About the institute
Our vision is to be the leading global center for liver learning and liver-related health care
“The vision is really to transform the lives of people with liver disease through innovation and by training of the next generation of investigators.”
Arun Sanyal, M.D.
Institute Director
In December 2021, Virginia Commonwealth University announced its plan to establish an institute for liver disease and metabolic health under the leadership of Arun Sanyal, M.D. Two months later during the State of the University address, VCU President Michael Rao announced that the institute received a gift of $104 million — the largest in university history.
R. Todd Stravitz, M.D., a hepatologist in VCU’s Department of Internal Medicine and former medical director of liver transplant at VCU Medical Center, made arrangements for VCU to receive the gift from his family’s foundation, the Barbara Brunckhorst Foundation. In addition to being the largest gift ever to VCU, it is the largest publicly shared gift for liver research in U.S. history.
Dr. Sanyal and Dr. Stravitz have worked together in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at VCU School of Medicine for more than 30 years, leading an extraordinary team of physicians, nurses, research coordinators and administrators. The institute will continue building on this long legacy of excellence to become a global leader in liver-related research and education, metabolically driven disorders and the care for patients with these conditions.
Our vision
To be the leading global center for liver learning and liver-related health care
Our mission
To promote liver learning and translation of scientific discovery to improve liver-related health by radical innovation and integration of education, research, technology and clinical care
Our Team
Institute Leadership
Arun J. Sanyal, M.D.
Arun J. Sanyal, M.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Director, Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health
Clinical Expertise: Non-alcoholic liver disease | Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis | Alcoholic hepatitis | Complications of cirrhosis | End-stage liver disease | Hepato-renal syndrome
Transplant Hepatology
R. Todd Stravitz, M.D.
R. Todd Stravitz, M.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Associate Professor (Retired), Department of Internal Medicine
Medical Director, Liver Transplant (Retired)
Clinical Expertise: Acute liver disease | End-stage liver disease
Richard K. Sterling, M.D.
Richard K. Sterling, M.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Medical Director, HIV-Liver Disease Service
Clinical Expertise: HIV-liver disease | Viral hepatitis | Hepatocellular carcinoma | End-stage liver disease
Joel Wedd, M.D.
Joel Wedd, M.D.
Institute for Liver Disease & Metabolic Health
Medical Director, Liver Transplant
Clinical Expertise: End-stage liver disease | Hepatocellular carcinoma
Scott C. Matherly, M.D.
Scott C. Matherly, M.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Medical Director, Digestive Health Service
Clinical Expertise: End-stage liver disease | Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hannah M. Lee, M.D.
Hannah M. Lee, M.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Co-Director, Liver Tumor Program
Clinical Expertise: Hepatocellular carcinoma | Hepatitis B | End-stage liver disease
Mohammad S. Siddiqui, M.D.
Mohammad S. Siddiqui, M.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist
Clinical Expertise: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease | Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis | Complications of cirrhosis | End-stage liver disease | Post-transplant liver disease | Metabolic syndrome
Amon Asgharpour, M.D.
Amon Asgharpour, M.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist
Clinical Expertise: Non-alcoholic liver disease
Velimir A. Luketic, M.D.
Velimir A. Luketic, M.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist
Clinical Expertise: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease | Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis | Alcoholic hepatitis | Complications of cirrhosis | Cholestatic liver diseases | IgG4-associated cholangitis | Autoimmune liver diseases
Vaishali B. Patel, M.D.
Vaishali B. Patel, M.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist
Clinical Expertise: Cirrhosis | Hepatitis | Liver transplantation
Jasmohan S. Bajaj, M.D.
Jasmohan S. Bajaj, M.D.
Department of Internal Medicine
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist
Clinical Expertise: End-stage liver disease | Complications of cirrhosis | Post-transplant liver disease
Transplant Surgery
David A Bruno, M.D.
Adrian Cotterell, M.D.
Aamir Khan, MBBS
Vinay Kumaran, M.D.
Vinay Kumaran, M.D.
Department of Surgery
Professor, Department of Surgery
Surgical Director, Living Donor Transplantation
Clinical Expertise: Hepatobiliary cancer | Hepatobiliary transplant
Seung Duk Lee, M.D., Ph.D.
Marlon F. Levy, M.D.
Marlon F. Levy, M.D.
Department of Surgery
Professor, Department of Surgery
Chair, Division of Transplant Surgery
Director, VCU Hume-Lee Transplant Center
Clinical Expertise: Transplant surgery | Pediatric transplant surgery
Amit Sharma, M.D.
Amit Sharma, M.D.
Department of Surgery
Associate Professor, Department of Surgery
Surgical Director, Hepatobiliary Services
Clinical Expertise: Transplant surgery
General Hepatology Advanced Practice Nurses
Shawn W. Lewis, AGPCNP
Shawn W. Lewis, AGPCNP
Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health
Nurse Practitioner
Reena Cherian, FNP
Reena Cherian, FNP
Institute for Liver Disease & Metabolic Health
Nurse Practitioner
Gillian Hepburn, PA
Gillian Hepburn, PA
Institute for Liver Disease & Metabolic Health
Physician Assistant