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Thursday June 26, 2025
​Scientific Meeting @ Children's Hospital Colorado
All agendas are tentative. Times, sessions, and speakers are subject to change.
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Important Notes
Plan to give yourself enough time for obtaining your Summit name tag and Security entry into the Children’s Hospital Colorado. The Summit Security table opens at 7:15am, breakfast starts at 8am, and the Scientific meeting starts at 9am local time.
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Pick up your Summit name badge prior to going through security at the Children’s Hospital Colorado. The Summit Registration table will be open Wednesday June 25 from 6-9pm, and Thursday June 26 beginning at 7am local time. The Summit Registration table will be located on the 1st floor of the Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center.
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Pick up your visitor’s sticker at Children’s Hospital Colorado Security, 1st floor lobby at the Summit Security table. Bring your government issued identification.
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The Scientific Meeting will be held at the Children’s Hospital Colorado in the Mt Oxford Auditorium and Mt Yale/Mt Princeton rooms on the 2nd floor of the Children’s Hospital Colorado. Follow the program maps and signs from the Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center to the Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Media Policy
Use of photographic or other recording devices is prohibited during the Scientific Meeting unless approved by Summit organizers. Much of the data presented is expected to be unpublished and our speakers are relying on us to maintain the integrity of their work.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Summit Cholestatic Liver Disease Scientific Meeting
Children’s Hospital Colorado - Mt Oxford Auditorium and Mt Yale/Mt Princeton Rooms
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8:00am - 9:00am Continental Breakfast
9:00am - 9:10am Welcome and introduction for Keynote
Kathleen M. Loomes, MD (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)
https://www.med.upenn.edu/apps/faculty/index.php/g275/p3872
Stacey S. Huppert, PhD (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center)
https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/research/divisions/g/gastroenterology/labs/huppert
Keynote: Pediatric Cholestatic Liver Disease: Evolution from the Past to Present State
9:10am - 9:25am Ronald J. Sokol, MD (Children’s Hospital Colorado)
https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/5796
Session 1: Deconstructing the Cellular and Physiological Basis of Cholestatic Disease
Description: Key aspects of development that contribute to cholestatic disease such as understanding bile duct development, canalicular development, hepatocyte maturation, mesenchymal-epithelial interactions, ciliogenesis, and bile acids will be covered.
Discussion Leaders:
Sarah Taylor, MD (Children’s Hospital Colorado)
https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/37607
Alexander G. Miethke, MD (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center)
https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/research/divisions/g/gastroenterology/labs/miethke
9:25am - 9:30am Intro for Session 1 by the Discussion Leaders
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9:30am - 9:50am Marino Zerial, PhD (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and
Genetics [MPI – CBG] and Human Technopole)
https://humantechnopole.it/en/
Alterations of hepatocyte polarity and function induced by increased intraluminal pressure in liver disease
9:50am - 10:00am Ziqian Xu, MD (Yale University School of Medicine)
Altered expression of tight junction proteins Claudin 2 and 3 protects the liver from cholestatic injury
10:00am - 10:20am Ipsita Mohanty, PhD (University of California, San Diego)
https://dorresteinlab.ucsd.edu/
Scaling The Discovery of New Microbial Bile Acids Through Data Science of Unused Metabolomics Data
10:20am - 10:30am BREAK
10:30am - 10:50am Adam Gracz, PhD (Emory University)
Building and breaking bile ducts: linking development and regeneration
10:50am - 11:00am Leonie Schumm, MD (Charité University Medicine Berlin, Germany)
Dysplastic Lymphatic Endothelial and Myeloid Niche Signals Regulate Epithelial Outcomes in Biliary Atresia
11:00am - 11:10am Bench to bedside – Clinical and research implications by the Discussion
Leaders and Panel discussion
11:10am - 11:20am BREAK
Flash Talk Session: Highlighting the research in the cholestatic disease space
Description: Short talks will be presented to allow speakers to gain visibility to all Scientific Meeting attendees. The presentations will represent and provide the broad range of research in the cholestatic disease-related field. The early placement of this session in the program is critical for the audience members to have ample time to interact with the flash talk presenters during the breaks/informal interaction times, and Research Roundtables set aside during the Summit.
Discussion Leaders:
Kathleen M. Loomes, MD (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)
https://www.med.upenn.edu/apps/faculty/index.php/g275/p3872
Stacey S. Huppert, PhD (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center)
https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/research/divisions/g/gastroenterology/labs/huppert
11:20am - 11:25am Intro for Flash Talk Session by the Discussion Leaders
11:25am - 12:01pm 12 talks that are 3 minutes each
1. Julia M Boster, MD (Children’s Hospital Colorado)
https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/31701
Plasma Multi-omics Indicate that Mitochondrial Stress and Altered Amino Acid Metabolism Contribute to Sarcopenia in Children with Genetic Cholestatic Liver Disease
2. Colin T. Shearn, PhD (Children’s Hospital Colorado)
https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/30081
The short chain fatty acid butyrate is protective during parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis
3. Katie Conover, MD (Children’s Hospital Colorado)
The Context-Dependent Role of Cellular Senescence in Biliary Atresia
4. Kei Oyama, MD (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center)
https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/research/divisions/g/thoracic-surgery/labs/tiao
A Novel Biliary Atresia Mouse Model Utilizing Reovirus type 3
5. Yu Fei (Sophie) Hao, PhD candidate (Sanford Burnham Prebys)
https://labs.sbpdiscovery.org/centerandlabs/childrenshealth/donglab/Pages/Home.aspx
Loss of Stem Cells in the Extrahepatic Duct Compromises Liver Regeneration in Biliary Atresia
6. Wenqi Li, PhD candidate (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center)
https://labs.utsouthwestern.edu/bezerra-lab-0/people
Cholangiocyte regulates macrophage activation through fibronectin-integrin interaction
7. Laura M Molina, MD, PhD (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center)
https://www.path.pitt.edu/people/laura-molina-md-phd
Yap and Taz are both required to form a stable bile duct network in mice
8. Yaniv Faingelernt, MD (Baylor College of Medicine)
https://www.bcm.edu/research/faculty-labs/hamed-jafar-nejad-lab
Poglut1 reduction in hepatocytes by using GalNAc conjugated ASO does not rescue the liver phenotypes of Alagille Syndrome, in contrast to unconjugated ASO
9. Kari A. Huppert, BS (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center)
https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/research/divisions/g/gastroenterology/labs/huppert
Mechanisms regulating competency of hepatocyte plasticity
10. Quinn Rabenau-McDonnell, BA (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)
Examining Fracture Trends in Patients with Alagille Syndrome: Results from The GALA Study Group
11. Abdulrahman Al-Hussaini, MD (Children’s Specialized Hospital, King Fahad Medical City, Saudi Arabia)
Novel mutations in familial cholestasis-related genes beyond PFIC1-3 with variable phenotypes and outcomes: results from a large Arab study cohort
12. Priya Rolfes, MD (Children’s Hospital Colorado)
Unbiased proteomics and metabolomics reveal unique biomarkers in pediatric PSC-IBD
12:01pm - 1:00pm GROUP PHOTO AND LUNCH
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Session 2: Condensing Cholestatic Disease to Genes and Pathways
Description: Underpinnings of genetic diagnosis, discovery of genetic modifiers and new biomarkers, as well as platforms for identifying candidates and/or testing causation will be presented.
Discussion Leaders:
Nancy B. Spinner, PhD (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)
https://www.research.chop.edu/people/nancy-b-spinner
James E. Squires, MD, MS (Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh)
https://providers.upmc.com/provider/james-squires/1324685
1:00pm - 1:05pm Intro for Session 2 by the Discussion Leaders
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1:05pm - 1:25pm Saul Karpen, MD, PhD (Virginia Commonwealth University)
https://medschool.vcu.edu/about/portfolio/details/karpens/
Genetic and developmental contributors to the etiology of biliary atresia
1:25pm - 1:35pm Melissa Gilbert, PhD (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)
https://www.med.upenn.edu/apps/faculty/index.php/g275/p8808182
Improving Alagille syndrome diagnostics by resolving variants of uncertain significance
1:35pm -1:55pm Sofia Ferreira Gonzalez, MSc, PhD (University of Edinburgh, Scotland)
https://www.ed.ac.uk/inflammation-research/people/principal-investigators/dr-sofia-ferreira
Cellular senescence: the “Achilles Heel” of liver transplantation
1:55pm - 2:05pm BREAK
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2:05pm - 2:25pm Takuya Sakaguchi, PhD (Cleveland Clinic)
https://www.lerner.ccf.org/inflammation-immunity/sakaguchi/
Forward genetic analysis on biliary system formation in zebrafish
2:25pm - 2:35pm Scott Waddell, PhD (University of Edinburgh, Scotland)
https://edwebprofiles.ed.ac.uk/profile/scott-waddell
Dissecting the cyst microenvironment in polycystic liver disease
2:35pm - 2:45pm Bench to bedside – Clinical and research implications by Discussion Leaders
and Panel discussion
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2:45pm - 2:55pm BREAK
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Session 3: Replicating Cholestatic Liver Disease in Experimental Models
Description: Novel approaches and standardization of assays to model and enable recognition of primary versus secondary aspects of cholestatic disease in addition to distinguishing subtypes of cholestatic diseases will be discussed. The presentations will inform commonalities and differences between cholestatic diseases using novel experimental models such as organoids, organs on a chip, and animals. Strengths, limitations and opportunities of simple to complex experimental models – from single cell lineage to multi-cell lineage with and without addition of immune cells and bile acids to investigate trajectory of pathogenesis will be addressed.
Discussion Leaders:
Holger Willenbring, MD, PhD (University of California, San Francisco)
https://willenbringlab.ucsf.edu/
Laura Bull, PhD, RDN (University of California, San Francisco)
https://bms.ucsf.edu/people/laura-bull-phd
2:55pm - 3:00pm Intro for Session 3 by the Discussion Leaders
3:00pm - 3:20pm Gregory Underhill, PhD (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
https://underhill.bioen.illinois.edu/
Engineering Microenvironments to Study Liver Differentiation and Notch Signaling
3:20pm - 3:30pm Janek Mašek, PhD (Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic)
https://web.natur.cuni.cz/cellbiol/maseklab/
Novel mouse models of ALGS and BA-associated Jag1 variants manifest distinct vasculature phenotypes but do not alter the outcome of experimentally induced cholestasis
3:30pm - 3:50pm Luke Boulter, PhD (University of Edinburgh, Scotland)
https://www.boulter-lab.co.uk/
Beyond scarring – understanding the reciprocal relationships between ductular cells and their regenerative niche
3:50pm - 4:00pm SNACK BREAK
4:00pm - 4:20pm Nataliya Razumilava, MD (University of Michigan)
https://www.uofmhealth.org/profile/3858/nataliya-razumilava-md
Preclinical models of extrahepatic bile duct disorders
4:20pm - 4:30pm Robert Schwartz, MD, PhD (Weill Cornell Medical College)
https://www.schwartzlabwcmc.com/rob
Engineering a Biomimetic Vascularized Liver on a Chip
4:30pm - 4:40pm Bench to bedside – Clinical and research implications by the Discussion
Leaders and Panel discussion
4:40pm - 4:50pm BREAK
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Session 4 - Developing Therapies Addressing Specific Needs in Cholestatic Disease
Description: Emerging therapeutic strategies will be evaluated, and the potential needs for personalized therapies to address genetic variants, genetic modifiers, cell therapies, and combinations will be communicated.
Discussion Leaders:
Rohit Kohli, MBBS, MS (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles)
https://www.chla.org/research/lab/kohli
Hamed Jafar-Nejad, MD (Baylor College of Medicine)
https://www.bcm.edu/research/faculty-labs/hamed-jafar-nejad-lab
4:50pm - 4:55pm Intro for Session 4 by the Discussion Leaders
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4:55pm - 5:15pm Amita Tiyaboonchai, PhD (Oregon Health and Science University)
https://www.ohsu.edu/people/amita-tiyaboonchai
Allogeneic hepatocyte transplantation without immune suppression
5:15pm - 5:25pm Duc Dong, PhD (Sanford Burnham Prebys)
https://sbpdiscovery.org/scientists/duc-dong-phd/
Pharmacological augmentation of Notch signaling rescues animal models of severe Alagille Syndrome
5:25pm - 5:45pm Eric Lagasse, PharmD, PhD (University of Pittsburgh)
https://mirm-pitt.net/staff/eric-lagasse-pharmd-phd/
Growing a Surrogate Liver
5:45pm - 5:55pm BREAK
5:55pm - 6:05pm Wei-Yu Lu, PhD (University of Edinburgh, Scotland)
https://inflammation-research.ed.ac.uk/research/research-groups/dr-wei-yu-lu
Targeting regulatory T cells stability to improve bile duct integrity during cholestatic diseases
6:05pm - 6:25 pm Rebecca Ahrens-Nicklas, MD, PhD (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)
Optimizing gene therapy for hepatic inborn errors of metabolism
6:25pm - 6:35pm Bench to bedside – Clinical and research implications by the Discussion
Leaders and Panel discussion
Keynote: Pediatric Cholestatic Liver Disease: Hope for the Future
6:35pm - 6:50pm Binita M. Kamath, MBBChir, MRCP, MTR (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)