Faces of Liver UK
Its role in bringing together researchers and liver research organisations is really valuable, helping knowledge and ideas move more quickly
Jack Shafran
Researcher
About me
I’m Jack and I am a PhD student at King’s College London, working within the Institute of Liver Studies. My research focuses on how the gut microbiome and dysregulated immune responses contribute to portal hypertension in children, including in conditions such as biliary atresia and portal vein thrombosis. Since this is a relatively understudied area, my work aims to improve understanding of disease mechanisms and support better non-invasive diagnosis, assessment of severity and prediction of treatment outcomes. I work across King’s College London and King’s College Hospital, processing and analysing clinical samples. My connection with Liver UK comes through both my work in paediatric liver research and my principal supervisor, Dr Tassos Grammatikopoulos, who is one of the charity’s medical trustees.
Why Liver UK matters
The part of Liver UK that’s most important to me is its ability to support people and families affected by liver disease. This feels especially important in paediatric liver disease, where families may be dealing with rare and unfamiliar conditions. Liver UK can help by raising awareness, providing accessible information and advocating for better support, diagnosis and monitoring. I also think that its role in bringing together researchers and liver research organisations is really valuable, helping knowledge and ideas move more quickly across the field. As a researcher, I think being part of that wider community is so worthwhile, and I’m excited to contribute to it and hopefully help drive progress in tackling paediatric liver disease.
Please consider making a donation to support Liver UK, their support of research projects is funded by the generosity of supporters like you.
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