Rohit Loomba

Rohit Loomba, MD, MHSc, is an expert in the clinical management of chronic liver diseases and holds a joint appointment in the Division of Gastroenterology in the Department of Medicine and the Division of Epidemiology in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California at San Diego School of Medicine.

His research focuses on all aspects of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease including aging, epidemiology, genetic and environmental predisposition, natural history, and treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Dr. Loomba is the Principal Investigator for the adult hepatology for the NIDDK-sponsored NASH-CRN (2009-14) and serves on it’s steering committee. This work is performed in close collaboration with investigators in the Department of Pediatrics and Radiology at UCSD.

Dr. Loomba is the recipient of the American Gastroenterological Association Foundation-Sucampo-ASP Designated Research Award in Geriatric Gastroenterology and the T. Franklin Williams Scholarship Award for 2009-12. This research in liver and aging epidemiology is conducted with strong support from his mentor Drs. Elizabeth Barrett-Connor and David Brenner. He also participates in teaching in the Cardiovascular Epidemiology T32 training program that is run by Drs. Michael Criqui and Mathew Allison. Dr. Loomba’s vision is to establish a comprehensive center of excellence in clinical research and epidemiology of liver disease at UCSD.

He utilizes diverse epidemiologic and outcomes research methodologies to answer clinically relevant questions. The types of research conducted includes patient-oriented clinical research based upon patients seen in the liver clinic, clinical trials, population-based cohort studies, twin studies with Dr. Daniel O’Connor, and clinical decision making by utilizing meta-analytic approaches. He continues to work in close collaboration with his colleagues at the National Institutes of Health, where he received his clinical and research training in advanced hepatology.

Dr. Loomba believes in providing compassionate and state-of-the-art care to patients with the entire spectrum of liver diseases. Having a strong physician-patient relationship goes a long way in improving medical decision making and facilitates delivery of high quality, evidence-based medical care in a friendly environment. His keen interest in finding newer and better treatments for patients suffering from liver ailments gives his patients an opportunity to take part in clinical research protocols. Dr. Loomba's philosophy is that improved outcomes are dependent upon new research and effective delivery of latest research in clinical practice is a function of strong physician-patient relationship.