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Friday, November 15, 2024, 7 p.m. PDT
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AASLD Foundation Receives Transformational $25 Million Gift
R. Todd Stravitz Research Fund to bolster growth in early-career liver disease research
SAN DIEGO, California (Nov. 15, 2024) — The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Foundation has received a transformational $25 million gift that will provide resources to change the landscape of liver disease research and practice by supporting early-career investigators in the field of hepatology. The gift, provided by long-time AASLD member and ABIM Board Certified Transplant Hepatologist R. Todd Stravitz, MD, FAASLD, and the Barbara Brunckhorst Foundation, aligns with the AASLD’s and the Foundation's long-term commitment to nurture talent at all career stages and to support and grow the hepatology workforce.
“Early-career investigators are the future of medical research and practice,” said AASLD Foundation Board of Trustees Chair Kimberly A. Brown, MD, FAASLD, FAST, AGAF. “With liver disease expected to increase by more than 25% in adults and 50% in children in the next decade, it’s more urgent than ever to expand the hepatology workforce. As the Foundation marks its 10-year anniversary, this incredible gift will allow us to support more people in more ways early in their hepatology careers to build the workforce.”
The grant from the Barbara Brunckhorst Foundation, which Stravitz leads, establishes the R.Todd Stravitz AASLD Foundation Research Fund. The funding — announced at the Distinguished Awards and Awards and Honors Ceremony at The Liver Meeting 2024 in San Diego — will help the AASLD Foundation cultivate a new generation of leaders in research and practice to address unmet patient needs, and it will foster innovation in new areas of research and treatment. Stravitz said the gift was inspired by the Foundation’s mission for research and workforce development and the leadership of the immediate past-Chair Bruce A. Luxon, MD, PhD, FAASLD, and continued stewardship of Kimberly A. Brown and the Board of Trustees.
"Through my time with AASLD, I have received so much, and this gift is a testament to my belief in the Foundation’s commitment to nurturing early-career clinicians and researchers who will lead the future of hepatology," Stravitz said. "I hope this donation inspires my fellow AASLD members to give back—both by contributing financially and by offering mentorship—because these actions help pave the way for the next generation of hepatology professionals and ultimately improve patient care.”
Since 2000, AASLD and AASLD Foundation together have awarded more than $63 million to some 2,150 grantees to support liver-related research and training. Building on AASLD’s long commitment to mentorship and support of early-career investigators, the Foundation has increased annual research funding by 50% over the last decade, nearly tripling the number of yearly awards and grants.
“This generous gift will help transform the landscape of hepatology research,” said AASLD President W. Ray Kim, MD, MBA, FAASLD, professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic Arizona in Scottsdale. “We are deeply grateful for the lasting impact this donation will have on both the professionals studying and treating liver disease and in strengthening the workforce to shape the future of liver health.”
The Foundation aims to cultivate a global network of innovative investigators in research and clinical practice through every stage of their careers, making AASLD their professional home and ultimately making a difference in the lives of people with liver disease.
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About AASLD
AASLD is the leading organization of scientists and health care professionals committed to preventing and curing liver disease. We foster research that leads to improved treatment options for millions of liver disease patients. We advance the science and practice of hepatology through educational conferences, training programs, professional publications, and partnerships with government agencies and sister societies.
About AASLD Foundation
The AASLD Foundation is the largest medical society supporter of liver disease research in the United States. Its mission is to invest in innovative hepatology research and in the people who study and treat liver disease. Building upon the philanthropic legacy of AASLD, the Foundation funds hepatology research and advanced hepatology training as well as by providing liver disease education for hepatologists, hepatology healthcare professionals and frontline healthcare professionals. To learn more about AASLD Foundation, visit aasldfoundation.org.