Eight prominent clinicians and researchers join Hepatitis B Foundation Scientific and Medical Advisory Board
Doylestown, Pa., Oct. 11, 2024 – The Hepatitis B Foundation has recruited eight prominent clinicians and researchers to join its Scientific and Medical Advisory Board.
The new advisory board members are:
- Hashem B. El-Serag, MD, MPH, Vice President, Learning Health System, and Margaret M. and Albert B. Alkek Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine;
- Haitao Guo, PhD, Professor, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and Co-Leader, Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine;
- Ira M. Jacobson, MD, Professor of Medicine, NYU Langone Health;
- Patrick Kennedy, MB, BCH, BAO, BMEDSCI, FRCP, MD, Professor of Translational Hepatology, and Consultant Hepatologist, Queen Mary University of London;
- Anand Mehta, PhD, Senior Associate Dean of Research, SmartState Endowed Chair of Proteomic Biomarkers and Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina;
- John Tavis, PhD, Professor, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine;
- David Thomas, MD, Professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and Co-Director, Clinical Core, Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research; and
- Jack Wallace, PhD, MSS, Senior Research Officer, Burnet Institute.
The Foundation’s Scientific and Medical Advisory Board members are listed here. They include key thought leaders in the field of hepatitis B, hepatitis D and liver cancer. The Scientific and Medical Advisory Board provide the Hepatitis B Foundation and Baruch S. Blumberg Institute with strategic guidance and direction for our research, advocacy and scientific programs. The Board also provides input in the creation of public affairs and policy positions the institutions take.
The Advisory Board’s recent work includes leading the creation of a detailed new position statement on treating hepatitis B. The statement, which advocates for patient-centered care and greatly expanded treatment, is posted here.
About hepatitis B: The world’s most common serious liver infection, chronic hepatitis B, is caused by a virus that attacks and injures the liver. Each year up to 1 million people die from hepatitis B worldwide, even though it is preventable and treatable. Hepatitis B is a “silent epidemic” because most people do not have symptoms when they are newly or chronically infected. Thus, they can unknowingly infect others and continue the spread of hepatitis B. For people who are chronically infected but don’t have any symptoms, their livers still are being silently damaged, which can result in serious liver diseases such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.
About the Hepatitis B Foundation: As the world’s leading hepatitis B advocacy and research organization, the Hepatitis B Foundation is one of the most active proponents of improving hepatitis B screening, prevention, and treatment of the disease. We are the only nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. Founded in 1991, the Hepatitis B Foundation is based in Doylestown, Pa., with offices in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. To learn more, go to www.hepb.org, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@hepbfoundation) or call us at 215-489-4900.
About the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute: An independent, nonprofit research organization, the Blumberg Institute was launched in 2003 by the Hepatitis B Foundation to advance its research mission. Today, the Institute is a leading center for translational research in hepatitis B and liver cancer. The Institute supports drug discovery, biomarker discovery and translational biotechnology around common research themes such as chronic hepatitis, liver disease and liver cancer in an environment conducive to interaction, collaboration and focus. The Blumberg Institute is located in the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, which it manages, near Doylestown, Pa. Visit www.blumberginstitute.org and follow us on Twitter @BlumbergInstit1.