Annual Report 2025

A Letter From Our Chair

At AASLD Foundation, impact is the change that follows investment. But impact is not just measured in dollars awarded or programs delivered, it is measured in careers launched, discoveries accelerated, and patients and communities that benefit because someone was given the opportunity to pursue an idea at a critical moment.

Our donors are not simply supporters of programs. Our donors are investors in the future of hepatology and the people who will lead it. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, partners, and the AASLD community, those investments continue to translate into meaningful, lasting impact.

In 2025, that impact was felt across the full continuum of liver health at a pivotal time for hepatology, when the need for innovation, leadership, and access has never been greater. Behind every award granted was a tangible outcome; a career supported, a research question advanced, a clinical pathway strengthened, a patient population better served. These are real advances driven by people empowered to lead because of your investment in AASLD Foundation.

Equity and access are central to how we define impact. Through initiatives such as the Emerging Liver Scholars (ELS) and Emerging Liver Advanced Practice Providers (ELAPP) programs, AASLD Foundation ensures that at least 30% of awards support individuals from groups underrepresented in medicine, those trained at minority-serving institutions, and those who practice in federally designated health professional shortage areas (HPSA). Your support expands access to opportunity and helps build a hepatology workforce that better reflects and better serves the diverse communities affected by liver disease.

Stewardship is central to our promise to donors. Through AASLD’s partnership, the Foundation is structured to maximize the impact of your philanthropic support, ensuring that generosity is focused on driving measurable progress across hepatology.

Sustained philanthropy continues to shape the future of hepatology. The historic $25 million gift from Dr. R. Todd Stravitz and the Barbara Brunckhorst Foundation stands as a defining investment in our field. We are proud to acknowledge the Liver Leaders Council (LLC) for its continued leadership and commitment to advancing the Foundation’s mission. And we are also proud to recognize the growing impact of Club 1950, a community of giving made possible because of donors who believe in sustained investment. By contributing $1,950 or more annually, these supporters are advancing liver health today while helping secure the future of hepatology.

Because of you, shared commitment translates into tangible outcomes.

Impact is never the result of a single effort. It is built through partnership, generosity, and a shared commitment to progress.

On behalf of AASLD Foundation, I extend my deepest gratitude to our donors, members, corporate partners and supporters, and the entire hepatology community. Your support brings us closer to a world free from liver disease.

Kimberly A. Brown, MD, FAASLD
Chair, AASLD Foundation
Club 1950 Founding Member 

Our Funding Opportunities

What We Do & How We Fund

☑ Transform the Workforce
We train and equip liver specialists to build a future-ready workforce and ensure patients have access to expert care.

☑ Ignite Discovery
We fund groundbreaking research to advance science, discover new treatments, and improve care for those who need it most.

☑ Recruit Innovators
We invest in the brightest leaders to drive innovation and tackle the greatest challenges in liver health.

☑ Connect the Global Research Community
We foster global collaborations by uniting diverse expertise to advance discoveries and drive scientific excellence.

Who We Fund

☑ Advanced Practice Providers

☑ Early and Mid-Career Investigators

☑ Residents

☑ Students

☑ Trainees

Financials

At AASLD Foundation, we are committed to financial transparency and responsible stewardship of the contributions gifted to us.

In 2025, the Foundation continued to invest in advancing liver disease research and training while maintaining a 4-star charity rating via Charity Navigator.

For a detailed breakdown of our financials, please view our 2025 financial statement here.

AASLD Foundation Awards Programs

Our Awards Programs Strengthen the Field and Promote Career Development

☑ Stimulating Discovery
Our seven Research Grant Programs foster innovation, career development, and grant readiness for the next generation of students, fellows, and early- to mid-career investigators.

☑ Strengthening the Hepatology Workforce
Our Research & Career Development Awards meet the urgent need for trained specialists by recruiting and equipping top medical talent with the skills and networks needed to thrive in hepatology care.

☑ Building Pathways for Hepatology Health Professionals
The Emerging Liver Scholars (ELS) Program, Emerging Liver APP (ELAPP), and Advanced Transplant Hepatology Awards pave the way for hepatology health professionals by providing trainees and APPs with specialized education, mentorship, and leadership development opportunities to expand and diversify the workforce.

☑ Connecting the Global Research Community
Our Abstract Travel Award program empowers early-career investigators to share high-impact research at major global meetings like The Liver Meeting® (TLM), fostering collaboration and connections within the international liver research community.

Foundation Awardees, By the Numbers

Annually, AASLD Foundation funds more liver research than any other medical society.

A Decade of Impact

Our first decade reflects a powerful return on investment and a lasting impact.

Nearly $30 million awarded to 2,200+ awardees since 2015.

Awards span 46 U.S. states and 51 countries.

$1 million in travel grants to 791 awardees.

98% of awardees say Foundation funds unmet research needs.

$1 in Foundation funding = $6 NIH follow-on funding from 2016 – 2023.

1 in 3 newly certified transplant hepatology physicians are Emerging Liver Scholar (ELS) & Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow award alumni.

2025

This year, we continued to invest in the people and ideas driving hepatology forward.

In 2025, the Foundation funded $1.759 million to support 152 early-career clinicians and investigators.

$113,000 in travel grants supporting 82 researchers.

65% of 2025 travel grant awardees are first-time TLM presenters.

AASLD Foundation-funded researchers are investigating critical areas of liver disease:

☑ Adult and Pediatric Liver Cancer

☑ Artificial Intelligence in Hepatology

☑ Autoimmune Hepatitis

☑ Hepatic Encephalopathy

☑ Inherited and Genetic Liver Diseases

☑ MASLD/MASH

☑ Liver Transplantation

☑ Socioeconomic Health Disparities

To learn more about Foundation awardees and their impact, click here.

Foundation Funded Research

2025 Foundation Funded Research Highlight

AI-Driven Synthetic Data Generation for Enhanced Prognostic Modeling and Clinical Trial Design in Alcohol-associated Hepatitis

Joseph C. Ahn, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and transplant hepatologist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, holding joint faculty positions in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and the Department of Artificial Intelligence & Informatics. Dr. Ahn's research focuses on advancing precision medicine approaches through cutting-edge AI-driven methodologies and aims to refine prognostic modeling and personalize therapeutic strategies for patients with alcohol-associated liver diseases.

"In my research, I use artificial intelligence (AI). AI helps create ‘virtual patients’ who closely match real patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis. These patients help doctors better understand how the disease works and how different people might respond to treatments.

My research aims to improve care for people with alcohol-related liver disease. It helps doctors make smarter decisions, so that patients can get the right treatments sooner--potentially saving many lives.

I am deeply honored and grateful to receive this award. The award impacts my professional journey by providing critical support to further develop my research in synthetic data generation and digital twin technologies.”

- Joseph C. Ahn, MD, MS

Clinical, Translational, & Outcomes Research Award in Liver Diseases, 2025

AASLD Foundation 10th Anniversary Funding Update

A Decade of Discovery: How Early Investment Accelerated Change in Pediatric Liver Care

When Sanjiv Harpavat, MD, PhD completed his fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Baylor College of Medicine in 2012, he began to focus on understanding pediatric liver disease.

“In pediatric hepatology, there are so many unknowns,” he said. “In order to really improve the field, we need research and investigation.”

Dr. Harpavat received his first award, the Jan Albrecht Clinical and Translational Research Award in Liver Disease in 2015, a two-year $150,000 award. He had already started research into biliary atresia in children, specifically focusing on a new way to detect this condition in its earliest stages.

“Biliary atresia is the most common indication for liver transplantation in children, and the only way to delay or even avoid transplant is by diagnosing and treating infants early,” he said. “Unfortunately, infants are often diagnosed later because there is no systematic way to identify infants. We wanted to develop an easy screening method that could be used universally on all newborns to detect biliary atresia earlier.”

As a young investigator, Dr. Harpavat benefited from AASLD Foundation, which specifically seeks out researchers early in their careers so it can not only invest in their research, but serve as a career-long resource for them.

A decade later, that early investment helped catalyze remarkable progress in newborn screening for biliary atresia. We caught up with Dr. Harpavat to reflect on how far the research, science, and real-world impact has come since 2015.

Through AASLD Foundation funding, a significant amount of Dr. Harpavat’s time was protected for research, which allowed him to focus on the unknowns in pediatric hepatology while developing an independent and productive research career.

“This type of funding really makes a difference in the long run for improving how we take care of kids with liver disease,” he said. “And the AASLD Foundation provided a clear path to fund my research testing a novel newborn screening strategy for biliary atresia.”

Since receiving the Jan Albrecht Clinical and Translational Research Award in Liver Disease, Dr. Harpavat went on to secure K23 and then R03 funding from the NIH.

His research has successfully screened thousands of infants in the study hospitals and led to the publication of findings in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“Most importantly, the award generated results that are now influencing the routine management of newborns. Hospitals around the country are gradually adopting the approach,” said Dr. Harpavat. “On a legislative front, the Florida House and Senate are considering a bill based on the award’s work, and an advocacy team is also engaged with HHS leaders to try to implement on a national level a solution based on the award’s work.”

The initial funding provided by AASLD Foundation helped Dr. Harpavat build a foundation for future clinical and translational studies into detecting biliary atresia earlier, with the goal of reducing the high burden biliary atresia currently places on pediatric liver transplant waiting lists.

Thank You, Supporters

The generosity of our supporters continues to power our mission and define our impact.

AASLD Foundation’s programs fund essential research, equip early-career clinicians, investigators, and advanced practice providers with mentorship, training, and resources, and lead the future of hepatology.

Because of you, promising ideas move from concept to clinical impact, and emerging leaders gain the support they need to serve patients and communities with excellence.

Thank You to Our Generous AASLD Foundation Supporters!

Founding Donors

AASLD, AbbVie, Gilead, and Intercept

2025 LIVER LEADERs COUNCIL (LLC)

2025 Club 1950 Members

Manal F. Abdelmalek, MD, MPH, FAASLD

Uchenna Agbim, MD

Andres A. Albornoz, MD, FACP, FAASLD,

Frank A. Anania, MD, FAASLD, FACP, AGAF

Chimaobi Anugwom, MBBS

Gavin E. Arteel, PhD, FAASLD

Ayse Aytaman, MD, FACG, AGAF, FAASLD

Gyorgy Baffy, MD, PhD, FAASLD

Jasmohan S. Bajaj, MD, FAASLD

Sean Bannon, BA/BS, CFA, AIF

Meena B. Bansal, MD, FAASLD

Juliane I Beier, PhD

David Eric Bernstein, MD, FAASLD

Jorge A. Bezerra, MD, FAASLD

Lawrence M. Blatt, PhD

Anne Bloomer

Teresa Bordeaux

James L. Boyer, MD, FAASLD, FAPS

Carla W. Brady, MD, MHS, FAASLD

Danielle Brandman, MD, MAS, FAASLD

Kimberly Ann Brown, MD, FAASLD

Robert S. Brown, Jr, MD, MPH, FAASLD

Edward E. Cable, PhD

Elizabeth J. Carey, MD, FAASLD

Rotonya M. Carr, MD, FACP, FAASLD

Naga P. Chalasani, MD, FAASLD

Huey-Ling Chen, MD, PhD, FAASLD

Diana Cheung, DO

Steve S. Choi, MD, FAASLD

Raymond T. Chung, MD, FAASLD

David E. Cohen, MD, PhD, FAASLD

Giuseppe Cullaro, MD

Gina Curtin

Jessica Curtis, CMP

Matthew D’Uva, FASAE, CAE

Lily Dara, MD

Nicholas O. Davidson, MD, DSc, FAASLD

Jayne Day

Julie A. Deal

Andrew S. DeLemos, MD

Laurie D. DeLeve, MD, PhD, FAASLD

Anna Mae Diehl, MD, FAASLD

Lorna M. Dove, MD, MPH

Winston Dunn, MD, FAASLD

Gregory T. Everson, MD, FAASLD

Mike B. Fallon, MD, FAASLD

Oren K. Fix, MD, MSc, FAASLD

Steven L. Flamm, MD, FAASLD

Jennifer A. Flemming, MD

Brett E. Fortune, MD, MS, FAASLD, FAST

Paul J. Gaglio, MD, FAASLD

Guadalupe Garcia-Tsao, MD, FAASLD

Pierre M. Gholam, MD, FAASLD

HoChong Gilles, DNP, FNP-C, AF-AASLD

Gregory J. Gores, MD, FAASLD

Shady Guirguis, MD

Nadege T. Gunn, MD

Hyosun Helen Han, MD, FAASLD

Denise M. Harnois, DO, FAASLD, AGAF

Theo Heller, MD, FAASLD

Wendy A. Henderson, PhD, FAASLD

Steven K. Herrine, MD, FAASLD

F. Blaine Hollinger, MD, FAASLD, AGAF, FIDSA

Melvin Hopkins

Maarouf A. Hoteit, MD

Robert C. Huebert, MD

Samar H. Ibrahim, MBCHB, FAASLD

George Ioannou, MD, FAASLD

Donald M. Jensen, MD, FAASLD

Arun B. Jesudian, MD, FAASLD

Naudia L. Jonassaint, MD, MHS, MBA

Janice Jou, MD, MHS, FAASLD

Jeffrey A. Kahn, MD, FAASLD

David E. Kaplan, MD, MS, MSc, FAASLD, FACP, AGAF

Saul J. Karpen, MD, PhD, FAASLD

Brad Kaufmann, CFRE

Andrew Paul Keaveny, MD, FRCPI, FAASLD

Thomas W. Kiernan, MD

W. Ray Kim, MD, FAASLD

Yuko Kono, MD, PhD, FAASLD

Ayman A. Koteish, MD, FAASLD

Sonal Kumar, MD

Tatyana Kushner, MD, MSCE

Paul Yien Kwo, MD, FAASLD

Jennifer Cindy Lai, MD, MBA

Ashwini Lakshmanan, MD, MS, MPH

Cynthia Levy, MD, FAASLD

T Jake Liang, MD, FAASLD

Anna S. Lok, MD, FAASLD

Rohit Loomba, MD, MHSc, FAASLD

Michael R. Lucey, MD, FAASLD

Velimir A. Luketic, MD, FAASLD

Bruce A. Luxon, MD, PhD, FAASLD

Willis C. Maddrey, MD, FAASLD

Mayumi Maeda, MD

Mitchell A. Mah'moud, MD, FACG, AGAF, FAASLD

Jacquelyn J. Maher, MD

Harmeet Malhi, MBBS, FAASLD

Julia C. Merrill, MSML, IOM, CAE

Veronica Miller, PhD

Lopa Mishra, MD, FAASLD

Mack C. Mitchell, MD, FAASLD

Akiko Mizuta

Satdarshan (Paul) Singh Monga, MD, FAASLD

Timothy R. Morgan, MD, FAASLD

Cynthia A. Moylan, MD, MHS, FAASLD

Andrew Joseph Muir, MD, FAASLD

David C. Mulligan, MD, FACS, FAASLD, FAST

Mindie H. Nguyen, MD, MAS, AGAF, FAASLD

Patrick Grant Northup, MD, FAASLD

Lisa Marie Nyberg, MD, MPH, FAASLD

Marco A. Olivera-Martinez, MD, FAASLD

Jody C. Olson, MD

Melissa Palmer, MD, FAASLD

Rashmee Patil, MD

Heather M. Patton, MD, FAASLD

Joy A. Peter, RN, BSN

Nikolaos T. Pyrsopoulos, MD, PhD, MBA, FAASLD

Nazia Qazi, MD, FAASLD

Nancy Reau, MD, FAASLD

K. Gautham Reddy, MD, FAASLD

Andrea E. Reid, MD, MPH

Mary E. McCarthy Rinella, MD, FAASLD

Kenneth D. Rothstein, MD, FAASLD

Jessica Rubin, MD, MPH

Michael L. Schilsky, MD, FAASLD

Marina Serper, MD, MS

Neil Shah, MD

Nikunj N. Shah, MD, FAASLD

Vijay Shah, MD, FAASLD

Vicki Shah, PA-C, DMSc, MMS

David A. Shapiro, MD, FAASLD

Kenneth E. Sherman, MD, PhD, FAASLD

Ashwani K. Singal, MD, MS, FACG, FAASLD

Coleman I. Smith, MD, FAASLD

Alastair D. Smith, MB ChB, FRCP(Glasg)

Consuelo Soldevila-Pico, MD, FAASLD

Richard K. Sterling, MD, MSc, FAASLD

R. Todd Stravitz, MD, FAASLD

Grace L. Su, MD, FAASLD

Norman L. Sussman, MD, FAASLD

Wing-Kin Syn, PhD, FAASLD, MBChB, FRCP, FACP, FEBGH

Gyongyi Szabo, MD, PhD, FAASLD

Tamar H. Taddei, MD, FAASLD

Timucin Taner, MD, PhD

Norah Terrault, MD, MPH, FAASLD

Brent A. Tetri, MD, FAASLD

Dickens Theodore, MD, MPH

Jacqueline Tusa, PhD

Lisa B. VanWagner, MD, MS

Rajiv R. Varma, MD

Elizabeth C. Verna, MD, MS, FAASLD

David W. Victor, III, MD

John M. Vierling, MD, FACP, FAASLD, AGAF

Raj Vuppalanchi, MD, FAASLD

Kymberly Watt, MD

Ethan M. Weinberg, MD

Julius M. Wilder, MD, PhD

Teresa L. Wright, MD, FAASLD

Rockford Yapp, III, MD

Russell Yates, CPA

Huiping Zhou, PhD, FAASLD, AGAF

2025 Leadership Giving Challenge Winners

Hepatotoxicity SIG Steering Committee
Women’s Initiative Committee
Practice Metrics Committee

Named Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award Donors

Joseph R. Bloomer Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award
Estate of Joseph R. Bloomer, MD, FAASLD

Kimberly A. Brown Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award
Kimberly A. Brown, MD, FAASLD

Anna S. Lok Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award
Anna S. Lok, MD, FAASLD

Ashwani K. Singal Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award for Research in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease
Ashwani K. Singal, MD, MS, FAASLD

Vinay Sundaram Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Award
Family and Friends of Vinay Sundaram, MD, FAASLD

Named Research Award

Autoimmune Liver Diseases Exploratory Research Award
Anonymous Donor

Frank J. Tusa Pilot Award for Research in Hepatic Encephalopathy
Jacqueline Tusa, PhD

Gupta Family Pilot Award in PSC Research
Lalit and Anubha Gupta Family Foundation

Named Abstract Award Donors

Anna S. Lok Travel Award in HBV Research
Friends of Anna Lok

Arun J. Sanyal Travel Award
Sitaramaraju Yarramraju

Northern Lights’ Canadian Legacy Travel Award
Kymberly Watt, MD

Professor C.Y. Kim Travel Award
W. Ray Kim, MD, MBA, FAASLD

Professor Margit Hamosh Memorial Travel Award
Tamar Taddei, MD, FAASLD

Professor Mindie H. Nguyen Travel Award
Diana Cheung, DO & Family, Yoon Cho, MD, Akiko Mizuta, Mindie Nguyen, MD, FAASLD, and Philip Vutien, MD

PSC Partners Seeking a Cure Travel Award
PSC Partners Seeking a Cure

Rosalyn & Leo Fried Memorial Travel Award
Michael W. Fried, MD, FAASLD

Thomas D. Boyer Travel Award in Portal Hypertension
Peter Teuber, PhD, and Candice Teuber, PharmD

Julie A. Deal Travel Award

Friends of Julie A. Deal

Named Emerging Liver Scholars Award Donors

Bruce A. Luxon Emerging Liver Scholar Award
Bruce A. Luxon, MD, PhD, FAASLD and Family

Raymond T. Chung Emerging Liver Scholar Award
Raymond T. Chung, MD, FAASLD

Guadalupe Garcia-Tsao Emerging Liver Scholar Award
Guadalupe Garcia-Tsao, MD, FAASLD

Hugo Ramon Rosen Emerging Liver Scholar

Family and Friends of Hugo Ramon Rosen, MD, FAASLD

View the full list of AASLD Foundation donors here.

Hear From Our Awardees

In their own words, our awardees share how our donors' investments have shaped their careers and contributions to the field.

"I’m deeply honored to receive this award. It provides a valuable opportunity to share my work, connect with leaders in the field, and foster collaborations that will shape my future in pediatric hepatology."
Alaa Abdelghani, MD
Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellow Award, 2025

"This program offers unparalleled mentorship and exposure to hepatology on a global scale – opportunities unlike any I could achieve elsewhere. This program serves as a vital springboard toward achieving my long-term goal as a transplant hepatologist."
Mary S. McGrath, MD
Emerging Liver Scholar, 2025

“I am absolutely overjoyed and honored to receive this opportunity. I am eager to expand my knowledge, grow as a provider, and collaborate with leaders and experts in the field of hepatology. This experience will no doubt have a lasting impact on my professional development and my ability to provide the highest level of care to my patients.”
Kyla Colcombe, DNP, CRNP, FNP-BC
Emerging Liver Advanced Practice Provider, 2025

Hear From Our Donors

In their own words, learn more about what drives the generosity of AASLD Foundation supporters.

“AASLD Foundation turns passion into progress—fueling the research, training, and mentorship that advance liver health worldwide.”
Shady Guirguis, MD

“I donate to give early-career investigators an opportunity to bring their project ideas to fruition, just like AASLD Foundation did for me in the past.”
Andres Duarte-Rojo, MD, MS, PhD, FAASLD

“AASLD Foundation ensures the fire for continued liver research and educational initiatives is kindled and burning bright for the future of patients and the clinicians who serve them.”
Nadege T. Gunn, MD