Welcome to the UCSF Liver Center
The Liver Center is a consortium of more than 60 researchers who share a common interest in liver biology and disease. The goal of the Center is to integrate bench science with clinical investigation, in support of its vision to understand and cure human liver diseases.
The physicians and scientists of the Liver Center are committed to improving understanding of liver biology and alleviating suffering from liver diseases. Read More.
Holger Willenbring, MD, PhD
Program Director, Liver Center
Holger Willenbring named as new Center Director
The Liver Center is proud to announce that Dr. Holger Willenbring, Professor of Surgery in the Division of Transplant Surgery, has been appointed as its new Program Director. His appointment was approved by officials at NIDDK on September 16, 2024. Dr. Willenbring succeeds Dr. Jacquelyn Maher, who stepped down as Director after completing a 16-year term from 2008-2024.
Dr. Willenbring is well known to the Liver Center, having served as its Associate Director since 2012. In addition, Dr. Willenbring oversees the Liver Center's Enrichment Program, which he will continue to do through the current fund year. Dr. Willenbring previously provided oversight to the Liver Center Pilot & Feasibility Program, but with his new responsibilities as Director he will delegate that role to Dr. Maher for the 2025 funding cycle.
With this leaderhsip transition, Dr. Jennifer Lai will also assume a new role as Associate Director of the Center. Please join us in congratulating Drs. Willenbring and Lai as they lead the Center to new heights of excellence!
Congratulations to the 2024 Pilot & Feasibility Grant Awardees!
Arielle Klepper, MD, PhD
Immunologic and Microbial Characterization of Ascites Fluid in Patients with Decompensated Cirrhosis
Amar Nijagal, MD
Deciphering the Role of Macrophage Mediated Signals on Immune Tolerance in the Developing Liver
Joni Nikkanen, PhD
Beyond Transcription: Post-translational Modifications in Controlling Sex-specific Hepatic Gene Programs
Garett R. Roll, MD, FACS
Study of Molecular Markers for Early Allograft Dysfunction in Liver Transplantation
Featured Publications
Satre DD, Dasarathy D, Batki SL, Ostacher MJ, Snyder HR, Hua W, Parekh P, Shui AM, Cheung R, Monto A, Wong RJ, Chen JY, Liao M, Tana M, Chen PH, Haight CG, Fakadej T, Khalili M. Factors Associated With Motivation to Reduce Alcohol Use Among Patients With Chronic Liver Disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2025 Feb;61(3):481-490. PMID: 39523996; PMCID: PMC11710982.
Cullaro G, Allegretti AS, Fenton C, Ge J, Patidar KR, Rubin J, Sharma A, Lai JC. The association between mean arterial pressure and acute kidney injury reversal among patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Hepatology. 2025 Jan 1;81(1):126-135. PMID: 38537129; PMCID: PMC11427603.
Lai M, Fenton C, Rubin J, Huang CY, Pletcher M, Lai JC, Cullaro G, Ge J. Clinical Sentiment Analysis by Large Language Models Enhances the Prediction of Hepatorenal Syndrome in Decompensated Cirrhosis. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Nov 13:2024.11.13.24317220. doi: 10.1101/2024.11.13.24317220. PMID: 39606343; PMCID: PMC11601740.
Korotkevich E, Conrad DN, Gartner ZJ, O'Farrell PH. Selection promotes age-dependent degeneration of the mitochondrial genome. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Sep 28:2024.09.27.615276. PMID: 39386732; PMCID: PMC11463671.
Zhou Y, Zhang S, Qiu G, Wang X, Yonemura A, Xu H, Cui G, Deng S, Chun J, Chen N, Xu M, Song X, Wang J, Xu Z, Deng Y, Evert M, Calvisi DF, Lin S, Wang H, Chen X. TSC/mTORC1 mediates mTORC2/AKT1 signaling in c-MYC-induced murine hepatocarcinogenesis via centromere protein M. J Clin Invest. 2024 Sep 26;134(22):e174415. doi: 10.1172/JCI174415. PMID: 39325536; PMCID: PMC11563669.
For a complete list of liver-related member publications updated monthly, click here
