# The Impact of Frailty on Liver Transplant Outcomes in Older Adults with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

> **NIH NIH K24** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2024 · $188,743

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
I am a transplant hepatologist on faculty as Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology
& Hepatology, who has developed a nationally recognized clinical research program focused on the application
of aging research and geriatric principles of care to the management of patients with cirrhosis awaiting and
undergoing liver transplantation. Support for my current activities involving aging research and mentorship
include a diverse pool of resources: 1) a NIA R01 to understand the role of frailty on global functional health in
patients after liver transplantation, 2) a NIA R21 to develop a laboratory frailty index for patients with cirrhosis,
3) a NIA supplement to characterize cognitive impairment and Alzheimers Disease risk factors in liver transplant
recipients, 4) several industry-supported investigator-initiated studies to evaluate aging-related factors in
cirrhosis patients, 5) philanthropy-supported research in patients with chronic liver disease, and 6) an endowed
professorship. My research grants leverage the data and infrastructure of the Functional Assessment in Liver
Transplantation (FrAILT) Study, which I founded in 2012 and is currently the largest cohort worldwide dedicated
to investigating the effect of aging—both chronologic (i.e., age) and physiologic (i.e., frailty)—on outcomes in
patients with cirrhosis. For the new research proposed in this K24, I will expand my research program to older
adults with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are eligible for liver transplantation by enriching our current data
with granular HCC metrics and additional aging-related metrics to: characterize distinct groups of patients by
frailty trajectories and identify novel predictors of frailty trajectory group membership (Aim 1), and investigate the
association between frailty trajectories and waitlist dropout (Aim 2) or post-transplant global functional health
(Aim 3). In so doing, I will create a unique multi-center dataset that is representative of the U.S. HCC population
and combines aging-, liver-, HCC-, and transplant-related factors that will not only expand my research portfolio
but also enable me to train new mentees interested in pursuing patient-oriented research at the intersection of
aging research, hepatology, oncology, and transplantation. This scientific proposal leverages my current skills,
clinical and research knowledge, and my established cohort to offer me the opportunity to develop new research
skills and approaches in this under-studied population of older adults with HCC awaiting and undergoing liver
transplantation. During this K24, I plan additional training in professional leadership and mentorship skills
development, and will create for my mentees a formal research/career curriculum to ensure a structured and
sustainable mentoring program for years to come. Given my own career as a medical subspecialist (hepatology)
in a surgically-oriented discipline (transplant) with long-standing ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10761775
- **Project number:** 5K24AG080021-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Jennifer C. Lai
- **Activity code:** K24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $188,743
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-01-15 → 2027-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10761775

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10761775, The Impact of Frailty on Liver Transplant Outcomes in Older Adults with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (5K24AG080021-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10761775. Licensed CC0.

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