Welcome to the Division of Liver Diseases at Icahn School of Medicine. Mount Sinai has among the largest and most distinguished liver faculties anywhere in the world, and I am especially proud to represent this great tradition of excellence that spans more than 50 years. This tradition is reflected in the fact that six members of the Mount Sinai faculty have served as Presidents of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the most distinguished professional organization dedicated to hepatology in the world.
For those of us who have devoted our careers to the battle against liver disease, this is a unique and exciting time in our history. Liver disease is among the fastest-growing of all major illnesses in the United States, but breakthroughs in research, many of them here at Mount Sinai, are creating new tools to fight these challenging illnesses. These include new diagnostic methods for fibrosis, viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease, drug-induced liver injury and cancer, and groundbreaking clinical trials that offer new promise for improving the lives of patients with these illnesses.
As one of the few freestanding Liver Disease divisions in the nation that is separate from Gastroenterology, our faculty includes many of the world’s top liver clinicians, educators, and researchers, with expertise extending from basic liver biology to advanced diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic liver diseases, and liver cancer.
Our faculty’s expertise not only attracts patients with the most challenging conditions, but it also draws the most talented hepatologists-in-training to our fellowship program. Our Division is home to the first program in the Northeast accredited for advanced hepatology training by the American College of Graduate Medical Education. Most recently the Division has spawned the Institute for Liver Medicine, led by Dr. Douglas Dieterich, with me and Dr. Ira Jacobson as co-Directors, whose intention is to integrate liver care and sustain the highest levels of excellence throughout the 7-hospital Mount Sinai Health System. Combined with our world class programs across the spectrum of research and clinical care in hepatology, the Division of Liver Diseases remains a national leader in the training of liver specialists, the discovery of new pathways of disease, and the development of novel, life-saving treatments for acute and chronic liver diseases.
These many areas of exceptional leadership in hepatology have created a multilayered fabric of excellence, thereby advancing our goal to provide the most compassionate, cutting-edge care — all fueled by the best research and education available anywhere today.
Scott L. Friedman, MD
Irene and Dr. Arthur M. Fishberg Professor of Medicine
Dean for Therapeutic Discovery
Chief, Division of Liver Diseases