# Improving Diagnosis and Prevention of Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

> **NIH NIH K23** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2020 · $191,444

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The proposed K23 Career Development Award will enable Jennifer Woo Baidal, MD, MPH to establish an
independent research career with expertise in childhood obesity and pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
(NAFLD). Dr. Woo Baidal is a pediatric gastroenterologist whose long-term goal is to translate epidemiologic
and patient-oriented research findings to interventions to reduce childhood obesity and NAFLD in vulnerable
populations, but further training is required to accomplish this goal. Thus, she has assembled a team of
mentors to fulfill her immediate goal for advanced training in (1) diagnostic research principles in relation to
pediatric NAFLD; (2) epidemiologic research including cohort design and implementation; (3) quantitative
research including longitudinal data analysis; (4) genetic and genomic research; and (5) research
dissemination and professional development. Pediatric NAFLD is a serious complication of childhood obesity
and the most common chronic pediatric liver disease worldwide. NAFLD comprises a spectrum of phenotypes
including hepatic steatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and fibrosis/cirrhosis. Until recently, a major
barrier to advancing understanding of risk factors for pediatric NAFLD has been lack of non-invasive diagnostic
modalities that are practical in children. Transient elastography is a FDA-approved, non-invasive tool that
simultaneously measures hepatic steatosis and fibrosis at the point-of-care, and is widely used in adults to
monitor disease progression and treatment response. The candidate’s preliminary research supports the ability
of transient elastography to diagnosis steatosis and fibrosis in children, thus allowing longitudinal studies of the
emergence and progression of pediatric NAFLD in children with overweight and obesity. The proposed
research consists of two inter-related aims to (1) complete a full-scale validation study for transient
elastography in a pediatric setting and (2) use transient elastography to test specific dietary, behavioral, and
biologic hypotheses related to etiology and progression of NAFLD in childhood. This research will leverage two
existing cohorts at Columbia University Medical Center and will establish a cohort of 400 children at risk for
NAFLD as a platform for future R01 applications. Successful completion of this project will shed new light on
mechanisms that lead to development of pediatric NAFLD in children with overweight/obesity, and provide Dr.
Woo Baidal the necessary training and experience to develop an independent research program focused on
reduction of pediatric NAFLD in the context of childhood obesity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9841936
- **Project number:** 5K23DK115682-03
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Jennifer Aimee Woo Baidal
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $191,444
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-02-08 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9841936

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9841936, Improving Diagnosis and Prevention of Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (5K23DK115682-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9841936. Licensed CC0.

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