The Hepatology Program’s investigations are broad and world-leading. Our research spans clinical, translational, and health services research. Our faculty publish roughly 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals annually. Our research efforts are funded by the National Institutes of Health, Veterans Health Administration, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, as well as philanthropic, industry, and University of Michigan sources.
Several faculty head large, multicenter, clinical research networks funded by the National Institutes of Health, including those focused on cirrhosis, drug-induced liver injury, and early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. We are also involved in many clinical studies supported by pharmaceutical companies that evaluate new therapies for various liver diseases, including hepatitis B and C, fatty liver disease, Wilson disease, portal hypertension complications, and hepatocellular carcinoma.
Increases in unhealthy alcohol use have led to the rapid rise of alcohol associated liver disease making it an urgent health problem. University of Michigan has led the way in advancing care for patients living with ALD. In 2018, the Michigan Alcohol Improvement Network (MAIN) ALD clinic was created as a state-of-the-art, evidence-based co-located liver treatment program. The clinic integrates addiction, behavioral and medical care to provide enhanced alcohol liver disease related care. Combining experts from psychiatry, social work, nursing and hepatology, the clinic supports patients with a multidisciplinary team of providers. Reducing deaths and hospitalizations due to alcohol associated liver disease and improving access to cutting edge care is a priority of the MAIN ALD program. In 2024, the program recruited Dr. Ponni Perumalswami to lead it.
The Michigan Cirrhosis Program is amongst the largest in the country. Led by Dr. Elliot Tapper, we take pride in elevating the quality of care provided to our patients while pushing the leading edge of research. We maintain a prospective registry of over 2,000 patients and counting. Dr. Tapper and Dr. Neehar Parikh investigators in the national, NIH-funded Liver Cirrhosis Network. Dr. Tapper and his colleagues led or co-led multiple NIH-funded projects including the Transitional Liver Clinic Trial and PCORI-funded projects including LiveSMART and PAL-LIVER. Additional investigators include Dr. Patricia Bloom who is discovering novel therapeutics and diagnostic tests for patients with or at-risk for hepatic encephalopathy. And Dr. Nik Mazumder is personalizing therapy for patients with cirrhosis and ascites with or at-risk for kidney injury.
Robert Fontana, MD, is recognized as an international authority in drug-induced liver injury (DILI). As the co-chair of the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN) funded by the NIDDK for the past 15 years, Dr. Fontana has published important papers on the etiology and outcomes of DILI both in children and adults from the Unites States.
Recently, Dr. Fontana has published papers demonstrating an increased susceptibility to minocycline and terbinafine hepatotoxicity among patients with unique HLA genotypes. These observations may improve the ability to more rapidly diagnose patients with idiosyncratic DILI. Other studies have reported an alarming increase in the incidence of liver injury attributed to a variety of herbal and dietary supplements. The DILIN is currently developing a prospective clinical trial for patients with severe acute DILI and also has a companion study exploring novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. To learn more, visit the DILIN website.
The MASLD Clinic at Michigan Medicine is dedicated to comprehensive care of patients with steatotic liver disease, a condition that affects >30% of adults in the US and is a leading cause of end-stage liver disease. We consult with patients to thoughtfully assess the status of their liver disease and develop personalized care plans including dietary and exercise counseling, surgical and non-surgical procedures, and medications. We are also leaders in research on the causes, trajectories, and treatments of steatotic liver disease.
Vincent Chen, MD, MS is interested in precision health in MASLD—understanding why different people with MASLD have different clinical pictures ranging from stable disease to rapidly worsening disease, and eventually offering tailored treatment accordingly. He is an expert in clinical management of MASLD and was lead author on a 2024 national guideline document on drug therapy in MASLD. He also has a research interest in population genetics and has shown that genetics affects rate of disease progression and response to drug treatment, and he is interested in translating some of these findings to patient care.
