INN-ACTA
Innovation Acta (INN-ACTA)
INN-Acta is a SME experienced in managing EC funded projects. INN-ACTA’s expertise ranges from grants management to dissemination activities (e.g. printed materials, flyers, brochures, newsletters, project websites, videos), training activities, organization of meetings, conferences, workshops and Project events.
INN-ACTA contributes to WP7 and WP8 based on their expertise in communication, website and events organisation and grant management.
TEAM MEMBERS
Natascia Cannella
Is the CEO and Sole Administrator of INN-ACTA, specialised in administration, financing and project management.
Paola Cesaroni
Grant Manager experienced in editing of national and European funded projects and in management of grants
Simona Farnetani
Is a Communication & Events Manager, and she will provide valuable support in meeting organization.
Valentina Franci
With her expertise in graphic and web design will be responsible for development and maintenance of the project website and preparing graphical materials.
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ELPA
EUROPEAN LIVER PATIENTS ASSOCIATION (ELPA)
The European Liver Patients Association (ELPA) was born out of the collective ambition of various European liver patient groups seeking to exchange their diverse experiences in managing liver diseases across different countries. In June 2004, a coalition of 13 patient groups from 10 European and Mediterranean Basin countries convened, leading to the establishment of ELPA. Its official inauguration took place in Paris on April 14th, 2005, coinciding with the annual conference of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL). Today, ELPA boasts a membership of over 30 groups from 25 countries, serving as a representative body for liver patients, their families, and volunteers.
ELPA’s role in the project is to represent patients’ perspectives and view. We are crucial part of communication and dissemination team making sure the project information and results are recognized by general public and policy makers.
TEAM MEMBERS
Mr. Marko Korenjak
ELPA President, is a dedicated advocate for liver health, leading efforts to promote awareness and improve access to treatment across Europe. With a focus on patient-centered initiatives, he works tirelessly to ensure that the needs of liver patients are heard and addressed at all levels.
Ms. Veronika Všetičkova
Head of EU Affairs, oversees ELPA's involvement in EU projects and facilitates communication with policymakers at the EU level. With her strategic approach and knowledge of EU legislative processes, she helps ELPA advocate for better healthcare outcomes and patient rights in Europe.
Mr. Milan Mishkovikj
ELPA Director and Head of Communication, is a dynamic leader driving impactful communication strategies to raise awareness about liver diseases and the importance of early detection. Through innovative campaigns and partnerships, he amplifies ELPA's voice, fostering a community of support and advocacy for liver patients.
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EASL
European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL)
EASL, the European Association for the Study of the Liver, is a medical association dedicated to, pursuing excellence in liver research, to the clinical practice of liver disorders, and to providing education to all those interested in hepatology. As of 2024, EASL serves 5,500 members from 112 countries.
EASL engages globally with all stakeholders in the field of hepatology, worldwide. Our aim is to spread knowledge and expertise in best practices and the latest scientific breakthroughs in this field. We advocate for the benefit of patients and advise European and national health authorities. EASL runs topical conferences, schools, and related educational meetings. Our journals, the Journal of Hepatology and JHEP Reports, provide an international forum for the publication of original articles, reviews, and letters to the Editor, describing the latest science in hepatology. Our eLearning hub, EASL Campus, offers more than 6,200 resources on hepatology and liver research.
EASL serves as a dissemination partner in LIVERAIM. Sharing project news and progress with the wider liver community.
TEAM MEMBERS
Wouter Kruijs
Wouter Kruijs is the Head of the Association and Community Services team at EASL, responsible for matters related to communication, partnerships, membership and governance.
Chiara Hartmann
Chiara Hartmann serves as a Communications Coordinator in the Association and Community Services team at EASL. Chiara is responsible for content creation, editing and design, and supports the LIVERAIM dissemination activities.
Adonia Dhanjal
Adonia Dhanjal serves as a Communications Coordinator in the Association and Community Services team at EASL. Adonia supports LIVERAIM with its dissemination activities at EASL Congress and other relevant EASL events.
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UNEW
Newcastle University (UNEW)
Newcastle University is a member of the Russell Group of leading UK world-class research-intensive universities. The Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle has a particularly strong track-record and reputation for research excellence in the field of Liver Disease, furthering research addressing this major societal challenge. Basic and translational research into MASLD has been a priority area for the Newcastle Liver Group for over 20 years. Members of the group are internationally recognised experts in their respective fields with strong track records for successfully translating basic scientific study of the liver ‘to the bedside’ for patient benefit.
Leadership of the European SLD (NAFLD) Registry cohort study.
TEAM MEMBERS
Prof Quentin M. Anstee
Prof Quentin M. Anstee is the Chair of Experimental Hepatology and the Dean of Research & Innovation in the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, UK. Prof Anstee’s translational research has made major contributions across the pathophysiology, natural history, diagnosis and treatment of MASLD. He has coordinated several major international research consortia studying pathogenesis and developing/validating accurate biomarkers to assist the diagnosis, risk-stratification and monitoring of patients with MASLD including: ‘EPoS’ Elucidating Pathways of Steatohepatitis (EU H2020 funded €6 million, 2015-2019) and ‘LITMUS’ Liver Investigation: Testing Marker Utility in Steatohepatitis (EU IMI2 funded €47.3 million, 2017-2024).
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UZH
Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Prevention Institute of the University of Zurich (UZH)
The Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Prevention Institute of the University of Zurich is the largest institute at the medical faculty of UZH. We train the next generation of top research scientists and healthcare professionals. We conduct translational research, where we organize individual research projects, not as separate cases, but as a linked and coordinated network, allowing us to apply our findings to medical and public health practice. We also play a central role in making Zurich an international center for research, where our expertise in research methods adds to the high quality of biomedical research. Through our Travel Clinic and with our Division of Prevention and Health Promotion as well as Occupational and Environmental Medicine, we have the unique opportunity to promote health in our own everyday medical practices too—for the people in the canton of Zurich and beyond.
UZH EBPI leads the health economic analysis and is work package leader of WP6 in collaboration with the industry partner Sysmex.
TEAM MEMBERS
Dr. Miquel Serra-Burriel
He is an expert in Health Economics, Edpiemiology, and Causal Inference. He will coordinate WP6 and participate in WP4 trial design.
Dr. Helena Aebersold
Postdoctoral researcher at EBPI. She is an expert in Health Economics. Dr. Aebersold participates in WP6 and is in charge of the economic analyses.
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UZSM / UCHD
School of Medicine University of Zagreb (UZSM)
University of Zagreb School of Medicine (UZSM) is internationally recognized academic institution devoted to excellence in education, scientific research and transfer of knowledge in the area of biomedicine and health care. UZSM participated in seven FP7 (one collaborative and two REGPOT as coordinator) ten HORIZON 2020 projects (one as coordinator) and currently participating in five Horizon Europe. With its laboratories, personnel and other facilities UZSM takes part and provides support to full range of research activities from basic science to clinical trials.
University of Zagreb, School of Medicine will take part in WP6 and WP7. It will provide health research management support, supervise Good Clinical and Good Distribution Practice implementation, supervise Ethical issues and approvals, provide facilities and man power for blood analyses, dissemination activates, administrative and management support to the project.
University clinical hospital Dubrava (UCHD)
University clinical hospital Dubrava (UCHD) is one of the leading hospitals of national significance and center of excellence for liver diseases affiliated to the University of Zagreb School of Medicine. It is tertiary level health-care facility capable of performing the most complex work-up of patients with liver disease, including the full spectrum of non-invasive and invasive diagnostic methods, as well as therapeutic procedures. As the academic center it is included in several international collaborative research projects and clinical trials, and continuously invests efforts into researches that are focused mainly on alcoholic and metabolic associated steatotic liver disease, cholangiopathies, liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension, including the performance of non-invasive diagnostic methods, and discovery of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for portal hypertension.
University Clinical Hospital Dubrava will take part in clinical study of WP4, including the recruitment of patients, performing medical examinations, liver stiffness measurements and collecting blood samples as per the study protocol. It will take care about patients who test positive and who will be thereafter referred to hepatologist for further workup and treatment.
TEAM MEMBERS
Ivica Grgurević
Ivica Grgurevic is Full Professor of Medicine at the University of Zagreb, School of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, and Consultant gastroenterologist and hepatologist at Dubrava University Hospital in Zagreb. He is an expert in liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension, as well as in ultrasound and non-invasive diagnostic methods in hepatology. He will coordinate the activities of the Croatian site in Liveraim, and will take part in the WP4 and WP7.
Anita Madir
Anita Madir is a gastroenterology resident at University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia and a PhD student in field of hepatology at the University of Zagreb, School of Medicine. She previously worked as a research assistant on the Horizon 2020 project, called the Liverscreen project / Screening for liver fibrosis, a population-based study in European countries and has experience in research activities on chronic liver diseases. She will participate in dissemination and communication activities of WP4 and WP7.
Ivana Šiprak
Ivana Šiprak graduated in Master program at University of Applied Sciences and achieved the title Professional specialist of Project Management and has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics and Finance. She is a certified Project Management Associate (level D) certified by International Project Management Association. Additionally, she is member of Croatian Association for Project Management. Ivana Šiprak is employed at the School of Medicine, University of Zagreb as Head of Department for science, knowledge transfer and innovation where she manages national and international projects from different funding programs. In LIVERAIM she has a role of project administrator for Croatian partner in WP6 and WP7.
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USAAR
CHAIR OF INTERNAL MEDICINE II, SAARLAND UNIVERSITY – UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTRE SAARLAND (USAAR)
The Chair of Internal Medicine II of Saarland University together with the pertaining department of the University Medical Centre Saarland combine the expertise of the specialties Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology, Diabetology and Nutrition Medicine with a large research focus on metabolic diseases and associated liver diseases. Within the Unit of Hepatology, we are involved in experimental, translational as well as clinical research with the aim to identify new biomarkers and therapies for chronic liver diseases, especially steatotic liver disease (SLD) and metabolic-dysfunction associated liver disease (MASLD).
Our department leads the activities in WP2 in conducting retrospective and prospective analyses for the identification of long-term outcomes (LOVE study) and new biomarkers with the development of an AI-based digital tool. WP2 will also provide data for WP3 and WP4.
TEAM MEMBERS
Jörn M. Schattenberg
Jörn M. Schattenberg is Full Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine II at the Saarland University. He is a key opinion leader and expert in the field of SLD and MASLD. He belongs to the core team of LIVERAIM, and he will lead WP2.
Maurice Michel
Maurice Michel is resident physician in Internal Medicine and PhD student at the Department of Internal Medicine II at the University Medical Centre Saarland. His main clinical and research focus are non-invasive testing and treatment of SLD and MASLD. He is part of the LIVERAIM YI Team, and he will participate in WP2.
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UNITO
Università degli Studi di Torino (UNITO)
Founded in 1404, the University of Torino (UniTo) is one of the largest Italian Universities, with over 81.000 students, 6.2% of which of non-Italian citizenship, around 4.000 employees (academic, administrative and technical staff), more than 1.300 PhD students and more than 580 research fellows. Research and training are performed in 27 Departments, encompassing all scientific disciplines except engineering and architecture. The University activities are carried out in more than 100 venues in the whole Region, including 71 labs and infrastructures and 22 libraries with full access to the web, the Botanical Garden and a number of University Museums.
Today, the University of Torino offers over 150 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in almost every field of study involving about 5,000 international students (a.y. 2022-2023). A growing number of programs are taught in English, and Italian language tuition is available for incoming students. Doctoral school provides 54 doctoral programs.
UniTo manages roughly 500 research projects per year. The long record of participation of UniTo in the EU strategic research agenda results from 115 FP7 and 176 H2020 funded research projects. Under H2020, UniTo coordinated 40 projects and 13 ERC, out of which 3 Starting Grant, 8 Consolidator, 1 Advanced and 1 Synergy. UniTo took part in 42 Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions and 9 Research Infrastructures projects overall. In Horizon Europe, 45 projects have been financed so far: 10 of them are coordinated by UniTo and 8 have been funded under the Research Infrastructures programme.
UNITO is engaged in WP2 “Exploration of biomarkers to detect clinically relevant outcomes and death in high-risk populations”
TEAM MEMBERS
Dr Elisabetta Bugianesi
Dr. Bugianesi MD, PhD, is Full Professor of Gastroenterology and Scientific Director of the Dept of Medical Sciences at the University of Turin in Italy. Dr Bugianesi is an international acknowledged expert on Metabolic dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) with over 20-years of experience. She contributed in the field with work describing the metabolic mechanisms of insulin resistance related to the onset and progression of liver damage, the natural history of the disease (including the first demonstration of HCC as a complication of NASH), the development of non-invasive markers of fibrosis, and the involvement in several trials for the treatment of NAFLD/NASH. Her contribution to science is testified by over 350 publications, an H Index = 86 (Scopus), N. Citations = 53830. She is the PI of the UNITO center for enrolment of patients with MASH and development/validation of non invasive biomarkers of liver damage.
Dr Chiara Rosso
Chiara Rosso is a Biologist at the Hepatology and Gastroenterology Lab. of the Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino. Her research is focused on the pathogenetic mechanisms involved in the progression of MASLD, mainly through the measurement and validation of non-invasive biomarkers of liver fibrosis. She will be responsible for biological samples collection/processing/storage and of clinical data collection for the WP2.
Dr Gian Paolo Caviglia
Gian Paolo Caviglia is a Biologist at the Hepatology and Gastroenterology Lab. of the Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino. His research is focused on the identification of biomarkers and tools for risk stratification of liver-related events in patients with advanced liver disease. He will be involved in biological samples collection/processing/storage and clinical data collection for the WP2.
Prof Davide Giuseppe Ribaldone
Davide Giuseppe Ribaldone is Associate professor at the Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, and gastroenterologist consultant at "A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino" - "Molinette" hospital. He will participate in the recruitment of patients for WP2.
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UNIPD / AOP
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA (UNIPD)
AZIENDA OSPEDALE UNIVERSITA PADOVA (AOP)
The Department of Medicine of the University of Padova is a center of excellence that brings together the human resources and experience of the University and the University Hospital (Azienda Ospedale Università Padova – AOP). mainly focused on clinical and translational research with the aim to discover new targets and new treatments for chronic diseases. Within the university hospital, the Unit of Internal Medicine and Hepatology is the regional center for liver diseases of the Veneto region and is involved in groundbreaking Clinical and Experimental researches in the field.
UNIPD leads the activities of dissemination, education and communication of WP7 in collaboration with the industry partner Gilead and contributes to the recruitment of patients for the clinical study of WP4 and providing samples for WP1.
TEAM MEMBERS
Prof. Salvatore Piano
Salvatore Piano is Associate Professor of Medicine and Consultant Hepatologist at the University and Hospital of Padova, Italy. He is an expert on pathophysiology and treatment of complications of cirrhosis. He will coordinate the WP7 and the recruitment of patients for WP4.
Prof Paolo Angeli
Paolo Angeli is Full Professor of Medicine and Head of the Unit of Internal Medicine and Hepatology at the University and Hospital of Padova, Italy. He is a key opinion leader on pathophysiology and treatment of acute, chronic and acute on chronic liver failure. He is leading a study for the screening of chronic liver diseases in the Veneto Region. He will provide samples for WP1 activity.
Marta Tonon
Marta Tonon is Consultant Hepatologist at the University Hospital of Padova, Italy. She is an expert on management of complications of cirrhosis. She will recruit patients for WP4.
Simone Incicco
Simone Incicco is Consultant Hepatologist and Research Fellow at the University and Hospital of Padova, Italy. His main clinical and research focus are pathophysiology and treatment of decompensated cirrhosis . He will be involved in dissemination and communication activities of WP7 and in the recruitment of patients for WP4.
Roberta Gagliardi
Roberta Gagliardi is resident physician in Internal Medicine and PhD student in hepatology and liver transpantation at the University of Padova, Italy. She is involved in clinical and research activities on chronic liver diseases. She will participate in dissemination and communication activities of WP7 and in the recruitment of patients for WP4.
Marika Crescenzi
Marika Crescenzi is a Biologist, Specialist in Clinical Pathology. She is currently Research Technician at the University of Padova. She is Clinical Study Coordinator and responsible for research laboratory activities at the Unit of Internal Medicine and Hepatology. She will support the implementation of WP4 activities
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UMCU
DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE I, UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER OF THE JOHANNES GUTENBERG-UNIVERSITY MAINZ (UMCU)
The Department of Internal Medicine I of the University Medical Center Mainz (Germany) combines the expertise of the specialties Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology, Diabetology and Nutrition Medicine, Nephrology, Rheumatology and Infectious diseases with a large and long standing research focus on metabolic diseases and liver cirrhosis. Within the Unit of Hepatology, we are involved in experimental, translational as well as clinical research with the aim to identify new biomarkers and therapies for chronic liver diseases, especially steatotic liver disease (SLD) as well as liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension.
Our department leads the activities in WP2 in conducting retrospective and prospective analyses for the identification of long-term outcomes (LOVE study) and new biomarkers with the development of an AI-based digital tool.
TEAM MEMBERS
Christian Labenz
Christian Labenz is the head of Hepatology subsection and the Cirrhosis Center Mainz at the University Medical Center Mainz. His research is focused on fibrosis screening, SLD and liver cirrhosis (portal hypertension and hepatic encephalopathy). He he will support WP2 of the LIVERAIM project.
Jörn M. Schattenberg
Jörn M. Schattenberg is Full Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine II at the Saarland University. He is a key opinion leader and expert in the field of SLD and MASLD. He belongs to the core team of LIVERAIM, and he will lead WP2.
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