Professor Rajiv Jalan from Royal Free Hospital at University College London (UCL), UK, visited Osaka City University Hospital and the Department of Hepatology in the Faculty of Medicine on Monday, 3 June, 2019. Dr. Rajiv Jalan is well known as world’s top expert on cirrhosis and liver failure. He also serves an editor in chief of “Journal of Hepatology”, currently considered as a top journal amongst the European hepatology journals.

He started with visiting the radiotherapy, MRI and endoscope rooms guided and explained by Dr. Masako Hosono and Dr. Taro Shimono, Associate Professors of Diagnostic Radiology. As Japan is leading the world in medical practice of liver complaints in many points, Dr. Rajiv Jalan asked questions to the faculties and staff with great interest.

Later he participated in ward rounds as well as discussion in the laboratory. He also gave a lecture in English for students. In the lecture, he explained under the theme of “acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in which chronic liver disease rapidly worsens due to various factors such as drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. ACLF is a disease whose research is proceeding in Europe and the United States, thus it was a valuable opportunity for our students and young doctors to be exposed to an overseas research.

Associate Professor Masaru Enomoto of the Department of Hepatology commented that “What we discussed was very informative for us hepatologists, as well. He politely answered many questions that we asked. We could have a meaningful time which will become an opportunity for expanding human exchanges and joint research between Japan and UK.”