The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases acknowledges the passing of one of its members who made major contributions to our field. Roberto Groszmann, MD, FRCP passed away in New Haven on January 16, 2021. Dr. Groszmann made foundational discoveries in the pathophysiology of cirrhosis and portal hypertension.
Dr. Groszmann conducted his research at the West Haven Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where he was the chief of digestive diseases from 1988-2006. There he received a Career Development Award that allowed him to create a hepatic hemodynamic lab, where he made the fundamental and paradigm-shifting observation of the hyperdynamic circulation of cirrhosis, which would form the basis for current therapies for portal hypertension, including nonselective beta blockade. He pioneered the use of a balloon catheter to perform serial measurements of the hepatic venous pressure gradient, which has now become the gold standard for measuring portal pressure in clinical studies.
Dr. Groszmann trained innumerable physicians and scientists from around the world with whom he established long-lasting collaborations and friendships, creating a portal hypertension family.
His work earned him many awards, including AASLD’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 2002. The 2006 Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award from the American Liver Foundation, and the 2016 International Recognition Award from the European Association for the Study of the Liver.
We at AASLD proudly honor and remember Dr. Groszmann for the legacy he leaves behind, and for the many he mentored during his long and illustrious career. A more complete profile of Dr. Groszmann’s life and career will be forthcoming in HEPATOLOGY.