Overview

The Royal Free Sheila Sherlock Hepatology Postgraduate course aims to equip medical professionals with confidence in managing liver disease patients.

We cover hepatology topics pertinent to the acute medical take, chronic clinics, intensive care unit, and liver transplant settings.

Now in its eleventh year, the course has kept its traditional core classes with new lectures for the 2025 edition. It has gained an excellent reputation for its curriculum-focused, interactive, and clinically relevant content.

Who this course is for

The course is intended for consultants, nurse specialists, and trainees in acute medicine and gastroenterology.

You might be looking for a refresher on the most encountered hepatology scenarios in your day-to-day work, or to consolidate your hepatology knowledge prior to specialty exams.

Course content

Each sessional talk is 25 mins, with 10 mins for questions.

Day 1 (Weds 05 March): Hepatology in the clinic

09.00-09.10 - Opening welcome (Prof. Massimo Pinzani)

Session 1: Liver disease & Lifestyle

• 09.10-09.45 - MASLD and non-invasive testing (Prof. Emmanouil Tsochatzis) 
• 09.45-10.20 - Alcohol-related liver disease and acute alcohol-related hepatitis (Prof. Kevin Moore) 
• 10:20-10.55 - A public health perspective on liver disease (TBC) 

10.55-11.15 - Coffee Break

Session 2: Viral hepatitis and cancer.

• 11.15-11.50 - Hepatitis B and Delta (Dr Doug Macdonald) 
• 11.50-12.25 - Hepatitis C (TBC) 
• 12:25-13:00 - Hepatocellular carcinoma (Dr Naveenta Kumar)

13:00-13.40 Lunch Break

Session 3: Autoimmune and cholestatic liver disease

• 13.40-14.15 - Primary Biliary Cholangitis (Dr Aileen Marshall)
• 14.15-14:50 - Autoimmune hepatitis (Dr Neil Halliday)
• 14:50-15:25 - Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (Prof. Douglas Thorburn)

15.25-15:45 - Coffee Break

Session 4: Genetics in liver disease

• 15.45-16.20 - Genomic technologies in liver disease (Dr Shanika Nayagam)
• 16.20-16.55 - Wilson's disease (Prof. Emmanouil Tsochatzis)
• 16.55-17.30 - Hyperferritinaemia and haemochromatosis (Dr James Dooley)

17:30 - Closing remarks

Day 2 (Thurs 06 March): Hepatology on the acute take and liver transplantation

08:50-09.00 - Opening welcome (Prof. Massimo Pinzani)

Session 1: Cirrhosis & its complications

• 09.00-09.35 - Ascites and Renal dysfunction (Dr Louise China)
• 09.35-10.10 - Hepatic encephalopathy (Prof. Marsha Morgan)
• 10.10-10.45 - Sarcopenia & nutrition in liver disease (Dr Jane Macnaughtan)

10.45-11.05 - Coffee Break

Session 2: Cirrhosis & its complications

• 11.05-11.40 - Portal hypertension & Pharmacotherapy (Prof. Raj Mookerjee)
• 11.40-12.15 - Infections in liver disease (Prof. Alastair O'Brien)
• 12.15-12.50 - Clinical correlation of liver histopathology findings (Prof. Alberto Quaglia / Dr Rooshi Nathwani)

12.50-13.30 - Lunch break

Session 3: Challenging presentations of liver disease

• 13.30-14.05 - Drug-induced liver injury (Dr Sujit Mukherjee) 
• 14.05-14.40 - Deranged LFTs in pregnancy (Dr Rachel Westbrook) 
• 14.40-15.15 - Immunotherapy-related liver complications (Dr Doug Macdonald) 

15:15-15:35 - Coffee Break 

Session 4: Surgery and transplantation

• 15.35-16.10 - Pre and peri-operative risk in decompensated cirrhosis (Dr Suehana Rahman) 
• 16.10-16.45 - Who & when to refer for liver transplantation? (Dr Jennifer Ryan) 
• 16.45-17.20 - Post-transplant care & complications (Dr Beverley Kok)

17.20 - Closing remarks

Day 3 (Fri 07 March): The sick liver patient and interventions

08.50-09.00 - Opening welcome (Prof. Massimo Pinzani) 

Session 1: Acute hepatology and ICU

• 09.00-09.35 - Acute liver failure and liver intensive care (Dr Brian Hogan)
• 09.35-10.10 - Acute on Chronic Liver Failure (Prof. Rajiv Jalan) 
• 10.10-10:45 - Thinking forward in liver disease: integrating palliative care (Dr Heather Lewis / TBC)

10.45-11.05 - Coffee Break 

Session 2: Sheila Sherlock Hepatology Symposium 2025

Chair: Dr Brian Hogan

• 11.05-11.40 - Debate: "Escalation of care for patients with recurrent alcohol induced decompensations: where do we draw the line?" (TBC)
• 11.40-12.15 - Sheila Sherlock Invited Lecture: "The Future of Hepatology" (TBC)

12.15-13:00 - Lunch break 

Session 3: Interventions and Radiology. Chair: Dr Harry Martin

• 13.00-13.35 - Endo-hepatology (Dr Jon Potts) 
• 13.35-14.10 - Radiology – A guide to liver lesions (Dr Dominic Yu) 
• 14.10-14.45 - Management of portal hypertensive bleeding (Dr Patch) 
• 14.45-15.20 - Vascular liver disease (Dr Louise China)

15:20 - Closing statements (Prof. Massimo Pinzani)

Costs

• BSG/BASL Trainee/Nurse/AHP Member | £98.00
• Early Bird Trainee/Nurse/AHP | £100.00
• BSG / BASL Consultant Member | £147.00
• Early Bird Consultants | £180.00

Course team

Prof. Massimo Pinzani

Emeritus Professor of the Division of Medicine, UCL.

Course information last modified: 12 Nov 2024, 15:08