Jacquelyn J. Maher, MD

Research Interests

My laboratory studies basic mechanisms of hepatotoxicity, with a focus on clinically relevant diseases such as drug-induced liver injury and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). One important goal is to identify hepatoprotective compounds that are therapeutic in the setting of acute liver failure or liver transplantation. In the setting of fatty liver, we are interested in the ability of specific fatty acids to cause liver cell death (“lipotoxicity”). We use cell culture and animal models to investigate how fat causes liver injury, and how the accumulation of toxic fatty acids in the liver might be avoided by dietary modifications such as lowering sugar consumption.

Selected Publications

Maher JJ, Leon P, Ryan JC. Beyond Insulin Resistance: Innate Immunity in NASH. Hepatology 2008; 48:670-678.
Pickens MK, Yan JS, Ng RK, Ogata H, Grenert JP, Beysen C, Turner SM, Maher JJ. Dietary sucrose is essential to the development of liver injury in the MCD model of steatohepatitis. J Lipid Res 2009; 50:2072-2082.
Pickens MK, Ogata H, Soon RK, Grenert JP, Maher JJ. Dietary fructose exacerbates hepatocellular injury when incorporated into a methionine-choline-deficient diet. Liv Int 2010;30(8):1229-39 .
Soon RK Jr, Yan JS, Grenert JP, Maher JJ. Stress Signaling in the Methionine-Choline-Deficient Model of Murine Fatty Liver Disease. Gastroenterology 2010;139(5):1730-1739.

Professor
Medicine/Gastroenterology
Program Director, UCSF Liver Center

Research Theme

Hepatic Physiology and Metabolism

Contact Information

jmaher@medsfgh.ucsf.edu
Phone: (415) 206-4805
Fax: (415) 641-0517

San Francisco General Hospital
1001 Potrero Ave.
Building 40, Room 4102
San Francisco, CA 94110

Other UCSF Affiliations