A Special Interview with Dr. Juan Pablo Arab - Metabolism and Target Organ Damage

The Editorial Office of Metabolism and Target Organ Damage (M&TOD) conducted an enlightening interview with Dr. Juan Pablo Arab on December 15, 2023. Dr. Arab, a distinguished hepatologist and excellent Editorial Board member of M&TOD, shared valuable perspectives on liver health. From addressing challenges in Latin American liver transplantation to discussing the practical implications of alcohol-related liver disease, Dr. Arab highlighted key findings from their recent work, which explored the association between public health policies on alcohol and global outcomes in cancer, liver disease, and cardiovascular conditions. Moreover, as an Editorial Board member, Dr. Arab offered effective strategies for maintaining the quality of manuscripts. The interview concluded with Dr. Arab emphasizing the significance of the new MASLD nomenclature in advancing research and treatment in the field of steatotic liver disease.

Questions for this interview:

1. Your recent research has delved into liver transplantation in Latin America. Could you please share some key findings and insights regarding the current status in this region, along with your outlook for the future?

2. In your research, you've investigated the intersection between alcohol-related liver disease and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. What practical clinical implications does the relationship between these two conditions hold for the treatment and management of patients?

3. Regarding your most recent work, "Association between public health policies on alcohol and worldwide cancer, liver disease and cardiovascular disease outcomes", could you provide a brief overview of the key highlights or exciting findings that would interest both the scientific community and readers?

4. Currently, M&TOD has been indexed by Scopus, with a CiteScore of 3.1. As an Editorial Board member for multiple journals, including Hepatology and M&TOD, do you have any recommendations for the further development of M&TOD? Could you share your perspective on maintaining the quality of manuscripts?

5. There is currently confusion regarding steatotic liver disease nomenclature. How do you perceive the new MASLD nomenclature outlined in a multisociety Delphi consensus statement? How significant do you think this consensus is in advancing research and treatment in the field of steatotic liver disease?

Personal Introduction:

Dr. Juan Pablo Arab is Associate Professor of Medicine at the Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Schulich School of Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

Dr. Arab received his training at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica, Chile, and Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. He is a Gastroenterology and Hepatology specialist, Transplant Hepatologist, and Clinical Researcher with an interest in clinical/translational research and epidemiology in alcohol-related liver disease and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

He has published more than 170 peer-reviewed papers, co-authored several book chapters, and delivered lectures on liver-related topics at national and international meetings. He is an Associate Editor for Hepatology (the flagship journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases [AASLD]). He has also participated in the generation of clinical practice guidelines for alcohol-associated liver disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and hepatorenal syndrome, and regularly serves as an expert reviewer of research grants and scientific research abstracts for multiple societies, funding agencies, and international peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, he is spearheading international collaboration groups aiming to study alcohol-associated liver disease and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (AH-LATIN and Global AlcHep BigData Network).

Dr. Arab is a member of the AASLD Global Outreach and Engagement Committee. He is currently the Chair of the Special Interest Group on alcohol-associated liver disease of the AASLD. Additionally, he is the Vice-Chair of the Education & Scholarship Committee of the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS).

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