Schwimmer Lab

Welcome to the Schwimmer Lab

The Schwimmer Lab at UC San Diego is a leader in clinical and translational research on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, as known as Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease or NAFLD) in children, young adults, and families.

Our team includes five pediatric gastroenterologists working with collaborators in many other fields of medicine (endocrinology, pediatrics, psychology, radiology), and science (chemistry, genomics, microbiome, nutrition, public health).

Our goal is to improve the diagnosis and treatment of Pediatric MASLD in order to promote the health and quality of life of children, adolescents, and young adults with MASLD.

Our team has made many important discoveries about MASLD in children. We established the prevalence and incidence of MASLD in children. We discovered the different types of liver injury that can occur in children with MASLD. We evaluated genes that predisposed to MASLD and are associated with the severity of the liver injury. We demonstrated the relationship between MASLD and many other health problems including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, osteoporosis, and depression. We contributed to advances in MRI measurement of liver fat and liver fibrosis. We conducted clinical trials of nutritional interventions as well as medications for the treatment of MASLD. We will continue to make advances to support improvements in the care and outcomes of children, adolescents, and young adults with MASLD.