While advances in antivirals are significant, there are very few drugs approved yet for steatotic liver disease, hepatic fibrosis, pediatric liver diseases, some types of autoimmune liver disease, among others. There are large unmet needs in our understanding of the liver that will require the collaboration of interdisciplinary teams to make progress. Some of these areas include:

• The role of the microbiome in liver biology and pathobiology
• Immune regulation of primary and metastatic liver cancer
• Mechanisms of fibrosis shared across organs
• Multi-organ manifestations of the metabolic syndrome (diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity)
• Scientific basis for liver regeneration and its impairment in chronic inflammation
  • Role of stem cells
  • Link between fibrosis and regeneration
  • Epigenetic regulation
• Role of desmoplasia in cancer pathogenesis, and as a treatment target
• Neonatal and developmental liver diseases

In addition to the core research team at the Mount Sinai Institute for Liver Research, we are collaborating with many esteemed researchers throughout Mount Sinai’s scientific ecosystem of Institutes, Departments, and Centers, including colleagues from:

Fibrosis and MASH

Research into fibrosis and metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) has led to groundbreaking advancements in understanding liver disease and developing potential treatments. A key breakthrough was the identification of hepatic stellate cells, which play a crucial role in liver fibrosis by producing scar tissue. This discovery has sparked the development of new anti-fibrotic therapies, some of which are now in clinical trials. Additionally, research efforts are focused on treating MASH and its complications through innovative therapeutic strategies, including targeting metabolic dysfunction and liver inflammation. Novel insights into the autocrine signaling of stellate cells in advanced fibrosis and the role of epigenetic mechanisms in liver regeneration have further expanded the understanding of liver disease. 

• Meena B. Bansal, MD
• Bishuang Cai, PhD
• Scott L. Friedman, MD
• Tianliang Sun, PhD
• Shuang Wang, PhD

Viral Hepatitis

Research in viral hepatitis has focused on developing effective antiviral treatment regimens that offer the potential for curing chronic hepatitis B. Ongoing studies are evaluating the safety and efficacy of various therapeutic approaches, aiming to achieve long-term viral suppression or eradication. These efforts are part of a broader initiative to address viral hepatitis and improve patient outcomes. We are also leaders in the screening of at-risk populations and linkage to care.

• Andrea D. Branch, PhD
• Douglas Dieterich, MD

Liver Cancer

Research in liver cancer has advanced significantly through efforts to understand its pathogenesis and develop more effective treatments. At the forefront of this work is the integration of molecular information from tumors into clinical tools that improve prognosis predictions and support early detection. One promising innovation is liquid biopsy technology, which identifies tumor-derived components in the bloodstream, such as DNA fragments and extracellular vesicles, offering a less invasive method for detecting liver cancer in its early stages. In parallel, efforts are focused on biliary tract cancers, particularly intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a rapidly rising form of liver cancer. Breakthroughs in understanding the molecular mechanisms driving this cancer have led to new classifications and are revealing potential therapeutic targets, offering hope for improved treatments where few effective options currently exist. These multidisciplinary research efforts have made liver cancer a focal point of cutting-edge clinical care and scientific discovery.

• Josep M. Llovet, MD, PhD
• Daniela Sia, PhD
• Augusto Villanueva Rodriguez, MD, PhD

Addiction Medicine

The incidence of alcohol-associated liver disease has risen dramatically following the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting need to apply principles and knowledge of addiction medicine. Faculty in the Division of Liver Diseases seek to understand factors associated with liver fibrosis progression and predictors of poor clinical outcomes associated with alcohol-use disorder, alcohol-associated liver disease, and Met-ALD (concurrent metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and alcohol-associated liver disease).

• Frances Lee, MD

Gastroenterology

The liver is affected by inflammatory diseases of the intestine, especially ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Experts in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) provide vital partnerships to explore the pathogenesis of liver disorders in patients with IBD. Other projects explore the basis for critical communication between the intestine and the liver, which may contribute to liver homeostasis and disease.

• Judy Cho, MD
• Louis J. Cohen, MD
• Jean-Frederic Colombel, MD
• Marla C. Dubinsky, MD
• Stephanie Gold, MD
• Ari Grinspan, MD
• Laurie A. Keefer, PhD
• Alexandra Livanos, MD, PhD
• Aimee Lucas, MD
• Saurabh Mehandru, MD
• Ryan C. Ungaro, MD
• Pascale White, MD, MBA, MS, FACG
• Serre-Yu Wong, MD, PhD

Genetics and Genomics

Rare genetic diseases of the liver and bile duct provide unique opportunities to explore the genetic basis of these illnesses, uncovering novel pathways of disease, and pointing to new approaches to therapy.  Similarly, more common genetic variants are associated with risk or protection from liver diseases, providing insight into the convergence of genetics and liver function.

• Manisha Balwani, MD, MS
• Michael Murray, MD
• Inga Peter, PhD
• Makiko Yasuda, MD, PhD

Nephrology

Advanced liver disease (ie., cirrhosis) is complicated by loss of kidney function (hepatorenal syndrome).  There is also progressive injury to the kidney in steatotic liver disease associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Shared mechanisms of fibrosis between liver and kidney provide opportunities to develop novel therapies to improve scarring in both these organs.

• John Cijiang He, MD, PhD

General Internal Medicine

As the prevalence of steatotic liver disease has expanded dramatically, primary care physicians are increasingly called upon to understand and manage the systemic manifestations of metabolic dysfunction, including steatohepatitis, type 2 diabetes, lipid abnormalities, and obesity.

• Nina A. Bickell, MD
• Fernando C. Carnavali, MD
• Roy Cohen, MD
• Juan Wisnivesky, MD, DrPh

Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism

The dramatic worldwide surge in obesity has focused attention on its complications that develop in the kidney, heart, and liver. Disease of the pancreas, in which proper secretion and activity of insulin is disrupted, contributes to type 2 diabetes.  World-class expertise in the mechanisms and treatment of diabetes and obesity at Mount Sinai, along with leaders in cardiology, provide unique opportunities to understand the crosstalk between liver and other organs damaged by complications of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

• Robert J. DeVita, PhD
• Susan K. Fried, PhD
• Emily J. Gallagher, MD, PhD
• Leigh Goedeke, PhD
• David W. Lam, MD
• Ruth Loos, PhD
• Prashant Rajbhandari, PhD
• Donald Scott, PhD
• Sarah A. Stanley, MBBCh, PhD
• Andrew Stewart, MD
• Filip Swirski, PhD
• Ryan W. Walker, PhD, MS
• Robert T. Yanagisawa, MD

The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine

With the development of the Mount Sinai Million Biobank, which has already accumulated 250,000 specimens, the ability to leverage this vital resource to uncover new genetic determinants of liver disease is greater than ever.

• Eimear E. Kenny, PhD
• Jenny J. Lin, MD
• Girish N. Nadkarni, MD, MPH

The Tisch Cancer Institute

As one of the fastest rising cancers in the United States and worldwide, primary liver and bile duct cancers can be devastating diagnoses, and are only curable if detected at early stages. The world-class Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, part of The Tisch Cancer Institute, which is supported by the National Cancer Institute, provides unique opportunities to identify new drug targets and develop novel therapies that will improve the outcomes for patients with these catastrophic neoplasms.

• Jose Javier Bravo-Cordero, PhD
• Dan Feng, MD
• Doris Germain, PhD
• Ernesto Guccione, PhD
• Franco Izzo, PhD
• Lina H. Jandorf, MA
• Amaia Lujambio Goizueta, PhD
• Thomas Marron, MD, PhD
• Anna Tocheva, PhD

Cell and Developmental Biology

The unique role of the liver in detoxifying drugs, regeneration, and responding to injury provides opportunities to align closely with Mount Sinai experts in cell and developmental biology to uncover novel pathways of cell growth, differentiation, and repair.

• Sarah E. Millar, PhD
• Alexander Tsankov, PhD
• Elvin Wagenblast, PhD
• Martin J. Walsh, PhD

Immunology

Unparalleled expertise in human immunology at Mount Sinai through the Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute provides new opportunities to explore how the immune system drives human liver disease and systemic illnesses. The unique features of the hepatic immune system provide clues to better understand how the immune system maintains health and can promote disease.

• Brian D. Brown, PhD
• Yizhou Dong, PhD
• Miriam Merad, MD, PhD
• Daniel Puleston, PhD

Microbiology

Worldwide epidemics of viral hepatitis impose tremendous morbidity and mortality. In addition to hepatitis B, C, and delta, the liver is also prone to infection with other viruses and parasites. Partnering with the unparalleled expertise of the Mount Sinai Department of Microbiology, the Institute for Liver Research offers unique models and insights into understanding infectious disease pathogenesis in the liver and other organs.

• Brad R. Rosenberg, MD, PhD

Obstetrics, Gynecology, Reproductive Science, and Women’s Health

Women with chronic liver disease may experience impaired fertility, menstrual abnormalities, and complications during pregnancy. Our collaboration with the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Reproductive Science, and Women’s Health seeks to advance new treatments and better understanding of the impact of liver disease on women’s health.

• Rhoda Sperling, MD

Pathology

Mount Sinai has been a leader for more than 60 years in defining pathologic features of acute and chronic liver disease. Leveraging the exceptional talents of clinical pathology with novel methods for imaging and disease quantification are strong assets to advance the diagnosis and treatment of liver disease.

• Maria Isabel Fiel, MD
• Swan N. Thung, MD
• Stephen Ward, MD, PhD

Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics

As the main site of drug metabolism and detoxification, the liver provides unique opportunities to understand how drugs are cleared, and the impact of liver dysfunction on drug toxicity.

• Jian Jin, PhD
• Martin J. Walsh, PhD

Pediatrics

Devastating neonatal diseases of the liver and bile duct have promoted a fertile partnership between the Jack and Lucy Clark Department of Pediatrics and the Institute for Liver Research. Shared and unique mechanisms of disease in these pediatric disorders are explored jointly by these two programs.

• John Bucuvalas, MD
• Jaime Chu, MD

Radiology

New developments in MRI and CT scans by expert faculty in the Department of Diagnostic, Molecular, and Interventional Radiology has led to highly productive partnerships with liver investigators, who together seek to improve diagnosing and predicting outcomes in patients with advanced liver disease and cancer.

• Michael Buckstein, MD, PhD
• Edward Kim, MD
• Bachir Taouli, MD
  

Surgery

Liver transplantation by faculty from the Recanati/Miller Transplant Institute, combined with scientists seeking to understand hepatic metabolism and immunology, have yielded new methods to study liver regeneration, hepatic immunity, and blood flow regulation in normal and scarred livers.

• Ganesh Gunasekaran, MD
• Daniel M. Herron, MD
• Myron E. Schwartz, MD
• Parissa Tabrizian, MD, MSc
• Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar, MBBCh

Population and Global Health

Disproportionate prevalence of chronic liver disease in select populations in the United States and throughout the world provide opportunities to develop novel approaches to population screening and linkage to care. The Arnhold Institute for Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is an ideal partner to pursue these vital questions.

• Carol R. Horowitz, MD, MPH
• Rachel Vreeman, MD, MS

Environmental Medicine and Public Health

The growing appreciation of how environmental factors contribute to human illnesses including liver disease, has led to a unique opportunity for the Institute for Liver Research to partner with the Institute for Climate Change, Environmental Health and Exposomics at Icahn Mount Sinai.  Seminal studies linking the exposome to human health and longevity provide a unique partnership to explore and mitigate environmental impacts on diseases of the liver and other tissues.

• Manish Arora, BDS, PhD, MPH
• Michael A. Crane, MD, MPH
• Dania Valvi, MD, PhD, MPH
• Ryan W. Walker, PhD, MS
• Robert O. Wright, MD, MPH

Cardiology

The link between fatty liver disease and heart disease is increasingly recognized, and close partnership between the Cardiovascular Research Institute, the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital, and the Institute for Liver Research is leading to important advances to attenuate diseases in both liver and heart.

• Deepak Bhatt, MD, MPH, MBA
• Anu Lala-Trindade, MD
• Carlos G Santos-Gallego, MD