The Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies

#DryJanuary #LiverResearch #LiverDisease

This month saw the return of The Roger Williams Excellence in Science & Communication Prize, supported by the Foundation for Liver Research. This annual prize was established in 2020 to honour the legacy of our founding Professor, renowned for his exceptional ability to communicate research with clarity and impact. For 2024, the competition was open to all early career researchers as well as PhD students at the RW-ILS, with participants showcasing their work in short, sharp presentations followed by questions and discussions.   Congratulations to our winner, 3rd year Cancer Research UK (CRUK) PhD student Fabio Grundland Freile AKC, with his presentation on “The Role of the Extracellular Matrix in CMS4 Colorectal Cancer” which proved impactful to academic, clinical, and operational audience members alike! Last years winner, 2nd year Mitochondrial Medicine PhD student Una Rastović, said “the event was a highly rewarding experience, showcasing the exciting work being conducted by early career researchers at the Institute. I would like to take this opportunity to extend the students appreciation to Elena Palma & Sandra Phillips from the Doctoral Studies Committee for organising the event and improving postgraduate research experiences for both students and supervisors over the years.” #LiverResearch #LiverScience #Hepatology #CancerResearch #STEM #Education King's Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust King's College London

Last night, Professor Debbie Shawcross featured in BBC One's Panorama 'Binge Drinking and Me', discussing the rise in alcohol-related liver disease in young women. Professor Shawcross is a Professor of Hepatology and Chronic Liver Failure in The Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies at King's College London, and consultant hepatologist at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Her laboratory group within our School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences is working to characterise the immune-gut-liver-brain axis in patients with chronic liver disease, and develop interventions which normalise the abnormal gut microbiome and reduce the development of complications and liver failure. https://lnkd.in/eEr9evw6

New research from King's College London has found that people with chronic liver disease have dramatic changes to the types and functions of bacteria in the gut and mouth. The bacterial changes also correlate with increased antibiotic resistance, highlighting the need for better targeting of antibiotic treatment. Co-senior author of the work Dr Vishal C. Patel, Reader in Hepatology at The Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies at King's and a clinician scientist at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This research highlights how changes in the microbiome play a key role in worsening cirrhosis, especially as multidrug-resistant infections become more common. We showed that a greater overlap of bacteria in the mouth and gut, along with increased virulence and resistance genes, are closely related to clinical outcomes – especially for those people with more advanced cirrhosis. “These insights suggest that personalised microbiome-based treatments could help improve outcomes for people with advanced chronic liver disease, including measures to improve oral health. This work also highlights the need for more rapid and accurate ways of diagnosing infections in our cirrhosis patients, so we can better use existing antibiotics.” Read more ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e5V7qVzA King's College Hospital Charity | The British Liver Trust

Highlighting #WorldAMRAwarenessWeek with a topical Q&A from Dr Merianne Mohamad, PhD 👏👏 #AMR #LiverResearch #GutLiverAxis #Microbiome

Congratulations to our own Dr Vishal C. Patel and Dr Luca Urbani, who have been appointed to new roles within the British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL).   BASL is dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of the biology and pathology of the liver for the optimal care of patients. Vish will serve as the Clinical Research Lead and Sub-Committee Chair and Luca as Chair for the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Working Group of BASL.   Speaking of his appointment, Vish said: "My aim is to help ensure the portfolio of UK liver studies and clinical trials are thoughtfully designed to make a meaningful impact, fostering collaboration, and building on our existing strengths. A key focus will be supporting the next generation of researchers, including allied health professionals, by providing practical guidance and access to opportunities within the newly configured NIHR Research Delivery Networks.”   Speaking of what he would like to achieve in the role, Luca said: "My goal is to help foster an environment where every voice feels heard, valued, and respected, and where conversations about diversity are open, positive, and empowering, building an inclusive community, where our shared diversity strengthens our impact on both research and patient outcomes." King's Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF THE LIVER #LiverResearch #Hepatology #LiverScience

Vote for Una Rastović in this years #BestMitochondriaImage Contest! #WorldMitochondriaSociety #TargetingMitochondria #wms #mitochondria #mitochondrialresearch

We recently had the pleasure of hosting and delivering this years EASL Basic Science School on "Precision Cut Liver Slices & Liver Organoids – Versatile Ex-Vivo Models of Liver Disease" on behalf of EASL | The Home of Hepatology A school of 25 delegates joined us from around the world for 3 days of hands-on laboratory based learning, delivered by our expert staff and PhD students, alongside keynote lectures from guest speakers Professor Peter Olinga, Dr Fotios Sampaziotis & Professor Prakash Ramachandran "The EASL School 2024 on PCLS and Organoids held at the RW-ILS was a blast! Our Faculty worked tirelessly to deliver another amazing Basic Science School with hands-on training sessions, international keynote speakers, networking opportunities, mentoring and social events! A special thank you to the lovely group of delegates who came with enthusiasm, great energy and fantastic ideas for related projects." from Dr Luca Urbani, on behalf of himself and fellow school Directors Dr Elena Palma & Professor Shilpa Chokshi

Last month we were delighted to announce an exciting step forward; our partnership with King's College London and King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to establish The Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies (RW-ILS). The new Institute brings together our charity, the Foundation for Liver Research, and the University’s Institute of Liver Studies, under the leadership of Professor Philip Newsome. We look forward to combining our resources and expertise as we continue to further advance the diagnosis and treatment of liver disease through groundbreaking research. READ MORE: https://lnkd.in/edXAxTrm