PGI-Hepatology Wins Laurels at the Annual Conference of INASL-2022

PGI-Hepatology Wins Laurels at the Annual Conference of INASL-2022
Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL) is an internationally renowned society for the study of liver diseases in India. INASL- Governing Council and the Department of Hepatology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, organized the 30 Annual Conference of INASL (INASL-2022) at New Delhi, from 4-7th August, 2022. .
With profound gratitude, Prof. Ajay Duseja, Head of Hepatology, PGI, Chandigarh who is also the Secretary General of INASL, acknowledged the contributions of all participants, Governing council of INASL, Department of Hepatology, and its faculty Dr. Sunil Taneja, Dr. MadhumitaPremkumar, Dr. Nipun Verma, Dr. Arka De, Dr. Sahaj Rathi, students and staff for untiring efforts to bring massive success to the conference. The Department of Hepatology felt honored to see PGI bringing laurels at INASL 2022.
Department of Hepatology, PGI, Chandigarh made an immense contribution towards INASL-2022 by participating in more than 30 paper presentations and securing awards in plenary, clinical, basic sciences, and poster presentation sessions. Dr Nipun Verma secured a plenary oral presentation award for developing an artificial intelligence-based model to predict fibrosis, a determinant of poor outcomes in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients. The study led by Prof. Ajay Duseja is the first of its kind and most extensive study of liver biopsy-proven fatty liver patients spanning over 14 Asian medical centers and eight countries under the aegis of the GO-ASIA (Gut and Obesity in Asia) working group. The AI model was superior to existing standards and could potentially be used in primary care services to guide patient referral. Dr. Akash Gandotra (DM Fellow) secured a young investigator (clinical) award for a study describing recurrences of acute-on-chronic liver failure in cirrhosis patients and First Prize in the Hepatology Quiz. Dr. Manu Mehta (Ph.D.) reported animal work on phyllanthin in NAFLD patients. Ms. Pratibha Garg (Ph.D. student) secured a young investigator (basic science) award for describing proteomics and machine learning to discriminate infections and sterile inflammation in acute-on-chronic liver failure patients. Ms. Parminder Kaur (Ph.D. Student) secured a young investigator (clinical) award for describing the role of bacterial and fungal infections in acute liver failure patients. Mr. Inderbhan, Ms. Priya Singh, Ms. Yeshika Bhatia, Ms. Swati, Dr. Abhiman, Dr. Rajath, and Dr. Srivardhan and others from PGI were among the best poster presenters during the conference.
The meeting was a brilliant concoction of engaging academic sessions, lively debates, intriguing quizzes, a musical evening, ambrosial meals, and scientific presentations from students, fellows, and faculties beyond the boundaries of hepatology, including gastroenterology, radiology, pathology, surgery, pediatrics, anesthesia, community medicine, , basic sciences and lot more. The meeting gave an impetus for promoting ethical research, teaching, public awareness, and improving liver disease patient care in India.
The conference was inaugurated on Friday, 5th August, 2022 with Prof Vinod K Paul as the Chief Guest and Prof Ajay Sood as the Guest of Honour. Prof Paul who is the Honourable member of the NITI Aayog, New Delhi, stressed in his inaugural address about increasing the number of hepatologists in the country and making chronic liver disease a health priority. Prof Ajay Sood who is the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Govt. of India stressed on the utility of machine learning on the early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of liver diseases in India and globally.
Prof. Ajay Duseja, ,mentioned that it was a very well-attended meeting by more than 650 delegates, 150 faculties, and 20 International Experts. The meeting commenced with a single theme conference on portal hypertension followed by a postgraduate course for fellows focussing on management decisions in hepatology, liver clinics, debates, pregnancy-related liver disorders, and special interest group meetings to drive the future of research and public health in hepatology. INASL-Liver Transplant Society of India’s joint symposium on Liver Transplantation, endo-hepatology, pediatric hepatology, hepato-radiology, hepato-pathology, and public health sessions were among the most distinguished sessions during the conference.
Eminent physicians across the globe delivered several key orations. Dr. DV Datta Memorial oration was delivered by Prof Anil Dhawan, a global pediatric hepatology expert from Kings College London who spoke about human hepatocyte transplantation in liver disorders. The presidential oration was delivered by Prof. PN Rao,President of INASL, from AIG Hospital, Hyderabad, who spoke about COVID-19 and lessons learned. Dr. SR Naik Memorial Oration was delivered by Prof. ArvinderSoin, a very well-known transplant surgeon from Medanta Hospitals, New Delhi, deliberating on his marriage to liver transplantation. Dr. N Madangopalan Oration was delivered by Prof. Shivaram Singh, a well-renowned hepatologist and upcoming President of INASL From Cuttack, Odisha, who spoke about an emerging public health issue, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Prof. Ajay Duseja chaired several orations and special interest groups on hepatocellular carcinoma and spoke on treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in India. Dr. Sunil Taneja spoke about muscle health in liver cirrhosis patients, and about the histo-pathology findings in autoimmune hepatitis. He also convened a session on hepatic encephalopathy with Prof Dhiman (Ex-HOD PGI and Director SGPGI, Lucknow). Dr. MadhumitaPremkumar spoke about clotting abnormalities and heart-related problems in liver failure patients. She also disentangled several complex liver intensive care issues during the panel discussion. Dr. Nipun Verma deliberated on managing fungal infections in cirrhosis patients and spoke on several challenges and solutions for liver diseases in India. He also convened a special group meeting on alcoholic liver diseases in India. Dr. Arka De deliberated on the importance of lean fatty liver disease patients in India and controversies in the definition of NAFLD in world literature. Dr. Sahaj Rathi disentangled several issues in managing gastric varices and acute-on-chronic liver failure.
Dr. Nipun Verma and Prof. Ajay Duseja edited more than 200 scientific abstracts submitted for the conference, which are published and easily accessible in the international peer-reviewed indexed journal of clinical and experimental hepatology (JCEH).
The bar has been set high and everyone is looking forward to INASL- 2023 which would be organized at Bhubaneswar in the first week of August, 2023.