Hepatology

Mamun Al Mahtab is a notable hepatologist, medical scientist, author, and columnist from Bangladesh. With an impressive portfolio of 290 publications in national and international peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Mahtab currently serves as the Head of the Division of Interventional Hepatology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). Dr. Mahtab plays a crucial role in medical research and development. He leads the clinical study of the Bangladesh-developed SARS-CoV-2 mRNA candidate, GBPD060. Additionally, he serves as the lead researcher for NASVAC's Phase I/II and III clinical studies. Notably, his discovery of NASVAC earned him the prestigious 'Premio Nacional' award from the Cuban Academy of Sciences in 2019. Apart from his research endeavors, Dr. Mahtab actively organizes awareness programs on liver diseases throughout Bangladesh. He is also credited with inventing the NASVAC drug, which aims to provide an affordable and effective solution for Hepatitis B to the masses in Bangladesh.

Dr. Shivaram Prasad Singh is a highly accomplished medical professional. He graduated from Utkal University with degrees in MBBS and MD in Internal Medicine. He obtained his DM from C.M.C., Vellore at Madras University, India. Dr. Singh is a Fellow of the Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy of India, the American College of Gastroenterology, and the American Gastroenterological Association.

His remarkable contributions include initiating World Hepatitis B Eradication Day in India, endorsed by WHO, and serving on the World Hepatitis Alliance Public Health Panel. Dr. Singh held leadership positions in renowned organizations such as INASL and ISG. He has received prestigious awards, including the ISG S.R. Naik Memorial Award for Research Publications and the Indian Society of Gastroenterology Zydus Oration.

With over 160 publications and numerous national guideline papers, Dr. Singh is an acclaimed authority in gastrointestinal and liver diseases. He currently serves as the President-Elect of INASL.

Dr. Akbar is an esteemed researcher in epidemiology, clinical studies, and immunology, focusing on chronic diseases like cancers. His molecular analysis has provided valuable insights into HBV, HCV, and HEV in Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, and Japan. He developed a groundbreaking immune therapeutic drug for chronic hepatitis B and cancers, completing successful phase I/II and II clinical trials, with approvals in select countries. As a core member of the US-Japan Cooperative Medical Science Program (USJ CMSP), he contributes to global health research. Dr. Akbar has authored 150+ articles, compiled books, and holds editorial roles.

Professor Aftab Ala, MBBS, MD, PhD, FRCP, is Professor of Hepatology and Consultant Hepatologist at the Institute of Liver Studies at King’s College Hospital in London, UK, and the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, and Chair of the Rare Liver Disease Special Interest Group at the British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL). He obtained his medical qualification from Charing Cross and Westminster (Imperial College Medical School) in London in 1992. Professor Ala pursued specialized training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at King’s and Royal Free Hospitals in London and Advanced Hepatology Fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, USA, from 2003 to 2004 where he focused on rare liver and inherited metabolic liver diseases and liver transplantation. He subsequently won an International Sheila Sherlock Royal College of Physicians Fellowship at the Center of Excellence for Wilson Disease, Yale University, USA.

Professor Ala earned a PhD from University College, London, in 2005 and received a Wellcome Trust Research Training fellowship successfully focusing on immune and inflammatory mechanisms that connect liver and gut diseases.

Professor Ala has made significant contributions to the field of medicine, research, and education. His ongoing research and clinical trials programs (phases 1–3) in complex liver disease and health inequality are supported by international industry partners, the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the UKRI/MRC

Dr. Thomas D. Schiano is a highly skilled medical professional with expertise in hepatology, gastroenterology, and clinical nutrition. He specializes in the management of cirrhosis, liver diseases, and pre- and post-liver transplantation care. Dr. Schiano's clinical research interests encompass various areas, including alcohol-related liver disease, nutritional aspects of liver disease, recurrence of disease post-transplantation, living donor liver transplantation, and complications of cirrhosis. He is actively involved in the care of patients undergoing intestinal transplantation and is a member of the liver thrombosis program, an international referral center for complex blood clotting disorders affecting the liver and intestines.

As a UNOS-certified Liver Transplant physician, Dr. Schiano holds board certifications in clinical nutrition, gastroenterology, and transplant hepatology. Currently, Dr. Schiano serves as a Professor of Medicine, Medical Director of Adult Liver Transplantation, and Director of Clinical Hepatology at the Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute. He is also the Medical Director of the Intestinal Transplant program.