An interdisciplinary Liver Research Center was established at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1974 with support from NIDDK. At present, 25 faculty investigators in 9 departments at the medical school and 3 investigators at other institutions in the Greater New York area, together with 14 Consultants/Collaborators and 3 Supporting Staff Faculty at AECOM, constitute the Liver Research Center. The major objective is to understand fundamental mechanisms of normal liver function, as well as alterations in these functions resulting from diseases caused by metabolic, drug, metal, inheritable and viral agents. Specific areas under study include transport processes, membrane receptor biology, and structural-functional relationships; molecular biology, somatic gene transfer, hepatic fibrosis and mechanisms of hepatic carcinogenesis; liver cell metabolism; and heavy metal metabolism, mechanisms of liver injury and organelle pathology. By bringing excellent basic scientists into disease-related research, together with hepatologists interested in fundamental mechanisms of hepatic dysfunction, we believe that imaginative approaches to basic cell biology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of liver disease will emerge. The Center is the focus of an active research-oriented education program (seminars, visiting scientists, pathobiology sessions and discussion groups), and has extensive collaborative studies with investigators in other institutions. Core facilities, including Molecular Biology, Cell Culture/Matrix, Morphology, Special Animals and Administrative, efficiently facilitate interdisciplinary research projects. Facilities include 25 well-equipped laboratories for major investigators, 5 core facilities, Animal Institute, 10 bed Clinical Research Center, Human Heredity Center, and all institutional support services (library, machine shop, engineering, computer center, etc.). The available clinical facilities include a 1100 bed general hospital (Bronx Municipal Hospital Center), Montefiore Hospital (729 beds) and the Hospital of Albert Einstein College of Medicine (375 beds). A large and diverse population provides many patients with viral, alcoholic and parasitic liver disease, as well as various inheritable disorders of the liver. The Center is directed by the Principal Investigator (Dr. Shafritz) and Co-Director (Dr. Sternlieb), governed by an Executive Committee, advised and reviewed by a Scientific Advisory Committee and functions through several school-wide committees. The Center was officially chartered by the medical school in 1977 as a free standing, extra and supra departmental entity. The importance of the Liver Center to the College of Medicine has been reconfirmed by extensive renovation of existing facilities, updating of equipment, an endowment fund and recruitment of new faculty with resources provided by the Dean, D.P. Purpura, M.D.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 451 publications
