Dr. Rohit Loomba has been appointed as the inaugural holder of the John C. Martin Endowed Chair in Liver Disease at UC San Diego, aimed at advancing research and treatment for liver conditions.
LA JOLLA, CA—The University of California, San Diego has announced the appointment of Dr. Rohit Loomba as the first holder of the John C. Martin Endowed Chair in Liver Disease. This chair was established through a generous gift from the John C. Martin Foundation, with the goal of promoting innovative research and treatment strategies focused on understanding and addressing population-based risk factors for liver disease.
Dr. Loomba is a Professor of Medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, where he also serves as the Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Additionally, he is a hepatologist at UC San Diego Health and the founding director of the university’s Research Center for metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease.
He is recognized for pioneering the development of MRI-PDFF, a noninvasive biomarker that accurately measures liver fat without the need for a biopsy. This innovative technique has been adopted in over 100 clinical trials globally, significantly transforming clinical practice by providing a more precise method for tracking patient responses to new therapies for conditions such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). It also plays a crucial role in guiding studies for FDA approval.
“This endowed chair allows us to research and develop new cures and novel treatment options for the management of digestive diseases,” Dr. Loomba stated. “We work locally to impact globally and strive to be a beacon of excellence in all aspects of our clinical and academic endeavors.”
The endowment is named in honor of John C. Martin, a prominent scientist and business leader who served as chairman and CEO of Gilead Sciences from 1996 to 2016. Under his leadership, Gilead revolutionized global treatment for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, leaving a lasting impact on public health.
Lillian Lou, president of the John C. Martin Foundation and Martin’s life partner, expressed her support for Dr. Loomba’s appointment. “It is an honor and privilege to support Rohit Loomba, a decades-long colleague of John Martin, as the inaugural holder of the John C. Martin Endowed Chair,” she said. “May the transformative research be inspired by the global work John initiated.”
UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla emphasized the significance of Dr. Loomba’s appointment, noting, “The appointment of Dr. Rohit Loomba to this chair named in honor of John Martin is fitting, as they shared the same goal of improving the quality of life for patients worldwide.”
Dr. Loomba’s educational background includes a degree from the Armed Forces Medical College at Pune University. He completed his internal medicine residency at St. Luke’s Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, followed by an advanced Hepatology clinical and research fellowship at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. He also holds a master’s degree in clinical research from the combined NIH-Duke University Program before joining UC San Diego.
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