A s of June 1, 2003, the Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) created the Liver Disease Research Branch within the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition and appointed Dr. Jay Hoofnagle as its founding director. The Branch will also include Dr. Leonard Seeff, special expert on viral hepatitis, and Dr. Jose Serrano, Director for the Liver and Biliary Disease Program. A fourth professional will be hired to direct a liver research program, help supervise cooperative agreements in clinical liver diseases, and serve as the director of the Liver Disease Interagency Coordinating Committee. The Branch will also rely on the expertise and contributions of other members of the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, including Dr. Patricia Robuck, Director of the Digestive Disease Clinical Trials Program; Dr. Jay Everhart, Director of the Data Systems and Epidemiology Branch; and Dr. Judith Podskalny, Director of the Training and Career Development Program.
The Liver Disease Research Branch will serve to focus and accelerate research on liver disease in the NIDDK and help coordinate and stimulate liver-related research across the NIH and within other federal agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense, the Bureau of Prisons, and the Veterans Affairs Administration. The mission of the Liver Disease Research Branch is as follows:
โข To plan and direct the program of research grants, cooperative agreements, epidemiological studies, clinical trials, contracts, fellowships, and training awards in liver and biliary disease
โข To provide consultation to investigators in preparation of proposals for research
โข To maintain surveillance over developments and assess needs for basic research in liver diseases; to prepare analyses of national research efforts and help identify gaps in research