INFOLINKS
 
The American Liver Foundation   www.liverfoundation.org
The American Liver Foundation is a national, voluntary nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of hepatitis and other liver diseases through research, education and advocacy. Although liver diseases are among the leading seven major causes of death in the United States, there was no national voluntary health agency devoted exclusively to combating liver diseases until 1976, when the American Liver Foundation was formed. Many serious liver diseases are potentially preventable; education about them can give individuals an opportunity to participate in their own preventive health care. An increase in research can make it possible to develop improved treatments and find cures. A major effort is necessary to control the increase in liver diseases.
 
The Children's Foundation Research Center   www.utmem.edu/cfrc
Located within Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, the Children's Foundation Research Center of Memphis has 30,000 square feet of laboratory space for investigators who work to unravel the mysteries behind childhood illnesses, such as asthma, diabetes, arthritis, kidney disease and cystic fibrosis. The Center was established in 1993 with a gift from the Children's Foundation of Memphis. Today, the research center continues to receive funding from the Children's Foundation of Memphis, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and others. For more information, please call (901) 572-5355.
 
Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center   www.lebonheur.org
Founded in 1952, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center is the Mid-South’s first and only comprehensive pediatric medical facility, with 225 beds and a medical staff of 500. More than 130,000 children throughout the region are treated annually on an inpatient or outpatient basis. Children are referred to Le Bonheur from all over the United States and throughout the world. For more information, please call (901) 572-3030 or visit www.lebonheur.org.
 
The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases   www.aasld.org
As the leading organization focused solely on advancing the science and practice of hepatology, AASLD offers scientific educational symposia developed by leading hepatologists. Each event offers Continuing Medical Education (CME) and features expert speakers presenting the finest data in the most current and critical topics of liver disease. Only AASLD events meet the increasing demand of hepatology's growing importance as a medical specialty by providing participants the opportunity to exchange research, discuss outcomes, and interact with colleagues focused on liver and biliary diseases.
 
The Mid-South Liver Foundation   www.midsouthliverfoundation.org
The American Liver Foundation was founded in 1976 and works to improve the lives of individuals and their families affected by liver disease by offering important programs and services.  The American Liver Foundation’s chapter network creates and conducts educational workshops and seminars, offers support groups, works with local media and community groups to increase awareness of liver disease, meets with local state and federal policy makers to affect positive change, and sponsors numerous fundraising events.    
 
ALF’s chapters build bridges connecting patients to health care providers and services. Chapters have done much to enrich the lives of people with liver disease and help their families.
 
The Mid-South Chapter creates and conducts educational workshops and seminars, offers support groups, works with local media and community groups to increase awareness of liver disease. The Chapter meets with local, state and federal policy makers to initiate positive change, and sponsors numerous fundraising events. We build bridges connecting patients to health care providers and services.

PSC Partners Seeking a Cure www.pscpartners.org
PSC Partners Seeking a Cure was formed to give PSC patients a collective voice in health care issues, and to raise funds to research the origins and cure for the disease. PSC Partners Seeking a Cure is a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation whose mission is to:

1. Provide education and support to PSC patients and their families
2. Raise funds with which to research the causes and cures of PSC
3. Promote PSC and organ donation awareness

Some of the programs offered to PSC patients and their caregivers are a yearly conference in April, a free bi-monthly online newsletter, an online support group and an extensive PSC literature site.

Lazaridis Lab   http://cancercenter.mayo.edu/mayo/research/lazaridis_lab/
The overarching aim of the Genomic Hepatobiology Laboratory is to investigate the genetic predisposition to chronic liver diseases. The current emphasis of our research program is to better understand the genetic susceptibility to Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC). PBC and PSC are chronic, progressive cholestatic liver diseases that contribute to hepatic failure and shorten patient life expectancy.

StoPSC.org   http://www.stopsc.org
The Studies of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (STOPSC) is a multi-center research effort initiated, funded, and organized by The Musette and Allen Morgan Jr. Foundation. STOPSC is a joint effort among centers in the United States and Canada to collect and study information required to understand the possible causes and treatment of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) and Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH) as well as the effects of the disease on the liver over time. The major goal of this study is to create a large database that can be used for better understanding of the disease, to help develop better ways to detect the disease, to find out how effective current treatments are and to conduct more research studies in the future.