even with limited bandwidth. Attendees learn how small actions can lead to big changes, discover ways to amplify their voices, and leave with actionable steps to advocate for liver health at local, state, and national levels.

Point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) is considered the new stethoscope. Speakers highlight basic aspects of the use of liver POCUS in clinical hepatology. Faculty focus on practical aspects related to patient care and practice efficacy; benefits for patients and clinicians; barriers to implementation; and the optimal approach for those interested in considering incorporating liver POCUS into their clinincal practice. After the presentations, a live liver POCUS demonstration conducted by an expert on a preselected volunteer will be performed to expose attendees to how the procedure is performed and what information can be gained from it.

Join faculty for this session designed for a broad audience, including transplant hepatologists, transplant surgeons, clinical hepatologists, residents, fellows, and students. Presenters highlight updates from the most noteworthy publications addressing liver transplantation in the setting of hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease, and alcohol-associated liver disease, as well as recent surgical advances. Presentations are followed by an extended open discussion of these studies. Speakers emphasize up-to-date evidence and practical takeaways that can be directly applied to clinical practice.

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) remains a major challenge in the management of chronic liver disease, with significant implications for patient outcomes and quality of life. Faculty explore core topics: the phenotypic spectrum of HE; how infections, sarcopenia, and gut microbiome dynamics drive recurrence; and emerging pharmacological strategies beyond traditional therapies for HE.

Join this critical discussion of the most notable and influential basic and translational research papers published in the journal HEPATOLOGY in the past year by a team of associate editors from the journal. HEPATOLOGY associate editors appraise the most cutting-edge, game changing basic and translational research advances. A panel discussion with the speakers, editor-in-chief Gregory Gores, and associate editor Samar Ibrahim highlights the impact of selected papers on basic and translational advances in the field. 

Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) increasingly coexists with chronic viral infections, particularly HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV), creating complex and evolving liver disease phenotypes. This session examines how metabolic dysfunction modifies liver disease progression, fibrosis risk, and clinical outcomes in persons with concomitant HIV and/or HBV infection. The impact of viral infection and antiviral therapies, in turn, influence MASLD natural history. Topics include: epidemiology and mechanisms of disease synergy; challenges in fibrosis assessment and risk stratification; and practical management considerations for hepatologists caring for individuals with overlapping metabolic and viral liver disease. Presenters emphasize translating emerging data into clinical decision-making for diverse patient populations.

This career-focused program is intended for hepatology fellows, early-career faculty, and junior investigators in clinical, transplant, and basic/translational liver research who are navigating career transitions, academic advancement, and leadership development within academic medicine. The panel addresses key communication challenges faced by trainees, and early-career and mid-career hepatologists, including career transitions, negotiation, self-endorsement, and academic promotion. Through expert perspectives and real-world examples, panelists share practical communication strategies to support career development within academic hepatology. 

This community conversation between the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the Korean Association for the Study of the Liver addresses a fundamental question in hepatology: How do we better identify which patients with chronic liver disease are at highest risk? Leading experts from both organizations discuss 3 areas where the approach to risk assessment is changing.

First, presenters examine how new data on chronic hepatitis B are shifting treatment thresholds and strategies for preventing hepatocellular carcinoma. Next, speakers explore how real-world evidence, emerging biomarkers, and noninvasive tools are being incorporated into clinical practice—and where gaps remain. Finally, presenters explore which artifical intelligence–based prediction tools are ready for clinical use and discuss practical approaches for implementing them. This program offers an opportunity to hear different perspectives on these issues from experts representing 2 major liver societies, and consider how these advances can be translated into better patient care.

This unique program brings together pediatric and adult hepatologists to discuss and share knowledge and experiences with a variety of liver diseases. Topics include: metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease in children, teenagers, and adults; adult presentations of "pediatric" genetic cholestatic diseases; diagnostic and management challenges in pediatric and adult patients with autoimmune hepatitis; and the growing need for transitional clinics for adults with "pediatric" liver diseases.

This thought-provoking program aims to help the practicing hepatologist understand the definition and impact of burnout. A recent survey of 185 transplant hepatologists in the US and found that 40% experienced emotional exhaustion, a significant predictor of burnout.* Therefore, this session not only includes methods to recognize early warning signs of burnout and help distinguish it from stress and depression, it also focuses on tips to combat burnout. During the session, the magnitude and causes of burnout related to clinical and administrative demands are discussed as well as burnout related to the regular use of the electronic health record. The session concludes with identifying tools that help reduce burnout and improve clinician efficiency as well as methods to increase pracitioner well-being.

^{*Pourmand K, et al. Burnout Among Transplant Hepatologists in the United States. Liver Transpl. 2022 May;28(5):867-875.}