Institute’s co-founders recognized with AASLD Foundation ‘Walk of Honor’
The co-founders of the Stravitz-Sanyal Institute were recognized by the AASLD Foundation during its first-ever "Walk of Honor" at The Liver Meeting 2025.
Images of Institute Director and co-founder Arun Sanyal, M.D., and co-founder R. Todd Stravitz, M.D., were prominently featured at the entrance to the General Session throughout the conference, debuting during the Honors and Awards Gala on Nov. 7. The new walk celebrates mentors, colleagues, and leaders who have shaped the field of hepatology.
Sanyal was nominated by his colleague and fellow co-founder, Stravitz, a longtime VCU hepatologist and philanthropist whose historic gift made the Institute possible.
"Dr. Sanyal’s contributions to our field have been profound," said Stravitz. "He has inspired all of us by his example as a consummate clinician, scientist, and humanitarian on a global scale. His influence will continue to foster generations of leaders and innovators in hepatology."
Stravitz was nominated by Saul Karpen, M.D., Ph.D., the Institute’s Chief Research Officer, on behalf of VCU. Karpen described him as a "visionary hepatologist" whose $104 million donation was "game-changing for liver research now and into the future."
Funds raised through the Walk of Honor support the AASLD Foundation’s mission to advance research, education, and innovation in liver health by investing in the people who deliver care.
Read more about the two co-founders and their vision for the Institute.