Cedars-Sinai Experts Present Research at The Liver Meeting 2026

Cedars-Sinai hepatology experts are available for media interviews during The Liver Meeting 2026, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases' annual scientific meeting, Nov. 5-9 in Denver.

Cedars-Sinai physician-scientists will join more than 8,000 conference attendees to present the latest research and best practices in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of liver disease. Topics include the relationship between ancestral origins and cirrhosis risk, newly identified biological mechanisms that worsen alcohol-related liver injury, potential treatments for metabolic liver disease, and new insights on limiting colorectal cancer growth in the liver.

"The Liver Meeting brings together experts from around the world to share discoveries that are advancing our understanding of liver disease and improving patient care," said Shelly C. Lu, MD, the Women's Guild Chair in Gastroenterology and director of the Cedars-Sinai Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. "Cedars-Sinai experts are contributing research across the spectrum of liver health-from uncovering the biological mechanisms of disease to investigating new treatments and addressing disparities in care."

Lu is available to discuss preclinical research identifying biological mechanisms that contribute to alcohol-associated liver disease, including an experimental compound that protected against alcohol-induced liver injury and inflammation in animal models. The studies could point toward new approaches to treating the disease.

Other Cedars-Sinai digestive and liver disease experts are available to discuss a wide variety of research, including:

Hyunseok Kim, MD, MPH, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine, will deliver a featured oral presentation on a large genetic study that found individuals with Admixed American ancestry-a genetic profile that includes Indigenous American and European ancestry common among Hispanic populations-had a substantially higher risk of alcohol-associated cirrhosis than those of European ancestry, even after accounting for alcohol consumption. Individuals with African ancestry had a lower risk. Kim can also discuss research associating naltrexone, a medication for alcohol use disorder, with a reduced risk of serious liver complications among heavy drinkers, including those without cirrhosis.

David E. Cohen, MD, PhD , chair of the Cedars-Sinai Department of Medicine, can discuss preclinical research showing how biological signals sent from muscles to the liver may help regulate fat accumulation, offering potential new insights into metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Walid Ayoub, MD, professor of Medicine and director of the Autoimmune and Cholestatic Liver Disease Program at Cedars-Sinai, can discuss clinical research evaluating the investigational drug volixibat for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), including improvements in itching, fatigue and sleep disturbances. He also can discuss other advances in diagnosing and treating the disease.

Ju Dong Yang, MD , director of the Cedars-Sinai Liver Cancer Program, can discuss his oral presentation on the use of immunotherapy to shrink liver tumors before transplantation and when to stop treatment to reduce the risk of organ rejection. Yang also can discuss new health equity research examining how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated disparities in liver cancer treatment and survival among lower-income populations.

Ekihiro Seki, MD, PhD, a professor of Medicine, can share results of a preclinical investigation identifying a protein that may promote the spread of colorectal cancer to the liver in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Blocking the protein reduced tumor growth in animal models. Seki can also discuss a new study that identified a molecular pathway involved in liver cancer and fibrosis that may point to a target for developing new therapies.

Alexander Kuo, MD, professor of Medicine and medical director of Liver Transplantation, chairs the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases' Training and Workforce Committee. He can discuss the use of artificial intelligence in training liver specialists and the relative merits of liver-targeted medication versus GLP-1 therapy for treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

Maria Lauda Tomasi, PhD, associate professor of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, can discuss preclinical research identifying a previously unrecognized molecular mechanism that worsens inflammation and contributes to liver injury in alcohol-associated liver disease. The findings could point to a potential target for new treatments.

Komal Ramani, PhD, associate professor of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, can discuss preclinical research identifying a protein that contributes to the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Eliminating the protein in animal models reduced fat accumulation, inflammation and liver scarring, pointing to a new avenue of investigation for the development of therapies.

To schedule an interview with a Cedars-Sinai expert, contact Laura Coverson at [email protected] or 310-562-1112.