In this interactive session, experts discuss recent advances in hepatic stellate cell (HSC) biology in the context of liver injury and fibrosis progression. Quiescent HSCs play a critical role in liver homeostasis whereas activated HSCs are associated with fibrogenesis. Studies have identified distinct HSC populations that play differential roles during liver injury, tissue homeostasis, and fibrosis.

Experts discuss the latest research on HSC functional heterogeneity, crosstalk with other liver cell types, and unique signaling pathways that influence HSC function during injury and fibrosis. The discussion focuses on recent advances in liver fibrogenesis, highlighting the spatial heterogeneity of HSCs and their distinct functional roles at the single-cell level, with an emphasis on the protective and disease-promoting roles of HSCs. Presenters review the molecular mechanisms underlying the dysregulation of regenerative pathways during sustained chronic liver injury with a specific focus on the roles of the ductular reaction and liver progenitor cells in HSC activation and fibrosis progression. Faculty also discuss recent advances in the mechanisms of HSC activation with a specific focus on novel molecular targets and therapeutic strategies to inactivate HSCs for the treatment of patients with liver fibrosis. The session provides attendees an excellent opportunity to engage in informal discussions with experts in the field and to gain valuable insights.

This interactive workshop is designed to support fellows and early-career hepatologists preparing for the transplant hepatology board examination. The session combines high-yield, test-taking strategies with real-time practice using board-style questions. Faculty who contributed to the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)–sponsored 2026 Transplant Hepatology Board Review course guide participants through question interpretation, answer rationale, and common pitfalls with immediate feedback and discussion in a collaborative learning environment using an engagement survey tool.

This community conversation highlights practical strategies to improve efficiency in hepatology practice by leveraging both artificial intelligence (AI) and high-impact, non–AI tools embedded within the Epic electronic health record (EHR). Key topics include optimizing documentation workflows (eg, templates, smart phrases, order sets, and chart review tools) to reduce inbox and message burden; and deploying AI–enabled capabilities for data extraction, ambient documentation, and automated patient responses. The session provides real-world examples, implementation tips, and actionable takeaways to help participants integrate these tools into daily clinical and research workflows while reducing administrative burden and preserving time for patient care. 

NOTE: This session requires registration. 

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) remains without an approved medical therapy, leaving clinicians to navigate highly variable and often conflicting real-world practices. Many patients receive ursodiol; others receive oral vancomycin (OV), and bowel-directed therapies that are inconsistently integrated despite strong evidence that PSC is a gut-liver axis disease.

This session provides a practical, case-based update on how PSC and PSC with inflammatory bowel disease (PSC–IBD) are currently managed in real clinical settings across hepatology, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and pediatrics. Faculty review:

• How, when, and whether ursodiol is used in practice
• Evidence and mechanisms behind OV therapy—including dosing strategies, absorption/formulation issues, relapse with discontinuation, subgroup differences, and common misuse
• Management of IBD in persons with PSC including key considerations and the best options for treatment

The session emphasizes real-life decision-making, areas of persistent disagreement, and points of consensus emerging across hepatology and gastroenterology with the goal of equipping clinicians with practical, patient-centered guidance that they can immediately apply.

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Public Policy Committee explores challenges for liver health professionals within the health policy landscape, with particular emphasis on physician reimbursement, National Institutes of Health funding, vaccines and hepatitis B, and the Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2025. 

Join this community conversation about the current work of the US National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Key topics include: the potential adverse health risks posed by alcohol at all levels of use, particularly among special populations (eg, women and adults older than 65 years); alcohol use screening and treatment follow-through; and the importance of eliminating stigma to the success of screening and treatment programs.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) Director Carolyn Wester discusses the ongoing work at DVH and the division's role in supporting the national hepatitis C elimination plan.

Join this cutting-edge program in which experts review and discuss the patient perspective of hepatitis C test and treat strategies; test and treat models of hepatitis C care across various settings; and diagnostic, treatment, and guideline advances. 

The exponential global rise in type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis (MASH) has driven the pursuit of increasingly effective therapies. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonsits (GLP-1 RAs) have revolutionaled the management of these diseases but are not without risk. While rare, liver injury potentially associated with GLP-1 RA use is becoming more widely known; it is an increasing concern for drug developers as well as clinicians and their patients. Similarly, patients continue to search for and utilize herbs and supplements that purport to improve these metabolic conditions, some of which may have adverse effects on the liver. This interactive program focuses on GLP-1 RAs and herbal/supplemental remedies used for weight reduction and their potential adverse effects on the liver, sometimes severe.  A lively panel discussion follows speaker presentations. 

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major global public health challenge, affecting an estimated 250 million individuals worldwide. Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a leading cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and liver-related mortality. Approximately 5% to 10% of persons with CHB are coinfected with hepatitis D virus (HDV), a defective virus that depends on hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) for its replication and life cycle. Chronic HDV infection is associated with accelerated progression to cirrhosis, a higher incidence of HCC, and substantially increased liver-related morbidity and mortality compared with HBV monoinfection. In parallel, the expanding use of HBsAg–positive donor livers in transplantation has emerged as an important and evolving clinical consideration, particularly in the context of HBV/HDV coinfection.

Faculty for this program review the clinical course, management, and complications of chronic hepatitis B—highlighting the impact of HBV/HDV coinfection—and discuss emerging considerations in liver transplantation with HBsAg–positive donors. Topics include: current and emerging treatment options for HBV/HDV coinfection; molecular mechanisms driving HCC development in patients with CHB (with or without HDV coinfection) versus other HCC etiologies; clinical presentation, tumor characteristics, and patient outcomes in persons with CHB–related HCC compared with those with non-CHB–related HCC; and the clinical feasibility and safety protocols associated with use of HBsAg–positive cadaveric donors, including the selection of appropriate recipients and the implementation of lifelong antiviral prophylaxis.