A Tribute to AASLD Member Shreya Sengupta, MD

With sadness, AASLD acknowledges the passing of Shreya “Mou” Sengupta, MD. Dr. Sengupta was a gifted clinician, rising health services researcher, and fierce advocate for the most vulnerable. She passed away peacefully at home on July 28, 2025, at the age of 40, surrounded by her loving family after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Dr. Sengupta’s compassion and unwavering commitment to others made her a beloved presence in her personal and professional circles. Her loss is deeply felt across the hepatology community.

“Shreya was a light in our everyday work radiating warmth, positivity, and inspiration to everyone around her.” – Dr. Jamak Modaresi

Born in Ranchi, India, Dr. Sengupta earned her medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed her Med-Peds residency at the University of Chicago in 2015. She then pursued fellowships in gastroenterology and transplant hepatology at the University of Michigan, where she developed a lifelong commitment to equity and integrated care. Following her training, Dr. Sengupta joined the Cleveland Clinic, where she spent her entire faculty career. She served as Quality Improvement Officer for the Section of Hepatology and as Director of the Multidisciplinary Alcohol Program, one of the nation’s one of the first clinics offering longitudinal, team-based care for patients with alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and alcohol use disorder. This innovative model, which brought together hepatology, addiction psychiatry and social work, redefined care for a historically stigmatized and underserved population. Her work became a national blueprint for equitable, multidisciplinary care in hepatology.

“Mou is one of those fellows/colleagues that you will never forget —always looking out for those who need help most. This led to her establishing a multi-disciplinary clinic for patients with alcohol-associated liver disease, the most vulnerable in our hepatology practice. The hepatology community lost a bright star.” – Dr. Anna Lok

Dr. Sengupta leaves a legacy of advancing the science and delivery of care in ALD. She was a serving member of the AASLD Public Policy Committee and Alcohol-associated Liver Disease Special Interest Group (SIG). Through her work, she actively shaped national strategies to combat liver disease, promote health equity, and support underserved communities.

Her research focused on ALD, public health, and health equity. In one pivotal study, she demonstrated that integrated multidisciplinary care significantly reduced hepatic decompensation, hospitalizations, and alcohol use among patients with advanced ALD. In a separate national analysis, she published data revealing rising emergency visits and hospitalizations for  younger adult with ALD, highlighting the growing severity and healthcare burden of this condition. Her international work included a time-series analysis examining racial disparities in ALD hospitalizations in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, in a widely cited narrative review, she explored the connection between alcohol policy and liver outcomes, advocating for effective, population-level interventions. Through her editorial writing, Dr. Sengupta challenged traditional abstinence-based measures of post-transplant success. She called for more compassionate approaches that integrate harm reduction, mental health, and patient-centered outcomes. Her work was consistently grounded in scientific rigor and moral clarity, always emphasizing how healthcare systems could better serve high-risk populations. 

“Mou’s work on integrative care in ALD was the model everyone should follow. She was a real leader.” – Dr. Elliot Tapper

Dr. Sengupta was also a dedicated educator and mentor, closely guiding students, fellows, junior faculty, and advanced practice providers. As a mentor within the AASLD Emerging Liver Advanced Practice Provider Program, she inspired many who now carry forward her legacy.

“...We will all miss her honesty, integrity, and forthright nature in caring for patients and sharing her passions and perspectives on life with others.” – Dr. Robert Fontana

Amidst her extraordinary professional achievements, Dr. Sengupta’s greatest joy and purpose came from being a mother to her beloved sons, Sohum and Satya, and a partner to her devoted husband, Baylee Miller. 

Dr. Sengupta committed herself fully to science, equity, and those she loved. We honor her by carrying forward the mission she held dear: to lead with integrity, lift others, and care deeply—for our patients, our colleagues, and our communities. 

To make a donation to AASLD Foundation in Dr. Shreya (Mou) Sengupta’s memory, please click here.

Written by:
Sobia Laique, MD
Akhil Anand, MD
Pratima Sharma, MD
Jessica Mellinger, MD
Monica Tincopa, MD

A Tribute to Past AASLD President and Inaugural AASLD Foundation Chair Dr. Bruce Bacon, MD, FAASLD 

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of one of hepatology’s greatest giants.  In any field there are those who participate, those who contribute and those who lead.  Dr. Bruce Bacon, MD, FAASLD, was an extraordinary example of all three.  For 35 years, Dr. Bacon dedicated himself to Saint Louis University, where he not only built but also led the academic and clinical Division of Gastroenterology for over two decades. In 2003, he founded the preeminent Liver Center at SLU, a testament to his visionary leadership.  Dr. Bacon’s scientific contributions during this time were both groundbreaking and enduring. From 1982 to 2007, his National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research on iron-induced hepatotoxicity and hepatic fibrogenesis set new benchmarks in the field. In 1996, he was the clinical leader of the team that discovered the gene for hemochromatosis, a milestone in medical genetics. As a clinician, he was among the first to identify and describe Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (now known as MASLD- Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease), paving the way for advancements in understanding and treatment of this complex disease. His exceptional contributions were recognized with the AASLD Distinguished Service Award in 2010, the highest honor in hepatology. 

Dr. Bacon joined AASLD in 1983 and served the organization over the next 42 years.  As President in 2004, Dr. Bacon played an instrumental role in guiding the organization and elevating its strategic direction and influence within the hepatology field.   His  dedication to the future generation was apparent in his work to develop the AASLD Foundation where he served as Chair from 2015-2019.  His vision provided the overarching mission and early momentum of the Foundation with his goal to provide support for research as well as early career development in the field. 

A dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Bacon was widely respected for his generosity of spirit, thoughtful guidance, and unwavering support of the next generation of liver health professionals. Over his career he mentored countless individuals, many of whom went on to highly successful careers of their own.   It was Dr. Bacon’s vision to codify hepatology as a subspecialty.  He was the principal hepatologist in the negotiations with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education that lead to the establishment of board certification in Transplant Hepatology.  Dr. Bacon served as the first chair of the ABIM/ABP writing committee, creating the pool of questions for the first board exam.  This development would change the face of education of hepatologists in the U.S.   

His mentorship left a lasting imprint on colleagues, trainees, and leaders across the field.  The outpouring of love and gratitude are witnessed by the words of some of our AASLD leaders and members: 

• “Bruce was a good friend and a champion of the science and practice of Hepatology. His many contributions accelerated our progress, and so many trainees and Hepatologists were beneficiaries of his encouragement of their work.” – Dr. John Moore Vierling 
• “Bruce was a remarkable leader who left a deep impression on all of us who had the privilege to work with him.” – Dr. Guadalupe Garcia-Tsao 
• “His contributions to the hepatology field are quite remarkable. An amazing career and life.” – Dr. Norah Terrault 
• “What a great person and such an important influence in our field and organization. Always a positive force in any setting.” – Dr. Keith Lindor 
   

On a personal note, I attribute many opportunities in my career to his mentorship and guidance.  I had the opportunity to serve with Bruce on the first ABIM board where he was always quick to lead a lively discussion of what the correct answer to the question might be!  As the current Foundation Chair, I feel his guiding hand and the legacy of unwavering support for our field and for the many individuals who train and explore the new ideas which continue to move Hepatology forward.  There is one thing I know for certain… Hepatology has enjoyed the dedication, leadership, mentorship, and friendship of Dr. Bacon for over 4 decades.  He truly was a giant in our field and will be missed by us all.   

Written By: 

Kimberly Brown, MD, FAASLD 

Chair, AASLD Foundation