AGENDA
THURSDAY, February 26, 2026
10:00 AM
Registration Opens*
11:30 - 11:45 AM
Lunch*
11:45 AM - 12:30 PM
Industry-Sponsored Event*
​IQIRVO & BYLVAY: Discover Treatment Options for Your Patients
Pierre Gholam, MD
Sponsored by Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals
12:30 - 1:00 PM
Break / Visit Exhibits*
1:00 - 1:07 PM
Welcome and Opening of Liver Connect 2026
Zobair Younossi, MD. MPH
1:07 - 1:15 PM
Tribute to Bruce Bacon, MD
Kimberly Brown, MD
​
1:15 – 2:15 PM
Plenary Session I: Viral Hepatitis
1:15 - 1:45 PM
Bruce Bacon Memorial Lecture: Viral Hepatitis in 2026
Ira Jacobson, MD
1:45 - 2:15 PM
Round Table Discussion of Viral Hepatitis Cases
Ira Jacobson, MD; Richard Manch, MD; Paul Martin, MD; Anthony Martinez, MD; and Marina Roytman, MD
BOOT CAMPS
2:15 – 3:15 PM
Plenary Session II: Pediatric Cholestatic Liver Disease
2:15 - 2:30 PM
Treatment of Cholestatic Disease in Children (PFIC, Alagille Syndrome)
Rima Fawaz, MD
​
2:30 - 2:45 PM
Update on Biliary Atresia from Birth to Transition of Care
Ronald Sokol, MD
2:45 - 3:15 PM
Pediatric Panel Discussion
Moderator: Miriam Vos, MD, MSPH
Rima Fawaz, MD; Regino Gonzalez-Peralta, MD; Sanjiv Harpavat, MD; Mercedes Martinez, MD; and Ronald Sokol, MD
3:15 - 3:30 PM
Break/Visit Exhibits*
3:30 – 5:00 PM
Plenary Session III: Autoimmune Cholestatic Liver Disease
3:30 - 3:45 PM
Current Risk Assessment and Treatment of Patients with PBC
Kris Kowdley, MD
3:45 - 4:00 PM
Current Risk Assessment and Treatment of Patients with PSC
Aparna Goel, MD
4:00 - 4:15 PM
Future Treatment for PBC and PSC
Pierre Gholam, MD
​
4:15 - 4:30 PM
Managing Pruritus and Fatigue in the Clinic
Raj Vuppalanchi, MD
4:30 - 4:50 PM
Round Table Discussion on Cholestatic Liver Disease
Moderator: Kris Kowdley, MD
Pierre Gholam, MD; Aparna Goel, MD; and Raj Vuppalanchi, MD
4:50 - 5:00 PM
Day 1 Wrap-Up
Aijaz Ahmed, MD​
5:00 - 5:30 PM
Dinner / Visit Exhibits*
5:30 - 6:15 PM
Industry-Sponsored Event*
Clinical Insights Into a First-in-Class Treatment for Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)
Marcelo Kugelmas, MD
Sponsored by Gilead Sciences, Inc.
6:15 - 7:30 PM
Welcome Reception*
FRIDAY, February 27, 2026
6:45 - 7:45 AM
Breakfast*
​
7:00 AM - 7:45 AM
GHAPP 2026 Update and Meet & Greet
(All APPs are invited)
​
7:45 - 8:30 AM
Industry-Sponsored Event*
Advances in MASH: Data From a Phase 3 Study
Sonal Kumar, MD
Sponsored by Novo Nordisk
8:30 - 9:00 AM
Break / Visit Exhibits*
9:00 - 9:05 AM
Welcome Back
Zobair Younossi, MD, MPH
9:05 – 10:50 AM
Plenary Session IV: MASH/MASLD
9:05 - 9:20 AM
Disease Burden and Low Disease Awareness
Zobair Younossi, MD, MPH
9:20 - 9:35 AM
Risk Stratifications Using NIT Algorithms
Sonal Kumar, MD, MPH
9:35 - 9:50 AM
Management of Obesity and T2D MASH
Fernando Bril, MD
9:50 - 10:10 AM
Medical Management of MASH
Manal Abdelmalek, MD, MPH
10:10 - 10:50 AM
Adult MASLD Roundtable Discussion
Moderator: Zobair Younossi, MD, MPH
Manal Abdelmalek, MD, MPH; Fernando Bril, MD; Scott Isaacs, MD; Sonal Kumar, MD, MPH; Christos Mantzoros, MD, DSc, PhD; and Jeffrey Schwimmer, MD
10:50 - 11:00 AM
Break / Visit Exhibits*
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Plenary Session V: Met-ALD
11:00 - 11:20 AM
Identification and Management of Met-ALD
Luis Antonio Diaz Piga, MD
11:20 AM - 12:00 PM
Panel Discussion
Moderator: Luis Antonio Diaz Piga, MD
Manal Abdelmalek, MD, MPH; Scott Isaacs, MD; and Zobair Younossi, MD, MPH
12:00 - 12:30 PM
Lunch / Visit Exhibits*
12:30 - 1:15 PM
Industry-Sponsored Event*
Rezdiffra: Unlocking the Potential of a Liver-Directed Treatment
Albert Do, MD, MPH & Randeep Kaur, MD
Sponsored by Madrigal Pharmaceuticals
​
1:15 - 1:45 PM
Poster Viewing Break*
1:45 – 2:45 PM
Plenary Session VI: Pediatric MASH
1:45 - 2:15 PM
State of the Art 'MASLD in Children'
Jeffrey Schwimmer, MD
2:15 - 2:45 PM
Pediatric MASH Panel Discussion
Moderator: Carina Kuglemas, MD
Rohit Kohli, MBBS, MS; Jennifer Panganiban, MD; Jeffrey Schwimmer, MD; Miriam Vos, MD, MSPH; and Stavra Xanthakos, MD
2:45 - 3:00 PM
Break / Visit Exhibits*
3:00 – 5:00 PM
Plenary Session VII: Alcohol Liver Disease
3:00 - 3:25 PM
Managing Liver Disease: Biomarkers and Future Treatment
Timothy Morgan, MD
3:25 - 3:50 PM
Managing Alcohol Use Disorder
Ashwani Singal, MD
3:50 - 4:15 PM
Integrating This All Together
Lamia Haque, MD, MPH
4:15 - 4:55 PM
ALD Roundtable Discussion
Moderator: Steven Flamm, MD
Robert Brown, MD, MPH; Lamia Haque, MD, MPH; Timothy Morgan, MD; and Ashwani Singal, MD
4:55 - 5:00 PM
Day 2 Wrap-Up
Steven Flamm, MD
7:00 - 8:30 PM
CLDF & Top Sponsor Reception*
SATURDAY, February 28, 2026
6:45 - 7:45 AM
Breakfast*
​
7:00 - 7:45 AM
Fellows Breakfast with CLDF Members
(All Fellows Welcome)
​​
7:45 - 8:30 AM
Industry-Sponsored Event*
Better Conversations, Better Care: Enhancing Shared Decision-Making and Communication in Chronic Hepatitis B Management
Cristal Brown, MD & Robert Gish, MD
Sponsored by GSK
8:30 - 9:00 AM
Break / Visit Exhibits*
9:00 AM - 12:10 PM
Plenary Session VIII: Complex Case Journey: AIH, Cirrhosis, Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Beyond
9:00 - 9:30 AM
Young Woman with AIH and cACLD
Moderator: Marcelo Kugelmas, MD
Nitika Gupta, MD, DCH, DNB, MRCPCH; Christina Hanson, FNP-C; and Brian Lee, MD
9:30 -10:00 AM
Cirrhosis with CSPH
Moderator: Sammy Saab, MD, MPH
Vinod Rustgi, MD, MBA; Jasleen Singh, MD; and Avesh Thuluvath, MD
10:00 - 10:35 AM
Pregnancy in Chronic Liver Disease
Moderator: Kimberly Brown, MD
Nadege Gunn, MD, CPI; Ani Kardashian, MD; and Ashina Singh, MD
10:35 - 10:50 AM
Break / Visit Exhibits*
10:50 - 11:20 AM
Postpartum Flare
Moderator: Marcelo Kugelmas, MD
Lauren Nephew, MD; Robert Rahimi, MD; and Mitch Shiffman, MD
11:20 - 11:55 AM
New Liver Lesion
Moderator: Sammy Saab, MD, MPH
Edward Lee, MD; Nicole Rich, MD; and Francis Yao, MD
11:55 AM - 12:10 PM
Conference Overview
Kimberly Brown, MD
*Non-accredited sessions.​