Hepatic Pharmacology & Toxicology

Liver injury can arise due to genetics, viruses, lifestyle or exposure to drugs and other chemicals in the environment. In fact, most cases of acute liver failure in the U.S. are due to drugs. Unfortunately, therapy for liver damage is limited, and methods used currently to predict which drugs are likely to cause liver injury are inadequate.

Faculty in the department are working to understand mechanisms by which liver damage occurs, particularly focusing on the role of inflammatory factors. Modes of both acute and chronic liver injury are being evaluated at the cellular, molecular and integrative level.