The Liver: What does it do and what happens when it goes wrong?

Professor Alazawi graduated from the MB/PhD Programme in Cambridge in 2003. He conducted his doctorate research in Professor Coleman’s laboratory at the MRC Cancer Cell Unit where he studied host-viral interactions in pre-malignant disease. He moved to London to work with Professor Graham Foster where he conducted further studies into innate immune signalling, becoming an NIHR Clinical Lecturer in 2011.

He established his own group in 2013 focusing on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and its progressive fibroinflammatory form, Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis. His MRC-funded basic science laboratory team studies immune and metabolic signalling with current focus on single cell techniques, multiorgan inflammation and metabolism. Professor Alazawi also leads a translational programme of research, studying the epidemiology and natural history of NASH, the diagnostic pathways including the management of abnormal liver tests and novel therapies for NASH. He has won several prestigious awards including an Academy of Medical Sciences Starter Grant, the Physician Scientist Fellowship of the European Association for the Liver and a New Investigator Award from the Medical Research Council.

He is the NIHR Integrated Academic Training Programme Co-Lead at QMUL, Blizard Institute Director of Research, Clinical Lead for NAFLD at Barts Health and the interim Clinical Director of Specialist Medicine for the Royal London Hospital. He is the Chair of the BASL Special Interest Group for NAFLD, a member of the Clinical Advisory Group for the British Liver Trust and Head of Research for LAP Research – a UK charity that focuses on liver and pancreatic disease.