Liver Disease Research Branch

As of June 1, 2003, the Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) created the Liver Disease Research Branch within the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition and appointed Dr. Jay Hoofnagle as its founding director. The Branch will also include Dr. Leonard Seeff, special expert on viral hepatitis, and Dr. Jose Serrano, Director for the Liver and Biliary Disease Program. A fourth professional will be hired to direct a liver research program, help supervise cooperative agreements in clinical liver diseases, and serve as the director of the Liver Disease Interagency Coordinating Committee. The Branch will also rely upon the expertise and contributions of other members of the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, including Dr. Patricia Robuck, Director of the Digestive Disease Clinical Trials Program; Dr. Jay Everhart, Director of the Data Systems and Epidemiology Branch; and Dr. Judith Podskalny, Director of the Training and Career Development Program.

The Liver Disease Research Branch will serve to focus and accelerate research on liver disease in the NIDDK and help coordinate and stimulate liver-related research across the NIH and within other Federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense, the Bureau of Prisons, and the Veterans Affairs Administration. The mission of the Liver Disease Research Branch will be:

• To plan and direct the program of research grants, cooperative agreements, epidemiological studies, clinical trials, contracts, fellowships and training awards in liver and biliary disease;
• To provide consultation to investigators in preparation of proposals for research;
• To maintain surveillance over developments and assess needs for basic research in liver diseases; to prepare analyses of national research efforts and help identify gaps in research;
• To assess needs for clinical and translational research in liver diseases; to provide advice and direction to development and design of protocols; and ultimately to provide supervision and oversight for conduct of clinical trials;
• To develop recommendations to the NIDDK Advisory Council regarding priorities, initiatives, and funding of liver and biliary disease research;
• To advise and participate with outside lay organizations in responding to needs of patients with liver disease;
• To conduct meetings and workshops to help stimulate research, set research priorities and disseminate knowledge about liver and biliary diseases and recent research findings;
• To prepare, evaluate and distribute teaching and educational materials on liver and biliary diseases.

An initial important task set for the Liver Diseases Research Branch is to prepare an Action Plan for Liver Disease Research. This Action Plan will provide an overview of current research funding in liver disease, summarize challenges to advancing liver disease research, delineate the major needs for future research, and prepare a tactical plan for meeting these needs. The plan will be supervised by a working group consisting of representatives from the NIH institutes and Federal agencies involved in liver disease research funding as well as representatives from the community of extramural researchers. The structure and process of developing this Action Plan is currently being formulated. During this process, the advice, suggestions and participation of all members of the liver disease research community is actively sought.

Further information on the Liver Diseases Research Branch can be found at the NIDDK web site and progress in developing the Action Plan will be regularly updated on this web site.

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