Elizabeth Powell

Contributions to the field: Include shaping two new paradigms in hepatology research: the importance of metabolic risk factors in the progression of chronic liver diseases, and more recently proposing altered hepatic regeneration and the ductular reaction as a potential driver of hepatic fibrosis. This innovative research on the association between the hepatic stem cell niche and fibrosis has led to increasing recognition internationally that fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis may be intrinsically associated with activation of this niche. A significant contribution has been to foster a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to the field, involving hepatopathology together with molecular and clinical hepatology research. More recently she has established new interdisciplinary partnerships to undertake research in areas related to chronic liver disease management.

Collaborations: Nationally, collaborations include those with researchers from QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Molecular Bioscience, the University of Queensland; she also collaborates with clinicians from Inala Primary Care and the Princess Alexandra Hospital. Internationally, she contributes to the Drug-induced liver injury network (DILIN) and International Serious Adverse Events Consortium (iSAEC) (based in the UK) and the International Liver Disease Genetics Consortium. More recently she has partnered with Siemens Healthineers to study prevalence and severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in diabetes clinics and primary care.

Community Engagement: Prof Powell is regularly involved in speaking to General Practitioners and community groups and reviews resources for the Ethnic Communities Council of QLD. She has organized and chaired numerous multidisciplinary networking workshops with the purpose of bringing together clinicians/researchers, showcase what is going on in the field, and open opportunities for communication and collaboration.

Professional Involvement and Peer Review: Prof Powell is a past member of the Editorial Board of Hepatology, the Clinical Research Committee of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and a recent past member of the Executive of the Australian Liver Association. She convened the research workshop for the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver and was consulted by QLD Government to prepare a report on models of care for liver disease. As a member of Executive, Australian Liver Association, she helped write and review documents on treatment, education and technology pertinent to liver disease. Prof Powell has been a panel member for NHMRC (Career Development Fellowship). She has reviewed project grants for the NHMRC, Wellcome Trust (Health Innovation Challenge Fund) and INSERM, and frequently reviews manuscripts for leading international journals.

International Standing: Prof Powell has international recognition in liver disease research and has been an invited speaker at >15 major international meetings. These include invitations as a faculty member of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease Postgraduate Course, the International Association for the Study of the Liver Postgraduate Course, the Asia-Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver Postgraduate Course and the International Symposium on Viral Hepatitis and Liver Disease Postgraduate Course. She has also presented at the Siemens Scientific Symposium, Berlin and the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Athens on serum biomarkers for risk stratification in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Supervision and Mentoring: Elizabeth has supervised 8 PhD/MD, 3 Honours and 3 Masters students. She has supervised 4 international scholars from the UK and 1 from the USA.