Four Institute faculty named to Richmond Magazine’s 2026 Top Docs issue
Four renowned hepatologists with the Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health were named to Richmond Magazine’s annual “Top Docs” issue.
They join the more than 220 VCU Health physicians honored on the list of 430-plus Richmond-area medical professionals selected by their peers using a Richmond Magazine online survey. On the hepatology list for 2026 are the Institute’s director, Arun Sanyal, M.D., and its chief clinical officer, Richard Sterling, M.D., professor and medical director of the HIV-Liver Disease Service.
Sanyal, a physician whose research focuses on steatotic liver disease as well as complications of end-stage liver disease, is the world’s No. 2 specialist in liver diseases, according to ScholarGPS, which ranks researchers and their publications based on productivity, impact and quality.
In the early 2000s, Sterling developed the FIB-4 index, now considered the gold standard used around the world as the initial screening test for most liver diseases. The FIB-4 is a simple, non-invasive method recommended by liver, gastroenterology and endocrinology medical societies as a first-line test to screen for liver fibrosis.
The Institute’s other honored hepatologists are Hannah Lee, M.D., a transplant hepatologist who is studying health literacy among liver patients; and Scott Matherly, M.D., an associate professor and medical director for the VCU Health Digestive Health Service.
Sanyal, Sterling and Matherly were recognized in last year’s “Top Docs” list.
“We are delighted that our hepatologists have been recognized by their peers as Top Docs in Richmond. We are fortunate to have them and the rest of our faculty and staff who strive every day to push the boundaries to improve quality of life in patients with liver disease,” Sanyal said.
The VCU gastroenterology-hepatology program is ranked 9th in the world and fourth in the United States by U.S. News and World Report.
In 2025, the Institute saw the opening of a new, multidisciplinary outpatient liver clinic and a unit to provide comprehensive care for liver patients. Last week, the Institute took possession of new scanners to provide much needed equipment for a center for clinical imaging and pre-clinical imaging research.
This special recognition highlights the compassionate care provided by VCU health care professionals as well as the innovative technology and inclusive approaches they use to treat patients.