Jennifer C. Lai, MD, MBA

Dr. Jennifer C. Lai is a general and transplant hepatologist who specializes in caring for patients with chronic viral hepatitis, autoimmune disorders or cirrhosis, particularly those awaiting liver transplantation.

Lai is active in patient-oriented research in three major areas: integrating core geriatric issues – such as frailty, disability, need for palliative care and multimorbidity (having more than one disease) – to patients with cirrhosis, investigating disparities in organ allocation and distribution, and assessing the impact of liver donor quality on outcomes.

As principal investigator for the Functional Assessment in Liver Transplantation (FrAILT) Study funded by the National Institutes of Health, Lai applies measures of frailty and functional status to patients with end-stage liver disease awaiting transplantation. Her research lays the groundwork for preparing these patients with therapeutic interventions that may improve their outcomes and quality of life. She is director of hepatology research at UCSF.

Lai earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and combined medical and master of business administration degrees from Tufts University. She completed her residency at New York–Presbyterian Hospital and fellowships in gastroenterology and transplant hepatology at UCSF.

Lai is a member of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American Society of Transplantation, American Gastroenterological Association and American College of Gastroenterology. She is a fellow of the American College of Physicians.