Challenging the Dogma of Hepatic Encephalopathy in Chronic Liver Disease: Reversible vs Irreversible

Christopher Rose, PhD
Director
Hepato-Neuro Laboratory
University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM)

Research Professor
Department of Medicine
Université de Montréal

This conference is hosted by Jennifer Estall, PhD. This conference is part of the 2023-2024 IRCM conference calendar.

In person: 
IRCM Auditorium
110, avenue des Pins O, H2W 1R7 Montreal

About this conference
Chronic liver disease can be caused by a spectrum of risk factors including alcohol, obesity and hepatic viruses which independently all instigate fibrosis in the liver and consequently cirrhosis. Compensated cirrhosis is a silent disease until patients develop complications and symptoms (decompensated cirrhosis). Hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a frequent and debilitating neurological complication of cirrhosis, is characterized by a constellation of symptoms, including cognitive, psychiatric and motor disturbances. HE is one of theprimary causes of hospital admissions and portends to poor prognosis and survival. As a metabolic disorder, HE is considered to be reversible and therefore is expected to resolve following the replacement of the diseased liver with a healthy liver. However, persisting neurological complications are observed in up to 47% of liver transplanted patients. These findings have identified an important area in the field of HE which challenges the “reversibility” of this syndrome. Evidence providing new insights into the pathogenesis and the underlying conditions causing permanent brain injury associated with HE will be discussed.  

About Christopher Rose
Dr. Christopher Rose is currently a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Université de Montréal and the Director of the Hepato-Neuro laboratory, located at University of Montreal Hospital Research Center (CRCHUM). He received his PhD (Neuroscience/Biomedical Sciences) from the Université de Montréal in 2000 and then continued his research interests in Europe by pursuing postdoctoral studies in Germany (Prof. Kettenmann, Berlin), Spain (Prof. Felipo, Valencia and Prof. Cordoba, Barcelona) and Norway (Dr. Ytrebo, Tromso). In doing so, he was the recipient of 3 prestigious post-doctoral fellowship awards from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany), Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) and the European Association for the Study of the Liver (Europe). 

Dr. Rose’s research interests lie within the area of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a field in which he has been researching for over 25 years. HE, a major neuropsychiatric complication of liver disease, touches close to 80% of patients with cirrhosis affecting their quality of life and resulting in significant socioeconomic burden, morbidity and mortality both pre- and post-liver transplant. Translational research is the primary objective of Dr. Rose’s laboratory and, therefore, his research program is based on a bench-to-bedside concept. 

He has a vested interest in deciphering the role of ammonia and the pathophysiological pathways involved in the development of cerebral complications associated with liver disease which ultimately will lead to novel therapeutic approaches, improving the management of patients with liver disease as well as neurological outcome post-liver transplantation.
        
Dr. Rose is an expert and internationally recognized researcher in the field of hepatic encephalopathy. His research implicates both cellular models, animal models and patients. He has the ability to mobilize his research and communicate his knowledge and findings to basic scientists, clinical scientists and treating physicians as well as to patients. 
    
    Dr. Rose is currently president of International Society for Hepatic Encephalopathy and Nitrogen Metabolism (ISHEN). He is co-chair of the Research Committee of the Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver (CASL) and sits on the advisory board to the Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes of CIHR. In 2022, Dr. Rose received the CASL Distinguished Service Award and in 2023, the CASL Visiting Professor Award. 
    
    Over 65 students at all levels throughout the world have trained in Hepato-Neuro laboratory. Dr. Rose has published over 100 scientific articles and was co-author on the recent Expert Opinion titled “Heretical Thoughts into Hepatic Encephalopathy” published in Journal of Hepatology 2022.

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