Completed training in internal medicine at USC in 1974 and then completed a two year fellowship at USC in hepatology. Moved to San Francisco and completed training in gastroenterology. Remained on faculty at UCSF and was chief of gastroenterology at the San Francisco VA. In 1990 moved to Emory University in Atlanta as director of the division of digestive disease. I was also medical directory of the liver transplant program. In 2000 moved to the University of Arizona as director of the Liver Research Institute and medical director of the liver transplant program. In 2008 became interim chairman of medicine.
Have worked on drug metabolizing enzymes and their regulation of expression for 25 years and work is supported by NIH. Also have performed NIH sponsored clinical trials including comparison of surgical shunts to IR placed shunts in management of variceal bleeding and currently the use of SAMe to prevent development of hepatoma. Have current collaboration with NIDDK (hematology) to examine whether there are mutations in the telomere repair gene in patients with cirrhosis. Have multiple on-going studies sponsored by pharamaceutical companies for the treatment of hepatitis C, NASH and thrombocytopenia in patients with liver disease.
