University of California in San Diego has appointed Rohit Loomba, MD, as the inaugural holder of the John C. Martin Endowed Chair in Liver Disease.
The chair was established through a gift from the John C. Martin Foundation to support research and treatment focused on population-based risk factors in liver disease. Dr. Loomba is chief of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at UC San Diego Health and director of its metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease research center, according to a Nov. 13 system news release.
Dr. Loomba is internationally recognized for his work in noninvasive imaging techniques, including MRI-proton density fat fraction, a biomarker now used in over 100 global clinical trials for steatohepatitis. His research has contributed to FDA approvals and the design of late-stage trials.
John C. Martin, who died in 2021, was former chairman and CEO of Gilead Sciences and a leader in HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C therapy development. The endowed chair honors his legacy in advancing global access to life-saving treatments, according to the release.
