Inaugural lecture of Professor Jonathan Fallowfield, Personal Chair of Translational Liver Research

Liver disease is a silent killer and is on the rise. It is now the biggest cause of death in those aged between 35-49 years old. If detected early, liver disease can often be reversed, but many people present with advanced liver scarring (cirrhosis) when the options for treatment are limited. There is an urgent unmet clinical need for effective treatments, diagnostic tests and preventative strategies for cirrhosis and its complications, to improve outcomes for patients.

These priorities have driven my research efforts, which encompass studies in patients and in the laboratory. Our studies on liver scarring (the dark side) have also shown that the liver harbours innate pathways to degrade scar and restore function (the light side) – enhancing or mimicking these endogenous pathways may be possible using novel therapies. In parallel, advances in imaging and precision diagnostics have provided exciting opportunities for better detection and prognostication.

This talk, like my research, will be broad in scope (ranging from work on liver cells to a pregnancy hormone to MRI scans to coffee!).

This lecture is free and open to all. There will be a chance for all members of the audience to ask questions after the lecture.