The American Liver Foundation (ALF) is pleased to announce the winner of its 2023 Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award, Jeffrey V. Lazarus, PhD, MIH, MA, Professor of Global Health, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, who was recognized for his significant impact on viral hepatitis, metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and global health. Dr. Lazarus is also Research Professor, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), University of Barcelona, Spain. ALF will present the prestigious DSAA award to Dr. Lazarus during an evening reception held in his honor on November 13th in Boston, MA.
“Dr. Lazarus is renowned for his unwavering dedication and service to the advancement of liver health,” said Lorraine Stiehl, Chief Executive Officer, American Liver Foundation. “His extensive work on viral hepatitis, metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease, metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis and global health is recognized by institutions throughout the world and we are delighted to honor him with our 2023 Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award.” Metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is the replacement term for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease is the new replacement term for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), both agreed on in a global consensus process that Dr Lazarus helped lead.
With 25 years of experience in health systems and policy, global health, steatotic liver disease research, viral hepatitis, HIV, and COVID-19 Dr. Lazarus’s research is focused on expanding access to care within health systems, particularly people-centered healthcare and enhanced quality of life; improving outcomes for pressing, stigma-inducing infectious diseases confronting people around the world; and building collaborative, multidisciplinary teams generating knowledge applicable to multiple disease areas and across systemic risk.
“For me, receiving the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award marks an important expansion of the field to elevate public health and policy,” said Dr. Lazarus. “I dedicate this award to my team and to my many hundreds of co-authors of multiple global consensus statements, policy reviews, guidelines, studies and real-world fieldwork. Together, we have expanded the community of practice and enhanced policy. Next? We save even more lives,” he added.
His decade-long career as a health systems, HIV and viral hepatitis expert at the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe was followed by three years at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis
and Malaria. Dr. Lazarus is the past Vice-Chair of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) International Liver Foundation and currently serves as coordinator of the Healthy Livers, Healthy Lives coalition formed in 2022 by AASLD, ALEH, APASL and EASL. A member of numerous academic and professional committees dedicated to global health issues, he is the author of 400 publications including the landmark NAFLD public health consensus statement, the new steatotic liver disease (formerly known as fatty liver disease) nomenclature, which was published in leading professional journals, and the global research and action priorities to set the first global action plan for the field of steatotic liver disease.
Dr. Lazarus received a PhD in public health from Lund University, Sweden, a Master of International Health from University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and a Master of Arts from Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
The Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award (DSAA) is a prestigious award honoring a scientist who has made a major contribution to liver disease research in basic science or in its application towards the prevention, treatment or cure of liver disease. The 2022 winner of the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award was David E. Cohen, MD, PhD of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA.
American Liver Foundation also offers a research awards program in three categories, Liver Scholar Award, Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Award, and a Travel Award, to provide necessary funding to help advance research in liver biology and disease. Since 1979, ALF’s research awards program has provided more than $27 million in research funding. Over 850 qualified scientists and physicians have pursued research careers in liver biology, disease and treatment because they received these grants early in their careers. Learn more at liverfoundation.org/research.
About the American Liver Foundation
The American Liver Foundation is the nation’s largest non-profit organization focused solely on promoting liver health and disease prevention. The American Liver Foundation achieves its mission in the fight against liver disease by funding scientific research, education for medical professionals, advocacy, information and support programs for patients and their families as well as public awareness campaigns about liver wellness and disease prevention. The mission of the American Liver Foundation is to promote education, advocacy, support services and research for the prevention, treatment and cure of liver disease. For more information visit liverfoundation.org or call:1 800 GO LIVER (800-465-4837).
About CUNY SPH
The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) is committed to promoting and sustaining healthier populations in New York City and around the world through excellence in education, research and service in public health and by advocating for sound policy and practice to advance social justice and improve health outcomes for all. For more information visit sph.cuny.edu.
