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Jennifer C. Lai, M.D., M.B.A.

Jennifer C. Lai, M.D., M.B.A.

  • Associate Professor of Medicine
  • General Hepatology and Liver Transplantation
  • Department of Medicine

Contact Information

Academic Office
Division of Gastroenterology
513 Parnassus Avenue, Room S-357
San Francisco, CA 94143-0358
(415) 476-6422 - Phone
(415) 476-0659 - Fax
[email protected]
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Stanford University, BS, Biology, 1996-2000

Tufts University School of Medicine, MD, MBA, 2001-2005

  • New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia, Intern, Internal Medicine, 2005-2006
  • New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia, Resident, Internal Medicine, 2006-2008
  • University of California, San Francisco, Fellow, Gastroenterology, 2008-2011
  • University of California, San Francisco, Fellow, Transplant Hepatology, 2011-2012
  • University of California, San Francisco, Advanced Training in Clinical Research, 2009-2010
  • American Board of Internal Medicine
  • American Board of Internal Medicine - Gastroenterology
  • UCSF Liver Center
  • Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
  • Impact of function status in patients on the liver-transplant waiting list
  • Patterns of donor liver allocation and liver transplant outcomes

Dr. Jennifer C. Lai is a general and transplant hepatologist, specializing in treating patients with chronic viral hepatitis (both B and C), autoimmune disorders, and those with end-stage liver disease needing liver transplantation. 

After earning her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and combined MD/MBA degrees from Tufts University, she completed residency at the New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia and gastroenterology and advanced/transplant hepatology fellowships at UCSF. She is a member of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American Society of Transplantation, American Gastroenterological Association, and American College of Gastroenterology. She has been recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP). Dr. Lai is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. 

  Award  
  Confired By    
  Date    
  • Distinction in Mentoring (UCSF Academic Senate)
  • UCSF
  • 2023
  • Endowed Professorship in Liver Health and Transplantation
  • UCSF
  • 2022
  • Long-Term Mentor Award
  • UCSF Medical School
  • 2021
  • Young Investigator Award in Clinical Science
  • American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)
  • 2020
  • Floyd Rector Internal Medicine Research Mentoring Award
  • UCSF
  • 2019
  • Fellow
  • American Society of Transplantation
  • 2017
  • AST/Novartis Faculty Development Award (grant)
  • American Society of Transplantation
  • 2016
  • AST/Novartis Faculty Development Award (grant)
  • American Society of Transplantation
  • 2016 - 2017
  • Clinical Science Career Development Award
  • American Society of Transplantation
  • 2016
  • New Investigator Award
  • American Geriatrics Society
  • 2015
  • Young Investigator Award
  • International Liver Transplantation Society
  • 2015
  • Top 40 under 40
  • San Francisco Business Times
  • 2015
  • Paul B. Beeson Scholar in Aging Research (grant)
  • American Federation for Aging Research
  • 2014
  • Associate Scholar Genius Award (grant)
  • UCSF Pepper Center
  • 2014
  • Paul B. Beeson Scholar in Aging Research (grant)
  • American Federation for Aging Research
  • 2014 - 2019
  • Associate Scholar Genius Award (grant)
  • UCSF Pepper Center
  • 2014 - 2015
  • T. Franklin Williams Scholar (grant)
  • Association of Specialty Professors
  • 2013 - 2015
  • Pilot/Feasibility Award (grant)
  • UCSF Liver Center
  • 2013 - 2014
  • Pilot Award in Aging Research (grant)
  • UCSF Pepper Center
  • 2013 - 2014
  • Pilot for Junior Investigator Award (grant)
  • UCSF Resource Allocation Program
  • 2013 - 2014
  • T. Franklin Williams Scholar (grant)
  • Association of Specialty Professors
  • 2013
  • Junior Faculty Career Development Award (grant)
  • American College of Gastroenterology
  • 2012
  • Fellow
  • American College of Physicians
  • 2012 - curr
  • Junior Faculty Career Development Award (grant)
  • American College of Gastroenterology
  • 2012 - 2015
  • Transplant Hepatology Fellowship (grant)
  • American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
  • 2011 - 2012
  • Clinical Research Award (grant)
  • American College of Gastrenterology
  • 2011 - 2012
  • Vanguard Award
  • International Liver Transplantation Society
  • 2011
  • Transplant Hepatology Fellowship (grant)
  • American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
  • 2011
  • Clinical Research Award (grant)
  • American College of Gastrenterology
  • 2011
  • Sylvia Allison Kaplan Clinical Research Award
  • Northern California Kaiser Permanente
  • 2009
  • Sylvia Allison Kaplan Clinical Research Award (grant)
  • Northern California Kaiser Permanente
  • 2009 - 2010
  • Alpha Omega Alpha
  • Tufts University School of Medicine
  • 2005
  • Dr. Lai has engaged in research investigating clinical outcomes in patients with chronic liver disease. Her research focuses on three main areas:

    1) Understanding the impact of functional status and physiologic reserve (i.e., frailty) in patients with cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation (actively enrolling)

    2) Evaluating the association between chronic hepatitis C and systemic inflammation with Vitamin D status and bone mineral density (actively enrolling)

    3) Characterizing patterns of liver allocation and distribution and their association with liver transplant outcomes (both pre- and post-transplant) on a national level

    Data provided by UCSF Profiles, powered by CTSI
    ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2092-6380 Additional info
    • The Impact of Frailty on Liver Transplant Outcomes in Older Adults with Hepatocellular Carcinoma
      Sponsor:
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      Jan 2023
      -
      Dec 2027
      PI
    • UCSF Liver Center
      Sponsor:
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      Jul 1985
      -
      May 2023
      Co-Investigator
    • Predicting post-transplant mortality and global functional health based on pre-transplant functional status in liver transplantation
      Sponsor:
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      Funding Period:
      Jun 2018
      -
      May 2023
      Principal Investigator
    • Development of a laboratory frailty index to improve prediction of mortality in patients with cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation
      Sponsor:
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      May 2020
      -
      Apr 2022
      Principal Investigator
    • Frailty and Functional Status in Older Liver Transplant Patients
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      Funding Period:
      Sep 2014
      -
      Apr 2019
      Principal Investigator
    • Global Functional Status in the Older Liver Transplant Candidate
      Sponsor:
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      Funding Period:
      Aug 2013
      -
      Jul 2015
      Principal Investigator
    Data provided by UCSF Profiles, powered by CTSI
    MOST RECENT PUBLICATIONS FROM A TOTAL OF 245
    Data provided by UCSF Profiles, powered by CTSI
    1. Ge J, Li M, Delk MB, Lai JC. A comparison of large language model versus manual chart review for extraction of data elements from the electronic health record. medRxiv. 2023 Sep 04. View in PubMed
    2. Ge J, Digitale JC, Fenton C, McCulloch CE, Lai JC, Pletcher MJ, Gennatas ED. Predicting Post-Liver Transplant Outcomes in Patients with Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure using Expert-Augmented Machine Learning. Am J Transplant. 2023 Aug 29. View in PubMed
    3. Ge J, Fontil V, Ackerman S, Pletcher MJ, Lai JC. Clinical decision support and electronic interventions to improve care quality in chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis. Hepatology. 2023 Aug 23. View in PubMed
    4. Thuluvath AJ, Duarte-Rojo A, Lai JC, Peipert J, Dietch ZC, Siddiqui O, Morrissey S, Belfanti K, Zhao L, Guo K, Nizamuddin M, Polineni P, Levitsky J, Flores AM, Ladner DP. Brief PROMIS Assessment Screens for Frailty and Predicts Hospitalizations in Liver Transplant Candidates. Transplantation. 2023 Jul 27. View in PubMed
    5. Ge J, Digitale JC, Pletcher MJ, Lai JC. Reply: What is the actual role of decompensated cirrhosis in the breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection? Hepatology. 2023 Jul 17. View in PubMed
    6. View All Publications
    Data provided by UCSF Profiles, powered by CTSI

     

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