A Special Interview with Prof. Ashwani K. Singal - Metabolism and Target Organ Damage

On November 30, 2023, the Editorial Office of Metabolism and Target Organ Damage (M&TOD) conducted an illuminating interview with Prof. Ashwani K. Singal. Prof. Singal shared insights from his extensive two-decade research journey in liver disease. He delved into crucial topics, including the distinctions between candidates listed for liver alone and those simultaneously listed for liver and kidney transplantation, and explored the strengths and limitations of the MELD 3.0 model. Prof. Singal also shared his visionary goals for patient care and research in his newly assumed roles as Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of Liver Transplantation at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, offering invaluable guidance to aspiring scholars in gastroenterology, hepatology, and liver transplantation.

Questions for this interview:

1. Congratulations on your recent appointment as Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of Liver Transplantation at University of Louisville School of Medicine! Can you share insights into your vision and goals for these new roles? Are there specific initiatives or changes you plan to implement to enhance patient care and research efforts?

2. Your study indicates that MELD 3.0 adequately predicts mortality and renal replacement therapy requirements in patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis. What do you see as the strengths of this model, and are there any potential limitations that should be considered in its application?

3. In your recent investigation into post-transplant outcomes, you've identified notable distinctions between candidates listed for liver alone and those simultaneously listed for liver and kidney transplantation. Could you elaborate on the nature of these differences and provide insights into the clinical implications that arise from these findings?

4. With over 20 years of practice in liver diseases, how do you perceive the developments and changes in the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases? What key trends do you see impacting both patients and healthcare professionals?

5. Given your extensive experience and expertise, what advice would you offer to young scholars aspiring to make significant contributions in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, and liver transplantation? Are there particular strategies or lessons from your own career that you believe could be beneficial to the next generation of medical professionals and researchers?

Personal Introduction:

Dr. Ashwani K. Singal is a professor of medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Director of clinical trials program in liver diseases, transplant hepatologist at the Jewsih hospital and Trager Transplant Center in Louisville KY. In addition, he is a health research scientist at the VA Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD, USA.

With clinical and translational research interests in alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases, renal injury in cirrhosis, and porphyria, Dr. Singal’s research has been funded by the American College of Gastroenterology, National Institute of Health, and pharmaceutical industry. He has over 285 original peer reviewed articles in national / international journals and book chapters. His editorial activities include:

- Editorial Board: Hepatology, Liver Transplantation, CGH (Jan 2024), JHEP Reports (Jan 2024), Seminars Liver Disease    
- Associate Editor: Clinical Translational Gastroenterology, Current Hepatology Reports, Digestive Liver Disease, PLoS One, Journal of Clinical Translational Hepatology, and Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology.

Apart from reviewing research grants and scientific research abstracts for the AGA and AASLD, Dr. Singal is on the study section for the NIH. He is a lead author on ACG guidelines for alcoholic liver disease, co-authored guidelines on vascular disorders of the liver, and is currently co-authoring guidelines on nutritional management of patients with cirrhosis and revised guidelines on alcohol-associated liver disease. Dr. Singal has been awarded the prestigious Edgar Achkar Visiting Professorship by the ACG and Dr. Reddinger Lectureship at the University of Louisville. He has chaired the special interest group on alcohol-related liver disease (2020-2021) of the AASLD and is currently the Vice Chair of the Liver section of the AGA Council.

Editor: Alani Luo
Language Editor: Catherine Yang
Production Editor: Kenny Wu
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of Metabolism and Target Organ Damage