Traditional, 10-Year MOC Exam
Hugo E. Vargas, MD, Chair
Dr. Vargas is a Mayo Clinic Consultant in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and the Mayo Clinic Transplantation Center in Arizona. He is the Medical Director for the Office of Clinical Research – Arizona, and a Professor of Medicine in the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. Dr. Vargas is the Chair of the Clinical Research Subcommittee, and the Vice Chair of the Arizona Research Operations Management Team. He is Board certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology.
Dr. Vargas has authored or coauthored more than 125 peer-reviewed articles. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), American Gastroenterological Association, American College of Gastroenterology, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and American College of Physicians. He has been active in AASLD and has chaired the Annual Meeting Education Committee, Ethics Committee and co-chaired the AASLD/Infectious Diseases Society of America Hepatitis C group from 2016-18.
His current clinical and research interests include management of cirrhosis complications, acute on chronic liver disease and alcohol related liver disease. He has contributed extensively on chronic viral hepatitis and liver transplantation.
As of September 2021, Dr. Vargas reported the following external relationships:
Funding for clinical trial expenses, staff and salary support, paid to the Mayo Clinic, from the following companies:
- Arrowhead, for studies for treatment of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD)-Associated Liver Disease, receiving funding for clinical trial expenses and staff.
- Grifols, for a study of the effects of plasma exchange on short-term survival of subjects with acute-on-chronic liver failure.
- Sequana Medical, for a study of a system that removes ascites.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases, for a study of kineret plus Zinc or G-CSF versus prednisone in treatment of severe alcoholic hepatitis.
Service on data and safety monitoring boards for the following companies, with honoraria and reimbursement for travel expenses:
- TransMedics, for a graft preservation device in liver transplantation, receiving honoraria.
Service on a research-related expert panel or advisory board for the following companies, with honoraria:
- Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, FDA and Package Insert Advisory Board.
Continuing Medical Education funded by industry, paid to the Mayo Clinic, from the following companies:
- Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, for a continuing medical education symposium on hepatorenal syndrome at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) meeting, receiving reimbursement for travel expenses and honoraria.
Work as an author or editor for following companies, with compensation as listed:
- American College of Gastroenterology, receiving compensation as Associate Editor for American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Marwan S. Ghabril, MD
Dr. Ghabril has been a transplant hepatologist for over 10 years. He is currently an associate professor of Medicine and will be submitting his dossier for promotion to professor with tenure late this year. Trained at the Mayo Clinic, Florida, he has been an integral member of the transplant team at Indiana University since 2008 and has enjoyed a busy and clinically challenging transplant practice.
His clinical experience is complemented by administrative and extensive quality work as director of an inpatient liver service. He serves on multiple multidisciplinary committees for safety, quality and utilization. Dr. Ghabril serves as a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Test and Policy Committee on Transplant Hepatology.
Dr. Ghabril received his medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, completed his residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and completed fellowships at Mayo Clinic.
As of September 2021, Dr. Ghabril reported the following external relationships:
Funding for clinical trial expenses and staff, paid to Indiana University, from the following companies:
-
Axcella, for a hepatic encephalopathy trial.
Service on data and safety monitoring boards for the following companies, with compensation for travel expenses and honoraria:
- CymaBay
- PTC Therapeutics
- Biocryst
Dr. Ghabril serves in significant roles with the following organization, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Practice Metric Committee Member, without compensation.
Dr. Ghabril also serves on two data and safety monitoring boards for two National Institutes of Health funded studies.
Cynthia Levy, MD
Dr. Levy is Program Director for the Transplant Hepatology Fellowship program at the University of Miami and Assistant Director of the Schiff Center for Liver Diseases. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine and is board certified in Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology.
Previously, Dr. Levy served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine with the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the University of Florida and the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida.
Dr. Levy is a member of the Steering Committee for the International Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Study group and serves as the Chair for the TARGET-Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) national registry. She currently serves as the Chair of the Clinical Research Committee for the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), is a member of the Scientific Program Committee and an elected member of the Nominating Committee for the AASLD. Dr. Levy participates in the writing group for the new AASLD Practice Guidance document for PBC. Additionally, Dr. Levy is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Test & Policy Committee on Transplant Hepatology.
She received her medical degree from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. She completed house staff training both at her home university and subsequently at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, in Miami, Florida. She completed her gastroenterology fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and transplant hepatology fellowship at University of Florida, in Gainesville, Florida.
As of September 2021, Dr. Levy reported the following external relationships:
Funding for clinical trial expenses and staff, paid to the University of Miami, from the following companies:
- GlaxoSmithKline, for a study for patients with primary biliary cholangitis and pruritus, receiving funding for clinical trial expenses, staff and salary support.
- CymaBay Therapeutics, for a study with a PPAR delta agonist for primary biliary cholangitis, receiving funding for clinical trial expenses, staff and salary support.
- Gilead, for two clinical trials with FXR agonist, receiving funding for clinical trial expenses, staff and salary support.
- Mitsubishi, for a clinical trial of primary biliary cholangitis, receiving funding for clinical trial expenses, staff and salary support.
- Zydus, for a clinical trial of primary biliary cholangitis, receiving funding for clinical trial expenses, staff and salary support.
- NGM Biopharmaceuticals, for a clinical trial of fibroblast growth factor 19 for treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, receiving funding for clinical trial expenses, staff and salary support.
- GenFit, for a clinical trial of primary biliary cholangitis.
- Novartis, for a clinical trial of autoimmune hepatitis.
- Cara Therapeutics, for a clinical trial of itching in primary biliary cholangitis.
- Mirum, for a clinical trial of itching in primary sclerosing cholangitis.
- Pliant, for a clinical trial of primary sclerosing cholangitis.
- Intercept, for clinical trials of primary biliary cholangitis.
Service on a research-related expert panel or advisory board for the following company, with compensation for travel expenses and honoraria:
- Cymabay, for serving on an advisory board.
- Genfit, for serving on an advisory board.
- GlaxoSmithKline, for serving on an advisory board.
- Calliditas, for serving on an advisory board.
Consulting on design of new drugs or devices, clinical trials, the use of specific agents or other research-related activities for the following companies, with honoraria:
- Cara Therapeutics, providing consultation regarding clinical trial development for the treatment of itching in patients with liver disease.
- Mirum, providing consultation on clinical trial development for a study on primary sclerosing cholangitis.
- Escient, providing consultation on clinical trial development for pruritus.
- Teva, providing consultation on clinical trial development of primary biliary cholangitis.
Teaching in satellite symposia funded by the following companies, with honoraria:
- Alynylam, for teaching results of trial with givosiran for treatment of acute hepatic porphyria.
Work as an author or editor for following companies, with compensation as listed:
- UpToDate®, receiving compensation for work as an editor.
- American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Associate Editor for Liver Transplantation and for Hepatology.
Dr. Levy serves in significant roles with the following organization, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Member of Practice Guidelines Committee, without compensation.
Brendan M. McGuire, MD, MS
Dr. McGuire is Medical Director of Liver Transplantation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He is board certified in Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Transplant Hepatology.
Brendan McGuire has been an active volunteer within and beyond the borders of Alabama. Locally Dr. McGuire is Director of the UAB Liver Transplant Fellowship Program, a member on the Steering Committee for the UAB GI Fellowship Program, a member of the School of Medicine Promotions Committee, and a member of the Liver Transplant Evaluation Committee.
Nationally he has been an active volunteer for United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), American Society of Transplantation (AST) and American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). For UNOS, he has been on the Membership and Standards Committee, the Region 3 Liver and Intestinal Representative, a Regional Review Board Member, and a National Review Board Member. For AST, Dr. McGuire has been on the Nominating Committee, AST Practice Guidelines Committee, and has chaired the Liver and Intestinal Advisory Group. For AASLD, he has been on the Acute on Chronic Liver Failure Special Interest Group and Ethics Committee.
After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1984 he completed a master's of science in bioengineering from Pennsylvania State University and a doctorate in medicine from the University of Pittsburgh in 1990. After completing his internal medicine residency and gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship at the University of Minnesota in 1996, he joined the faculty of UAB and has been there ever since.
As of September 2020, Dr. McGuire reported the following external relationships:
Funding for clinical trial expenses and staff, paid to the University of Alabama-Birmingham, from the following companies:
- Arrowhead
Dr. McGuire serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- American Porphryias Expert Collaborative, Board of Directors, without compensation.
Elizabeth Rand, MD
Dr. Rand joined the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the clinical staff of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in 1993 where she is now a professor of pediatrics and the Medical Director of the Liver Transplant Program respectively; and holds American Board of Pediatrics certification in Pediatric Gastroenterology as well as a Certificate of Added Qualification in Pediatric Advanced Transplant Hepatology. Dr. Rand is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine Test and Policy Committee on Transplant Hepatology.
Dr. Rand is involved in graduate medical education as a clinical faculty member and also as the Fellowship Program Director of both the Pediatric Gastroenterology (since 2000) and advanced Pediatric Hepatology (since 2010) Training Programs.
Dr. Elizabeth Rand is a graduate of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in Illinois and completed her residency in pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltinmore, Maryland followed by her pediatric gastroentrology fellowship at the University of Chicago.
View my board certification status via ABMS Website.
As of April 2022, Dr. Rand reported the following external relationships:
Work as an author or editor for following companies, with compensation as listed:
- UpToDate®, receiving compensation for role as section editor.
- American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, receiving compensation for role as associate editor of Clinical Liver Disease.
Dr. Rand serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- Society for Pediatric Liver Transplantation, Council Member, without compensation.
- United Network for Organ Sharing, Membership and Professional Standards Committee Member, without compensation.
Emily Perito, MD
Dr. Emily R. Perito is an associate professor at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) who specializes in pediatric liver and pancreatic disease, pediatric liver transplant, and pediatric gastroenterology. She is jointly appointed in the Departments of Pediatrics and of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She is board-certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric Gastroenterology, and Pediatric Transplant Hepatology. Dr. Perito's clinical care and research focus on optimizing long-term outcomes for children with liver and pancreatic diseases. She is Associate Medical Director of UCSF's multi-disciplinary Pediatric Liver Transplant team with expertise in the care of children with pediatric liver disease before and in the long-term after transplant.
She leads epidemiologic research focused on improving access to transplant, organ allocation, and waitlist outcomes for children awaiting liver transplant. She is a co-Chair of the Starzl Network for Excellence in Pediatric Transplantation on improving the efficacy and reducing the burden of immunosuppression for children after liver transplant. She also advocates for children nationally as the Vice-Chair of UNOS' Pediatric Transplantation Committee and Chair of the Society for Pediatric Liver Transplant's Advocacy Committee. She is also co-Director of UCSF's Pediatric Pancreas Program. She lead's UCSF's work in National Institutes of Health-sponsored multi-center trials including the INSPPIRE study on acute recurrent and chronic pancreatitis in children and adolescents.
As of July 2021, Dr. Perito reported the following external relationships:
Funding for clinical trial expenses and staff, paid to the University of California at San Francisco, from the following companies:
- Albireo, for odevixibat pediatric clinical trials.
- Mirum, for a maralixibat pediatric clinical trial.
- Gilead, for a tenofovir alafenamide pediatric clinical trial.
- Alexion, for an ALNX1840 pediatric clinical trial.
Dr. Perito serves in significant roles with the following organizations, receiving reimbursement or compensation as listed:
- United Network for Organ Sharing, Pediatric Committee Vice-Chair, receiving reimbursement for travel expenses.
- Society of Pediatric Liver Transplantation, Advocacy Committee Chair, without compensation.
- American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Clinical Research Committee Member, Patient Engagement Committee Member, Associate Editor of Liver Transplantation, without compensation.
- North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Publications Committee Member, Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Editorial Board, without compensation.