Yilin Yang, PhD, a postdoctoral associate in the Iwakiri lab, received the 2023 Gupta Family Pilot Award in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) Research from the American Association of the Study of Liver Diseases. The award will support Yang’s research project on the therapeutic implications of the liver lymphatic system in PSC, which has no cure.
Despite its significant role in liver diseases, the lymphatic vascular system of the liver is not yet fully understood, according to Yang.
“We hope that by looking at the function of the liver lymphatic system, we can better understand its connection to PSC and if it can be used to treat the condition,” Yang said.
Manipulating the liver lymphatic system for the treatment of PSC is highly innovative, says Yasuko Iwakiri, PhD, professor of medicine (digestive diseases). “Yang’s project has strong potential to shed light not only on the pathophysiology of PSC, but also on the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the disease.”
As a junior researcher, Yang is grateful for the recognition of her work. “The Gupta Family Pilot Award is providing me with the encouragement and the resources to explore PSC treatment from a new angle,” she said.
Since forming one of the nation’s first sections of hepatology and then gastroenterology over 50 years ago, Yale’s Section of Digestive Diseases has had an enduring impact on research and clinical care in gastrointestinal and liver disorders. To learn more, visit Digestive Diseases.