By admin|2025-06-04T14:52:26+00:00May 22, 2025|Comments Off on Isn’t it time the HealthyNYC campaign becomes more fit for purpose?
At a recent community event, I met a New Yorker whose story left me a bit unsettled. She told me how her husband had passed away from something called MASH — metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.
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Primary care has a well-established network of health centres across Spain. In the last years, there has been an increase in the number of community-based activities promoting well-being and reducing the metabolic risk profile through social prescribing. These activities usually integrate exercise through increasing physical activity.45 Strengthened primary care systems can reinforce the role of community health services by incorporating social prescribing models to address lifestyle drivers of MASLD in vulnerable populations, such as physical activity, which is a recommended first-line therapy of people with MASLD, and can improve psychosocial health,46 which is often reported as poor by people living with MASLD.46 By facilitating participation in community-based activities like group exercise, arts, or wellness programs, social prescribing addresses both physical inactivity and the isolation or low mood commonly seen in this population.47 In Catalonia, the Programa de Prescripció Social i Salut exemplifies this approach by linking patients to local community assets via an integrated system in primary care, particularly targeting conditions such as anxiety, depression, and social isolation,44 and which may be beneficial for people living with MASLD/MASH. Elsewhere, social prescribing has demonstrated benefit for people living with diabetes.48 Evaluation data from Catalonia show that over 70% of participants report improvements in emotional well-being and social support after engaging in prescribed community activities frequently related to physical activity.44
Integrating MASLD/MASH screening algorithms into existing EHR systems can substantially enhance early detection and risk stratification in primary and secondary care. Automated tools such as intelligent liver function testing (iLFT)—which systematically interprets routine liver function tests, performs reflex testing, and identifies likely liver diseases for physicians to consider—have shown promise in improving early diagnosis and care pathways, particularly in underdiagnosed conditions like MASLD and MASH.43 In the Spanish context, where nearly 10 million individuals may be living with MASLD by 2030,3 embedding such tools in the primary care EHR systems used across autonomous communities could standardise assessment, reduce diagnostic delays, and promote timely secondary referrals. Moreover, this approach complements digital transformation priorities already outlined in Spain’s National Health System and aligns with the objectives of the Strategic Framework for Primary and Community Care (2019).26,44
Enhancing awareness of MASLD/MASH among both at-risk populations—such as those living with obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome—and frontline healthcare workers is critical for early identification, appropriate risk stratification and timely intervention. Given its silent clinical course, MASLD is often underdiagnosed until advanced stages, particularly in primary care settings where patients with obesity, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome are commonly managed.
Spain’s Strategic Framework for Primary and Community Care (2019) already emphasises chronic disease prevention, making it an ideal entry point for MASLD/MASH education.26 Yet, existing knowledge gaps among primary care providers regarding liver disease etiology, progression, and appropriate screening necessitate awareness or education campaigns and professional training modules that build the knowledge and clinical skills needed to manage MASLD in frontline settings.24,41 A cohesive and comprehensive educational strategy is essential and could begin with the integration of MASLD/MASH-specific content into undergraduate, specialty, and continuing medical education curricula to foster competency in metabolic hepatology across the care continuum. A national interdisciplinary training strategy could bring together professionals from family medicine, endocrinology, cardiology, nephrology, internal medicine, endoscopy, clinical nutrition, and hepatology to address MASLD/MASH as a complex, multisystemic disorder.
A comprehensive communication and engagement health literacy strategy should position MASLD/MASH as serious, progressive, and multisystemic conditions. This involves dismantling the minimising narrative of “fatty liver” and clearly linking MASLD to major outcomes such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disease. Such a campaign should incorporate the concept of MetALD, which captures the under-recognised harm of moderate alcohol use in people with MASLD. Establishing a national MASLD/MASH patient platform would also enable the co-design of care pathways, educational materials, public campaigns, and research priorities, ensuring patient-centered policy and practice.
Finally, it is critical to explicitly position MASLD within the cardio-renal-metabolic axis, evolving toward a CHRM model (cardiovascular-hepatic-renal-metabolic).42 This paradigm recognises the liver as a pivotal organ in systemic metabolic dysfunction. The CHRM paradigm reflects the shared pathophysiology and clinical trajectories of MASLD, T2DM, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. Scientific societies and patient organisations in Spain must collectively support and disseminate this integrative model, aligning MASLD policy with broader strategies for non-communicable diseases.
Despite the rising clinical, social, and economic burden of MASLD, this condition is not currently included among Spain’s Key Health System Indicators, which guide monitoring, evaluation, and resource distribution across the National Health System.14 Integrating MASLD/MASH as a formal indicator would recognise the disease as a strategic health priority by integrating it into the national health information system, guiding decision-making on screening, diagnosis, and care pathways. Failure to track this disease risks underestimating its long-term economic and public health impacts. Incorporation into the indicator framework aligns with Spain’s commitment to data-driven governance and would support benchmarking across autonomous communities. To support targeted local action on MASLD, tools at the autonomous community level should be developed to guide policy and programme implementation. A MASLD risk index, combining aggregated clinical data, social determinants of health, and population-level metrics, can help identify high-need areas and inform municipal-level screening strategies. In parallel, a MASLD Impact Score should be created to assess the effectiveness of local policies related to metabolic health, food regulation, healthy environments, early detection practices, and workforce training. This metric could be implemented through municipal initiatives such as the upcoming “Santander se mueve” health promotion program, set to launch in September 2025.
Establishing a national MASLD registry, cohort or observatory is a critical step toward advancing clinical management, research, and policy evaluation. A national registry would enable the systematic collection of epidemiological, clinical, and sociodemographic data, essential for monitoring disease prevalence and progression, identifying high-risk subgroups, and assessing territorial disparities in access to care. While the Epidemiological sTudy of Hepatic infectiONs (ETHON) cohort estimated that 1.33%% of the Spanish population from 2015-2020 had MASH with fibrosis (stage F2-F3), these findings are limited to participants from primary care centers in Madrid, Santander and Valencia.12,39 Additionally, while national clinical registries like HEPAmet and REGHNA (focused on hospital settings) provide important data, they are not population-based, nor are they consistently linked with public health surveillance systems.40 A standardised and centralised MASLD registry would enable longitudinal tracking of this more prevalent disease, facilitate research on progression and treatment outcomes, and help evaluate the impact of interventions over time. Furthermore, registry data could support regional health planning and inform clinical practice guidelines aligned with Spain’s digital health transformation efforts.
The growing prevalence of MASLD and MASH in Spain—projected to affect over 27% and 5.9% of the population, respectively, by 2030—necessitates an integrated, cross-sectoral policy response,3 led by an intersectoral working group under the leadership of the Ministry of Health. This whole-of-government initiative could facilitate the mainstreaming of MASLD/MASH into key national strategies addressing chronic diseases in general, and obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular health specifically through a “health in all policies” approach. These strategies include the Strategy for Addressing Chronic Diseases (2012),27 the Diabetes Strategy (2006)28 and its 2012 update29, and the Cardiovascular Health Strategy (2022),30 where MASLD/MASH remain largely underrepresented despite their metabolic underpinnings. This omission contributes to fragmented care and missed opportunities for early intervention. Systematic integration of MASLD across these strategies would allow Spain to align with recommendations from the EASL–Lancet Liver Commission, which urges countries to address liver diseases through upstream, equity-based, and multisectoral policies.32
Crucially, national leadership must be paired with urban action. Cities are where obesogenic environments, food insecurity, and social inequalities converge with high diabetes and obesity prevalence. An initiative to address this, “MASH Cities,” calls on municipalities to integrate MASLD/MASH into local health promotion, food policy, urban mobility, and primary care services to mitigate disease progression.33 Major cities in Spain should consider joining this growing platform for sharing learned lessons and best practices. Empowering cities with the mandate and resources to act on liver health can serve as a scalable, equitable response to this growing challenge, as was proposed for Barcelona in May 2025.34
Additionally, inclusion of MASLD/MASH in Spain’s Public Health Surveillance Strategy (2022)35 could strengthen early detection and monitoring by enabling systematic data collection and risk assessment in both health and non-health sectors, such as urban planning and food policy. Primary care would be central to this approach, serving as the frontline for MASLD screening, risk stratification, and referral. Integration can help standardise primary care practices, including routine FIB-4 risk stratification of individuals with obesity, T2D, metabolic syndrome, or hepatic steatosis—which are often undetected until advanced stages.36 Primary care should be adequately funded and equipped to screen, stratify, manage cardiometabolic risks, and refer high-risk patients, forming the backbone of MASLD/MASH prevention and control at the national, autonomous community, and city levels.37,38
Esteve Fernández Muñoz
Esteve Fernández Muñoz graduated in Medicine at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in 1990. From 1990 to 1994, he trained at the Clinical and Molecular Cancer Epidemiology Research Unit of the Municipal Institute of Medical Research and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, where he obtained a Master’s and a PhD in Public Health and Research Methodology in 1995. After a postdoctoral stay at the Laboratory of General Epidemiology at the “Mario Negri” Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan (1994-1995), he joined the Institute of Public Health of Catalonia as researcher and teaching coordinator (1995-2000). In 2003, he obtained the title of Specialist in Preventive Medicine and Public Health.
From 2001 until his appointment as Secretary for Public Health of the Department of Health of the Government of Catalonia in August 2024, he worked at the Catalan Institute of Oncology, where he served as the head of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program and director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Control. He has primarily taught at the University of Barcelona, where he served as an assistant and then tenured associate professor, and since 2019, as a professor of Public Health.
Esteve Fernández has focused his career on research and teaching, particularly in epidemiological and implementation research for primary cancer prevention and early detection, with a special focus on tobacco control. He has also served as editor-in-chief of the journal Gaceta Sanitaria (2004-2010), president of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology (2013-2015), and academic director of the Public Health School of Menorca (2015-2020).
Carolina Lapena
Carolina Lapena Estella is a family and community nurse specialist with an anthropology degree and a PhD in public health.
She has worked as a Primary Care Nurse at CAP Sanllehy, Institut Català de la Salut (Barcelona) since 2003. She has been a Principal investigator in the GERCS (Nursing Research Group Fundació IDIAP Jordi Gol) since 2012 and a collaborating researcher in the DAP-CAT group (Diabetes in Primary Care Reasearch Group. Fundació IDIAP Jordi Gol) since 2022.
She mainly works as a primary health care professional at the primary care center. Also, she contributes actively to many projects, from preparing and writing the protocols to coordinating, performing fieldwork, data analysis, interpreting results and writing scientific articles. She has been working in community interventions and health promotion in primary care since 2015.
Slim Slama
Dr. Slim Slama is an internal medicine specialist and global public health leader with extensive experience across low-, middle-, and high-income countries. As CEO of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) at Qatar Foundation, he advances health innovation and equity worldwide.
Dr. Slama spent over a decade at the World Health Organization, where he led major initiatives on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at both regional and global levels, including in emergency settings.
He co-founded the Geneva Health Forum, taught global health at the University of Geneva, and has served on the board of Doctors Without Borders Switzerland. Dr. Slama is recognized for his leadership in integrating NCD care, humanitarian health, and climate resilience into global health systems.
Jimena Márquez Donaher
Jimena leads NCDA’s communications and media strategy, bringing over 20 years of international experience in global health, development and human rights.
Before joining NCDA in 2014, she was a senior editor in Barcelona and held communications roles with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in Geneva and Buenos Aires.
She began her career as a journalist in Argentina, her home country. Jimena holds degrees in Social Communications, Visual Culture, and Social Media.
Quique Bassat Orellana
Quique Bassat Orellana is the Director General of the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal) since January 2024. He leads a team of nearly 600 people committed to improving global health and promoting health equity through excellence in research and the translation and application of knowledge.
He is also ICREA Research Professor, and former Head of the Malaria and Neglected Parasitic Diseases Programme. As a pediatrician with special interest in infectious disease epidemiology and public health, Dr. Bassat has attempted to combine his clinical work with biomedical research in those diseases that most affect the poor and vulnerable.
His main area of interest has been the prevention and treatment of malaria in childhood, with a particular focus on understanding the clinical overlap of malaria and other common pediatric conditions. His research has also covered the new paradigm of malaria eradication, with a particular interest in evaluating the role of drugs in elimination strategies.
He has also conducted work on the description of the epidemiology and etiology of respiratory infections (viral and bacterial), diarrheal diseases, and neonatal infections in places such as Mozambique, Morocco or Bhutan. He has also studied Yaws, a neglected tropical skin disease, advancing on the science of its potential eradication.
Currently, his main interests are related to the validation and implementation of Minimally Invasive Autopsy (MIA) tools for the post-mortem investigation of causes of death in the developing world. He is also very interested in the validation and evaluation of technological devices for global health purposes.
ALD, or alcohol-related liver disease, is liver damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption (on average more than five standard drinks per day for women and ≥6 for men). A part of the steatotic liver disease spectrum, it includes a range of conditions from liver steatosis to more severe forms like alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. ALD is preventable and reversible if caught early and alcohol use is reduced or ideally stopped. Due to a high risk and speed of liver scarring, ALD is unfortunately often detected too late, after development of symptomatic liver cirrhosis. It is consequently the liver disease with the highest disease burden.
Further reading
MetALD stands for metabolic dysfunction–associated alcohol-related liver disease. It is part of the steatotic liver disease spectrum and refers to liver disease that occurs in individuals who have both metabolic risk factors (like obesity, type 2 diabetes, or high blood pressure) and consume a high amount of alcohol, averaging 2-5 standard drinks per day in women and 3-6 in men. MetALD recognises the combined impact of alcohol and metabolic dysfunction on liver health, which can accelerate liver damage and worsen outcomes.
Further reading
MASLD, or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, is the new name for what used to be called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It happens when too much fat builds up in the liver in people who don’t drink large amounts of alcohol (i.e., less than two standard drinks per day for women and less than three for men). It’s especially linked to conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes. Often, MASLD has no symptoms, but some people may feel tired or have discomfort in the upper right side of their belly. If left untreated, it can lead to more inflammation (called MASH) and scarring (fibrosis), as well as serious liver problems, like cirrhosis or even liver cancer. Doctors usually detect MASLD through abnormal blood tests and imaging. Losing weight, eating healthy, being active, avoiding alcohol intake, and managing other chronic health problems are recommended as a primary treatment—and sometimes even reverse the condition.
Further reading
Steatotic liver disease (SLD), also called fatty liver disease, is a broad term that refers to the buildup of fat in the liver—also known as hepatic steatosis. It occurs when more than 5% of liver cells contain fat. SLD can have different causes, including metabolic dysfunction, alcohol use, or a combination of both. While some people with SLD may have no symptoms, it can progress over time to liver inflammation, scarring (fibrosis), cirrhosis, or even liver cancer. Identifying and addressing the underlying cause—whether it’s obesity, diabetes, alcohol use, genetics or another factor—is key to preventing long-term liver damage. SLD is a spectrum of diseases encompassing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its more severe form metabolic dysfunction-association steatohepatitis (MASH), metabolic dysfunction–associated alcohol-related liver disease (MetALD), and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD).
Further reading
Katie Dain
Katie Dain is Chief Executive Officer of NCD Alliance, a global network of civil society organisations dedicated to transforming the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Katie has worked with NCD Alliance since its founding in 2009 and is widely recognised as a leading advocate and expert on NCDs.
Before joining NCDA, she held a series of policy and advocacy posts in international NGOs and government, including the International Diabetes Federation and the UK Government as a gender policy adviser.
She has a BA in History from Sheffield University, and a Master’s degree in Violence, Conflict and International Development from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London.
João Diogo
Pharmacist by training, with Post Graduate studies in Health Technology and Intervention Assessment from Lisbon School of Economics and Management and an Executive Masters in Healthcare Management from INDEG-ISCTE. Extensive professional experience in the field of health policy and public affairs through roles in the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare specialized consultancy, NGO and academia.
Former Executive Aide of UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health and Partnerships and Operations Manager at NOVA Center for Global Health. Currently working as Public Affairs Manager at Novo Nordisk Portugal.
Rajarshi Banerjee
Rajarshi Banerjee is a practicing consultant in medicine and CEO of Perspectum, a precision health company dedicated to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and management of metabolic diseases and cancer. He trained at Oxford and in London in general medicine and cardiology.
His interest in acquired cardiovascular disease grew from the rise of coexisting cardiovascular and liver disease linked to obesity and alcohol use. Awarded a British Heart Foundation Fellowship in 2008, he studied the effects of excess weight on the cardiovascular system.
In 2011, he launched the Rapid Imaging in Liver Disease (RIAL) study, using advanced MR techniques to improve liver disease diagnosis and monitoring, now widely adopted. In 2024, Perspectum was recognised as Oxfordshire’s best-established MedTech company.
David Stuckler
David Stuckler, PhD, MPH, is a Professor of Social and Political Sciences at Bocconi University and the founder of FastTrack, a research mentorship program that helps scholars publish in high-impact journals.
He has authored over 400 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals including The Lancet, BMJ, and Nature. His books include Sick Societies (Oxford University Press) and The Body Economic (Penguin Press), translated into over ten languages.
His work on global health has been featured by The New York Times, The Economist, and The Guardian. He advises international organizations including the WHO and UNICEF.
Michael Betel
Michael Betel is the President and Founder of the Fatty Liver Alliance and a leader in liver disease advocacy for over 30 years. Michael is a passionate advocate for those living with MASLD and MASH and is dedicated to improving the lives of those affected.
He is the Chair for the Global Liver Institute’s Liver Action Network, and in 2024 was awarded, by GLI, the Global Excellence in Advocacy Award. Michael is a member of community advisory boards for the Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver (CASL), Regeneron’s NASH POWER Council, and PPD/Evidera Patient Voice in NASH Patient Advisory Board (PAB).
He participates as a stakeholder at Mosaic, and is a member of the Liver Forum for Collaborative Research, and the Global NASH Council.
William Alazawi
William Alazawi is Professor of Hepatology at Queen Mary University London where he leads an MRC-funded translational liver research group that focuses on mechanisms in Steatotic Liver Disease and understanding the risk factors for progression.
He is the co-lead for the Clinical Academic Training School and Director of Research at the Blizard Institute. He is a Consultant Hepatologist and the interim Clinical Director in Specialist Medicine at The Royal London Hospital, where he also leads the MASLD and One-Stop Diagnostic Liver Services.
Gail Hinkson
Gail Hinkson has been involved with the conduct and oversight of human subject’s research and clinical trials since 1994. Her research experience includes the management and oversight of phase 1-4 clinical research in major therapeutic areas. She has led operational and scientific teams for clinical research sites, site networks, pharmaceutical service providers, and medical device companies.
Gail was the CEO of Pinnacle Clinical Research, a research center specializing in MASH research, in San Antonio, Texas from inception through 2021. Gail is the co-founder and CEO for Summit Clinical Research, an Integrated Research Organization with headquarters in San Antonio, TX.
Morten Karsdal
Dr. Karsdal joined Nordic Bioscience in 2001 and rose to become CEO in 2010. Karsdal is a visionary leader, renowned for his solid expertise and dedication to biomarker development, the extracellular matrix and disease biology.
Dr. Karsdal has published more than 650 peer-reviewed articles and has presented at numerous global scientific conferences. Dr. Karsdal oversees multiple larger partnerships, as well as 200+ Copenhagen-based staff.
Luis Antonio Diaz Piga
Dr. Díaz is a Gastroenterology Specialist and Assistant Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile School of Medicine. Trained as Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology specialist at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Dr. Díaz is currently a Researcher at the MASLD Research Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD). He is a Clinical Researcher with interest in translational and clinical research in steatotic liver disease, and liver transplantation.
Achim Kautz
Achim Kautz is CEO of Kautz5 gUG – a non-profit project and consulting company for patient-centred care research and health concepts. He is actively advocating for liver patients since more than 20 years. Over these years he was CEO of the German patient organisation “Deutsche Leberhilfe e.V.” and co-initiator of the European Liver Patients´ Association (ELPA) and the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA).
He has been part of a number of EU declarations and WHO resolutions mainly in the liver field and serves as a member of the consultancy group in the Ministry of Health in Germany looking after the national elimination strategy for HIV, viral hepatitis and STDs. He is the initiator of many metabolic disease-related health projects and active in NASH population research on national and international level.
He is also co-initiator of the International Liver Cancer Movement (ILCM) with over 60 PAGs and scientific organisations globally. He is also a consultant for scientific associations and senior special advisor for Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW).
Andrew Yeoman
Having co-established the Gwent Liver Unit, Dr. Yeoman helped draft the Wales Liver Plan, being clinical lead from 2016-2023. In that time they doubled the alcohol care team workforce and established a national abnormal liver test pathway and a liver registry.
He was a member of the UK Lancet Commission into Liver Disease and is a current member of the UK Liver Alliance. He is also the quality lead for the Royal College of Physicians IQILS accreditation programme and an honorary senior lecturer in the Division of Population Medicine at Cardiff University.
Ken Cusi
Dr. Cusi is a Professor of Medicine at the Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism division at the University of Florida. He trained in Buenos Aires and at Baylor College of Medicine. His early work at the University of San Antonio Health Science Center focused on insulin defects in T2DM and the role of NAFLD/NASH in the disease.
His current research targets mechanisms and treatments for NAFLD/NASH. Dr. Cusi has published over 275 articles and contributed to several current MASLD guidelines. He has received numerous awards, including the 2020 AACE Jack Baskin Endocrine Teaching Award and the 2025 University of Florida Outstanding Researcher Award. He is on the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease’s Organising Committee.
Priya Jaisinghani
Dr. Priya Jaisinghani is a board-certified endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Jaisinghani received a distinction in service to the community through her work at The Boggs Center at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where she also completed her internal medicine residency and was inducted into the AOA Honor Society.
She completed her endocrinology training at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell. She has a focus on minority health, medical education, and media. Recently, she published a book chapter on Viral Infections and Obesity and is currently secretary for Tristate Obesity Society and on the education committee for Obesity Action Coalition. Dr Jaisinghani has been featured on ABC News, NBC News, WSJ, Rolling Stone, NYT and other outlets for her work and was Find a Top Doc Women in Medicine Honoree.
Manolis Tsochatzis
Dr. Emmanuel Tsochatzis is a Professor of Hepatology and Consultant Hepatologist at the UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Royal Free Hospital in London, and Head of the Centre for Metabolic Liver Disease. His research focuses on MASLD, cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and non-invasive liver fibrosis assessment.
After completing his training and PhD in Greece, he joined the Royal Free Hospital for post-doc research. He has received multiple awards, including the UEG Rising Star prize and EASL Physician Scientist Fellowship. Professor Tsochatzis has published over 260 articles and contributed to WHO guidelines on HBV/HCV diagnosis and treatment.
Jerome Boursier
Jerome Boursier (MD, PhD) is Professor of Hepatology at Angers University in France. A practicing clinician, he is the Head of the Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology and Digestive Oncology at the Angers University Hospital.
He also coordinates the University-Hospital Federation GO NASH, and he is General Secretary of the French Association for the Study of the Liver (2022-2025). He has expertise in natural history, diagnosis, and treatment of steatotic liver diseases, with a special interest in non-invasive tests of liver lesions (pathological significance, diagnostic and prognostic accuracy, disease monitoring, screening strategies).
Initially in chronic viral hepatitis C and now in MASLD, he has contributed to the development and validation of several tests now widely used in clinical practice.
Frank Tacke
Prof. Dr. Frank Tacke, MD, PhD, MBHA, is the Chairman of Hepatology & Gastroenterology at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany, one of the largest universities hospitals in Europe. He was educated in Hannover, Germany; Houston (M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre); New York (Mount Sinai Medical Centre); and Aachen, Germany (University Hospital Aachen, Germany).
He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology and Diabetology, Critical Care Medicine and Infectious Diseases. He has received several prizes and awards (including the prestigious Emmy-Noether-research group funding by the German Research Foundation).
He has served on the Governing Board of the European Association for the Study of the Liver. He is currently Co-Editor at the Journal of Hepatology. He is the coordinator of the multidisciplinary European guideline on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (EASL-EASD-EASO).
Silvana Pannain
Silvana Pannain is an Associate Professor of Obesity Medicine and Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at the University of Chicago, where she serves as the Obesity Medicine Director for the Center for Weight and Metabolic Health.
She has been board-certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism since 2007 and an ABOM diplomate since 2016. Dr. Pannain is an active member of the ABOM Obesity Medicine Certification Committee and the OMA CIT Committee, contributing to obesity medicine certification, recertification, and trainee education.
She is the Vice President and co-founder of the Illinois Obesity Society (IOS), where she co-chairs the annual IOS Obesity CME. Additionally, she is the co-Director of ObesityNext (obesitynext.org), a CME-accredited clinical case discussion series on obesity and cardiometabolic disease.
Paul Brennan
Dr. Paul Brennan is a translationally-focused clinician, with a number of key research themes spanning the early identification of liver disease, namely steatotic liver disease and particularly metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, including natural history epidemiology and recognition of social and environmental determinants. His other principal focus is understanding the immunological basis of, and use of, novel cellular-based treatments for chronic liver disease.
He is a member of the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease’s Scientific Committee, the Lancet Commission for early detection of liver disease in primary care and the Global NASH Council (GNC). He is also a founding member of both a UK-wide hepatology-based trainee network (ToRcH-UK), and a co-applicant on a Scottish-led initiative (SHARP) funded by the National Institute for Health and Research (NIHR) to improve accessibility in liver services.
Luca Valenti
Prof. Luca Valenti is one of the leading international experts in hepatology and metabolic diseases. Graduated in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Milan, he specialized in Internal Medicine, with a focus on hepatic steatosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, iron metabolism diseases and genetic liver diseases.
He is currently Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Biological Resources Center at the Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico in Milan. Author of numerous guidelines and member of prestigious international scientific committees, he is recognized as one of the leading global authorities in the treatment of hepatic steatosis.
Michael Ninburg
Michael Ninburg is Executive Director Emeritus of the Hepatitis Education Project (HEP), a U.S.-based NGO dedicated to supporting hepatitis patients. HEP works with patients, clinicians and policymakers, and provides direct services and advocacy for some of the community’s most underserved and marginalised populations, including prisoners and people who use drugs.
Michael works with global partners on issues related to hepatitis testing, treatment access, and the development of more efficient hepatitis drugs and diagnostics. He has served as consultant or partner to a variety of governmental agencies and multilateral organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization/WHO, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its agencies, including CDC.
Before joining HEP, Michael worked in the private sector with Apple Computer in the Czech Republic and Amazon.com in Seattle. He studied Philosophy at UCLA and has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Washington.
Gema Frühbeck
Prof. Gema Frühbeck (RNutr, MD, PhD) combines everyday work in the clinical setting as Co-Director of the Obesity Area of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra (Pamplona, Spain), with basic research as Head of the Metabolic Research Laboratory of the University of Navarra and Project Leader of the CIBEROBN (Centre of Excellence Network in Obesity and Nutrition of the Spanish Institute of Health).
The efforts of her group are focused on studying the impact of adiposity on the development of comorbidities. Frühbeck’s group has taken the step forward of using body composition measurements routinely in the clinical assessment of patients in order to analyse the relevance of body fat -beyond BMI- in comorbidity development. Prof. Frühbeck has served as Secretary, President-Elect, and President of the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO). Currently she is Co-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of EASO.
Helen Jarvis
A Primary Care Physician (GP) with a background in clinical hepatology and a masters in public health, interested in researching how primary care can be improved for people at risk of, and living with chronic liver disease.
She is liver lead for the Primary Care Society of Gastroenterology (PCSG), early detection lead for the UK Liver Alliance (UKLA), and primary care advisor to the British Liver Trust (the largest liver charity in the UK).
Hannes Hagström
Dr. Hannes Hagström studies liver-related epidemiology, with a specific interest in steatotic liver disease. Key questions that his group focuses on include long-term outcomes of steatotic liver disease, and identifying risk factors for disease progression.
He has been instrumental in developing one of the globally largest cohorts of patients with steatotic liver disease. Some current initiatives include the Fatty Liver In Sweden multi-center cohort of longitudinally examined patients, and the screening initiative SCANDIA, where 1000 patients with type 2 diabetes have been screened for presence and severity of fatty liver disease.
He is co-director for the Center for Bioinformatics and Biostatistics (CBB) at KI South. His awards include the 2016 Bengt Ihre scholarship, the 2018 AASLD Early Career Investigator Award and the 2024 UEG Rising Star Award. He is a member of the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease’s Scientific Committee.
Robert Wong
Robert J. Wong, MD, MS, FACG, FAASLD is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and Staff Physician of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System.
He is a clinician-scientist whose work has focused on highlighting and addressing healthcare disparities and inequities among individuals with chronic liver diseases. His work is supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, AASLD, ACG, and others.
He has authored over 275 publications and work has been published in high impact journals including, JAMA, Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Journal of Hepatology, and others.
Laura Falvey
Dr. Laura Falvey is the Executive Clinical Director at Reset Health, a digital health company specialising in patient-centred metabolic health solutions. She leads the multidisciplinary clinical obesity service and clinical product advisory at Roczen, with expertise in governance and digital health integration. She has driven key collaborations across public and private sectors, and NIHR-funded research.
A passionate advocate for equitable obesity care, she speaks widely on digital health’s role in healthcare. Laura trained at King’s College London and previously worked across NHS medical, surgical, and primary care settings, bringing frontline experience to digital innovation in weight management.
Paula Petrone
Dr. Paula Petrone leads the Digital Health Unit at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, where she develops algorithms for early disease diagnosis, risk assessment, and treatment using data from wearables, imaging, and health records. She holds a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Stanford and has worked at Novartis and Roche applying machine learning to drug discovery.
With expertise at the intersection of biology, chemistry, and medicine, she collaborates with biotech and medtech companies to deliver AI-based, explainable, and trustworthy solutions to patients. A WiDS Ambassador (2021–2024), she promotes diversity in STEM and is a published scientist, mentor, speaker, and mother of two.
John Dillon
John is a clinician and researcher. He is a past Vice-President for Hepatology of the British Society of Gastroenterology and past President of the Scottish Society of Gastroenterology. He graduated from St Georges Hospital Medical School, University of London, and gained his MD based on research performed in the University of Edinburgh while a lecturer in Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
His award-winning research include new pathways of care for patients with abnormal LFTs and for people infected with HCV, as well as novel diagnostics and treatments for MASLD. His work on early detection of Liver disease led to the invention of “iLFT”. He is currently a Principle Investigator at the School of Medicine, University of Dundee, and Consultant Hepatologist at NHS Tayside.
Kristina Curtis
Dr. Kristina Curtis is a pioneer in translating behaviour change science into practice with over a decade of experience in developing health behaviour change interventions for a range of preventative health behaviours including weight management, physical activity, health service uptake and self-management of chronic conditions as well as medication adherence.
Kristina also works with a range of organisations from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the foreign office (FCDO) in building expertise and capacity for applying behaviour change science to working practices. Kristina is founder of a behavioural science consultancy, Applied Behaviour Change specialising in helping organisations apply behavioural science tools in a systematic, rigorous and yet practical way through training, research and consultancy.
Kristina is an Honorary Lecturer and Associate for UCL’s Centre for Behaviour Change where she delivers regular teaching and PhD supervision.
Ajay Duseja
Prof. Ajay Duseja, MD, DM, FAASLD, FACG, FAMS, FINASL is presently working as Professor and Head in the department of Hepatology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India.
He is currently the Secretary General of the Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL). He is the National Convener of the Task Force on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) and the Principal Investigator of the Indian Consortium on MASLD (ICOM-D)– an on-going real-life study on MASLD in India involving 45 centres.
He has more than 400 publications and is recipient of several awards and honours. He is a member of the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease’s Scientific Committee.
Xavier Cos
Dr. Francesc Xavier Cos is a general practitioner and Director of Sant Martí Primary Health Centres in Barcelona, Spain.
His primary interests are research and education in Primary Care, particularly in Diabetes. He is a member of the Primary Care University Research Institute Jordi Gol, focusing on Diabetes prevention and epidemiological database analysis. He has contributed to national and international projects, including diabetes treatment guidelines and expert patient programs.
An Associate Professor at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, he is also an Associate Editor for Primary Care Diabetes. Dr. Cos served as Chairman of Primary Care Diabetes Europe from 2017 to 2021.
Tit Albreht
Prof. Tit Albreht, M.D., Ph.D. in Health Services Research at the University of Amsterdam, Head of the Centre for Health Care at the National Institute of Public Health of Slovenia, Senior Researcher in the field of health services research, health policy and health systems research, member of the Scientific Committee of EUPHA.
He served as President of the Slovenian Preventive Medicine Society between 2016 and 2022, and he is currently President of the European Public Health Association for the term 2024-2026. His research and policy work has predominantly been on national and EU health system policies and health services research in health workforce, patient mobility, cancer control and cancer care.
He is assistant professor of public health at both Slovenian medical faculties as well as at the Faculties of Health Sciences in Maribor and Jesenice.
A.G. (Onno) Holleboom
Dr. A.G. (Onno) Holleboom is associate professor and internist in Vascular Medicine and Endocrinology at Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands. He heads the MASH clinic together with hepatology.
Supported by the Dutch gastroenterology/hepatology foundation, his team optimizes SLD care paths. He is ExBo member and WP leader in the IHI GRIP on MASH consortium, co-authored the Dutch MASLD guideline, was a Delphi panel member for the EASL-EASD-EASO MASLD guideline and is on the Global MASH Council.
He (co-)leads clinical trials and runs a group with 5 MD-PhD candidates focusing on gut microbial therapeutic approaches and on pathways involving the sinusoidal endothelium.
Veronica Miller
Veronica Miller, PhD, Adjunct Professor at Berkeley Public Health, directs the Forum for Collaborative Research and its Data & Analysis Center. The Forum applies innovative translational medicine approaches to complex high-prevalence and rare diseases (steatotic/cholestatic liver diseases, viral infections, ocular diseases) requiring multi-modal approaches to generate solutions. This involves multidisciplinary teams in Public Health, Medicine, Biology, Statistics, Computer Science, Data/Regulatory Science from academia, industry, governments and communities. She has over 145 peer reviewed publications and is committed to passing on Forum principles and learning to the next generation through internships, graduate courses, and talks around the world.
Nikos Dedes
Nikos Dedes is chair of the Greek Patients’ Association and chair of Positive Voice, the Greek Association of People Living with HIV.
He is currently a member of the Steering Committee of NEAT id (European Treatment Network of HIV, Hepatitis and Global Infectious Diseases), member of the HIV Treatment Guidelines Panel of EACS (European AIDS Clinical Society) and member of the Steering Committees of the HIV Outcomes and EuroTEST initiatives.
He is a member of the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease Scientific Committee.
Veronica Miller
Veronica Miller, PhD, Adjunct Professor at Berkeley Public Health, directs the Forum for Collaborative Research and its Data & Analysis Center.
The Forum applies innovative translational medicine approaches to complex high-prevalence and rare diseases (steatotic/cholestatic liver diseases, viral infections, ocular diseases) requiring multi-modal approaches to generate solutions. This involves multidisciplinary teams in Public Health, Medicine, Biology, Statistics, Computer Science, Data/Regulatory Science from academia, industry, governments and communities.
She has over 145 peer reviewed publications and is committed to passing on Forum principles and learning to the next generation through internships, graduate courses, and talks around the world.
Naim Alkouri
Naim Alkhouri, MD, is the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Director of the Steatotic Liver Program at Arizona Liver Health (ALH) in Phoenix, AZ.
Dr. Alkhouri is a leader in the field of MASH therapeutics and an advisor/consultant to many pharmaceutical and biomarker development companies. He is Principal Investigator on several multicenter global MASH trials and a member of the AASLD MASH Special Interest Group (MASH SIG).
Dr. Alkhouri’s over 260 publications include articles in the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, JAMA, Nature Medicine, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and the Journal of Hepatology. He presents his work at both national and international medical conferences.
He is a co-director of the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease.
Didac Mauricio
Dr. Didac Mauricio, MD, PhD, is Director of Endocrinology & Nutrition at Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, and a Professor at UVic/UCC.
He is currently the scientific Director of CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, in Spain. With over 350 peer-reviewed publications and book contributions, Dr. Mauricio has received top awards from the Spanish Society of Diabetes and the Spanish Society of Endocrinology & Nutrition.
He has served on various local and international committees and led numerous research projects funded by national and international agencies, focusing on diabetes management and complications.
He is the local chair for the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease.
Jordi Serrano Pons
Dr. Jordi Serrano Pons, a specialist in Family Medicine, founded UniversalDoctor, a Global Digital Health company, and UhDa Health, focused on Prevention. He has recently founded P8Health.
His companies collaborate extensively with numerous governments and international organizations on innovative projects related to Global Health and Planetary Health.
From 2013 to 2019, Dr. Jordi worked as a health and innovation consultant for the WHO. During this period, he led the implementation of several projects and contributed to the WHO Innovation Group.
His academic background includes a Degree in Medicine specialising in Family Medicine, a Master’s in Health and Environment, and a Postgraduate degree in International Studies.
Jörn Schattenburg
Dr. Jörn Schattenberg is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Department of Medicine II at the University Medical Center Homburg and University of Saarland, Germany.
He received his medical degree in 2002 from the University of Mainz and Tulane University. His postdoctoral training at Albert-Einstein College of Medicine focused on liver injury, particularly metabolic liver disease and MASH.
Board-certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology, and hepatology, his research focuses on translational science, clinical trials, and new technologies for metabolic liver disease prevention.
He is a member of EASL’s Policy, Public Health, and Advocacy Committee, Associate Editor for JHEP Reports and co-director of the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease’s Scientific Committee.
Maru Rinella
Dr. Rinella is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago and Director of the Metabolic Liver Program. Her current research focuses on MASLD/MASH, particularly its links to metabolic co-morbidities and recurrence after liver transplantation.
Dr. Rinella is actively involved in the AASLD, where she has held various leadership positions and chaired the 2023 AASLD NAFLD Practice Guidance. She has held leadership roles in MASLD research and co-led the global initiative to redefine NAFLD terminology to what is now known as MASLD.
She is on the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease Organising Committee.
Paul Brennan
Dr. Paul Brennan is a translationally-focused clinician, with a number of key research themes spanning the early identification of liver disease, namely steatotic liver disease and particularly metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, including natural history epidemiology and recognition of social and environmental determinants.
His other principal focus is understanding the immunological basis of, and use of, novel cellular-based treatments for chronic liver disease. He is a member of the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease’s Scientific Committee, the Lancet Commission for early detection of liver disease in primary care and the Global NASH Council (GNC).
He is also a founding member of both a UK-wide hepatology-based trainee network (ToRcH-UK), and a co-applicant on a Scottish-led initiative (SHARP) funded by the National Institute for Health and Research (NIHR) to improve accessibility in liver services.
Holly Lofton
Dr. Holly F. Lofton is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine and Surgery at NYU Langone Health, where she has served as director of the Medical Weight Management Program since 2012. Here, she designed the popular New You program to help her patients obtain results while fostering nutrition education and placing emphasis on a healthy lifestyle.
She is currently involved in clinical research pertaining to the pharmacotherapy to treat weight recurrence after bariatric surgery as well as clinical drug trials.
Dr. Lofton educates students, the general public and other physicians about diagnosing and treating obesity.
She has served on the board of the Obesity Action Coalition, the Bariatric Medicine committee for the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and the Obesity Medicine Fellowship Council.
Scott Isaacs
Dr. Scott Isaacs is a board-certified endocrinologist in Atlanta, specialising in obesity medicine, steatotic liver disease, cardiometabolic disease, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and general endocrinology.
He attended Emory University for medical school, residency, and fellowship and serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Emory. A diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and the American College of Physicians, Dr. Isaacs is past president of the Georgia Chapter of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), current president of AACE and a member of the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease’s Scientific Committee.
He has given over 500 lectures, published research, authored several best-selling books and appeared in major media outlets such as the New York Times and CBS News, Link to social media.
Maja Thiele
Dr. Maja Thiele is a Professor of Hepatology at Odense University Hospital and the University of Southern Denmark.
Her research focuses on improved management of patients across the spectrum of steatotic liver disease, particularly alcohol-related liver disease and metabolic and alcohol-associated liver disease, through biomarkers for early detection, omics technologies and cost-effective referral pathways. She has contributed to multiple clinical guidelines, including EASL, AASLD, and the BAVENO VII consensus.
She is a partner in several European research consortia, including LiverAIM, GALAXY, LiverScreen, MicrobPredict, and SALVE.
Shira Zelber-Sagi
Prof. Zelber-Sagi is a clinical dietitian, epidemiologist, and researcher in nutritional epidemiology. She holds a BSc in nutrition sciences from the Hebrew University and a PhD in epidemiology from Tel Aviv University.
Currently, she is a Professor and Head of the School of Public Health at the University of Haifa and works as a clinical dietitian at the liver unit of Tel-Aviv Hospital.
She is a member of the National Committee for Nutrition, Gastroenterology, and Liver Disease and heads the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Nutrition Forum for the Israeli Nutrition Association.
She is the EASL Public Health councillor and a member of the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease Organising Committee.
Meena Bansal
Dr. Bansal has been on faculty at Mount Sinai since 2001, leading an NIH funded research program on molecular mechanisms of liver fibrosis in people living with HIV. She has also served as the principal investigator for several MASH clinical trials.
She held the position of Secretary for the American Association for the Study of Liver and is currently Director of the newly formed MASLD/MASH (NAFLD/NASH) Center of Excellence at Mount Sinai. In January 2024, Dr. Bansal was named System Chief, Division of Liver Diseases for the Mount Sinai Health System.
She is a member of the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease’s Scientific Committee.
Francesco Branca
Francesco Branca, MD, PhD, is an invited professor in the Institute of Global Health of Geneva University. He has been the Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at the WHO.
Previously, he has been a Scientist at the Italian Food and Nutrition Research Institute, a Lecturer at the University of Rome La Sapienza and Tor Vergata, and Adjunct Professor in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science, Tufts University.
Francesco graduated in Medicine and Surgery and specialized in Diabetology and Metabolic Diseases at the Universita’ Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy.
Jeffrey V Lazarus
Jeffrey V. Lazarus, PhD, MIH, MA, is a Professor of Global Health at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Policy and a research professor at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).
He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in NYC. With extensive experience at WHO Europe and the Global Fund, Prof. Lazarus chairs Healthy Livers, Healthy Lives (an AASLD, ALEH, APASL, EASL and SOLDA coalition) and leads MASH Cities.
He has authored over 450 publications, led key public health consensus statements, and received multiple prestigious awards, including the 2023 American Liver Foundation Distinguished Scientific Achievement award.
He is the director of the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease.
| Category | Early Bird
(before 1 April) |
On-site |
|---|---|---|
| Private Sector/Industry | 495 | 695 |
| Start-up* | 150 | 200 |
| Healthcare Professional, Academic, Public Health/Professional Association, NGO | 100 | 150 |
| Young Researcher / Trainee / PostDoc / Student / Young Person (under 25) * | 50 | 50 |
| Patient or Patient Representative * | 50 | 50 |
* Registration fee scholarship offered on application, please email: lisa.rice@isglobal.org
Pre-conference (by invitation only)
Main Sessions (Beginning at 2PM)
Networking Reception (6-7:15PM)
Main Sessions (Beginning at 9:30AM)
Roundtables
Closing Remarks (4:45-5PM)
The Clinical Care Pathway Assessment (CARPA) project aims to assess the implementation of a novel clinical pathway in selected primary care settings and corresponding tertiary/specialist (hepatology) centres across Spain, to increase the rates of detection and treatment of metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.