Preventing and treating fatty liver during pregnancy and after childbirth
Official title: Targeting Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease during the reproductive period to improve women's health outcomes
Funded at Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-11228037 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project screens pregnant and postpartum women for fatty liver using blood tests and non-invasive tools to track liver changes that could affect their long-term health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $679,731 |
| NIH project number | 7R01DK139189-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11228037 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people or women of reproductive age (especially those with higher pre-pregnancy weight or who identify as Hispanic) are the best fit for this work.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, men, or those with liver disease from other known causes are unlikely to benefit from this pregnancy-focused effort.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be offered screening during pregnancy using non-invasive tests and blood-based lipid analysis to look for signs of MASLD/MASH. The team will collect clinical information, blood samples, and follow you after delivery to see whether liver disease appears or gets worse. Researchers aim to identify people at higher risk—for example, those with higher pre-pregnancy weight or Hispanic ethnicity—to enable earlier monitoring and care. Participation typically involves questionnaires, blood draws, and clinic visits before and after childbirth.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to earlier detection and targeted follow-up to help prevent advanced liver disease in women.
How similar studies have gone: A prior pilot (FLIP I) found a 14% prevalence of MASLD in pregnancy and worsening after delivery, so the approach is promising but still being expanded and tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kushner, Tatyana — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Kushner, Tatyana
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Targeting fatty liver disease in women around pregnancy to improve health
This grant explores how to identify and help pregnant and postpartum women who are at risk for fatty liver disease to prevent liver problems later.
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Clinically meaningful research on fatty liver disease in adults and children
A nationwide effort studying MASLD, the major form of fatty liver disease, to find better ways to identify who is at risk and how to treat it, including kids and adults.
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NAFLD in PCOS: Do androgens drive liver injury and fatty liver progression?
Young women with PCOS may face liver disease progression due to high androgen levels, and this research looks at targeted ways to slow or prevent that progression.
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How genes and heavy metals influence fatty liver disease
This project looks at how a person’s genes and the amounts of metals in their liver together relate to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
-
Gm4951 gene and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Researchers are looking at whether changes in the Gm4951 gene affect how much fat builds up in the liver for people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.