We welcome Dr. Angelos K. Sikalidis from California Polytechnic State University, USA, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Sikalidis is the Associate Professor of Nutrition in California Polytechnic State University. He currently does research in Diabetology, Nutrition and Dietetics and Nutritional Biochemistry with public health extensions and he has published many articles in prestigious journals. We are grateful to Dr. Sikalidis for his participation and support.

We welcome Prof. Giuseppe Merra from University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Prof. Merra is a specialist in Internal Medicine, preferring the gastroenterological field in which he has always carried out his activity. Author of numerous national and international scientific publications published in print, he boasts the participation in numerous conferences, in Italy and abroad, as Speaker and Moderator. Meanwhile, he is a member of several national scientific societies. We are grateful to Prof. Merra for his participation and support. 

We welcome Doctor Arumugam R. Jayakumar from Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Jayakumar is the Associate Professor of Neuropathology in Miami VA Medical Center. He has published more than 70 articles in prestigious journals. We are grateful to Dr. Jayakumar for his participation and support.

We welcome Doctor Masaaki Takamura from Niigata University, Japan, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Takamura is the Associate Professor in Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, and he has published nearly 80 articles in prestigious journals, engaged in gastroenterology and hepatology medical research for more than twenty years. Dr. Takamura has extensive experience in gastroenterology and hepatology related research. We are grateful to Dr. Takamura for his participation and support.

We welcome Prof. Ming-Lung Yu from the School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University and Hospital, Taiwan, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Professor Yu is currently the Vice President at Kaohsiung Medical University. A board-certified internist and gastroenterologist, Professor Yu is recognized as a Clinical Principal Investigator (CPI) by the Academy of Pharmaceutical Physicians and Investigators. In addition to his extensive teaching experience gained at the University Hospital, Professor Yu has published more than 280 articles in prestigious journals. We are grateful to Prof. Yu for his participation and support.

We welcome Dr. Prashanth Rawla from SOVAH health, USA, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Prashanth Rawla completed his medical training at the Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, India. Upon completion of his medical degree, he relocated to the United States and completed his Internal Medicine Residency training at Monmouth Medical Center in NJ associated with Drexel University School of Medicine. He currently serves as an attending physician, in the Department of Medicine at SOVAH health. Research interests include gastroenterology, hepatology, endocrinology and oncology. He is board certified by American Board of Internal Medicine. We are grateful to Dr. Rawla for his participation and support.

We welcome Dr. Gloria Gonzalez-Aseguinolaza from Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression Program, CIMA, University of Navarra, Spain, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Since 2014, Dr. Gonzalez-Aseguinolaza has been the Head of the Gene Therapy Program at CIMA and the coordinator of the area of advanced therapies of the institute of biomedical of Region (Navarra), IdiSNA. She also co-founded Vivet Therapeutics in 2016 and serves as its Chief Scientific Officer. Her scientific career has always been associated with the development of treatments for orphan diseases and she has been working on hepatic rare diseases for the last 10 years focus on the development on the characterization of animal models, development of new therapeutic strategies and new gene delivery vectors. Her main achievement in the field was the coordination of an European consortium created to perform the first AAV-gene therapy clinical trial for a liver inherited metabolic disease, acute intermittent porphyria. Dr. Gonzalez-Aseguinolaza has extensive experience in hepatic rare diseases. We are grateful to Dr. Gonzalez-Aseguinolaza for her participation and support.

We welcome Dr. Tony C. K. Tham from Ulster Hospital, United Kingdom, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Tham is the consultant physician and gastroenterologist in the Ulster Hospital, Dundonald, Belfast since 1997, he was also the head of the school of medicine, Northern Ireland medical and dental training agency (deanery) for 6 years and is now training program director for general internal medicine. Dr. Tham is the lead clinician for developing services for patients with gastrointestinal consequences of pelvic radiotherapy in N Ireland. And he has more than 70 publications in peer reviewed journals. Dr. Tham has extensive experience in Gastroenterology and related treatment. We are grateful to Dr. Tham for his participation and support.

We welcome Professor Saleh A. Naser from University of Central Florida, USA, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Prof. Naser is the Professor of Medicine, Associate Director and Graduate Coordinator of Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences in University of Central Florida. Prof. Naser has extensive experience in Gastroenterology, Gut Pathogen and related treatment. And he has been internationally recognized for his leading work and extensive publications in peer-reviewed journals. We are grateful to Prof. Naser for his participation and support.

We welcome Professor Mario Angelico from Tor Vergata University, Medical School, Italy, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Prof. Angelico is the full professor of Gastroenterology in Tor Vergata University, Medical School and he also serves as the director of Hepatology, Fondazione Policlinico Tor Vergata. Prof. Angelico has extensive experience in Hepatology, Gastroenterology and related treatment. And he has been internationally recognized for his leading work and extensive publications in peer-reviewed journals. We are grateful to Prof. Angelico for his participation and support.

We welcome Professor Antonio Benedetti from Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Prof. Benedetti is the professor in the clinic of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Università Politecnica delle Marche and he also serves as the medical director of clinic of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Digestive Endoscopy Unit at Ospedali Riuniti University Hospital. Prof. Benedetti has extensive experience in Gastroenterology and the related treatments. And he has been internationally recognized for his leading work and extensive publications in peer-reviewed journals. We are grateful to Prof. Benedetti for his participation and support.

We welcome Prof. Ralf Weiskirchen from RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Germany, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Prof. Weiskirchen is currently Head of the Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC) at the RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Germany. His major focus is the analysis of TGF/BMP and PDGF signalling pathway in the pathogenesis of various diseases. Professor Weiskirchen maintains a variety of national and international cooperation’s that are focussed on molecular aspects of disease formation and therapy. Moreover, his work is focussed on the identification and evaluation of novel biomarkers. His research interests are TGF, PDGF, BMPs, gene therapy, biomarkers. We are grateful to Prof. Weiskirchen for her participation and support.

We welcome Dr. Yuki Haga from National Hospital Organization Chiba Medical Center, Japan, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Haga mainly focuses on the research of liver diseases, including iver fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and so on. We are grateful to Dr. Haga for his participation and support.

We welcome Dr. Evangelos Cholongitas from National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Cholongitas is the Associate Professor in the Medical School of National & Kapodistrian University of Athens. Dr. Cholongitas has extensive experience and publications in liver and related treatment. We are grateful to Dr. Cholongitas for his participation and support.

We welcome Prof. Peter Schemmer from Medical University of Graz, Austria, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. His clinical focus is on both oncological surgery (upper GI, lower GI, HPB, endocrine, etc.) including laparoscopic techniques and transplant surgery (liver, kidney, pancreas). He is Honorary member of the Lithuanian Association of Transplantologists and member in various international societies. He is also an Editorial board member and reviewer for numerous journals. We are grateful to Prof. Schemmer for his participation and support.

We welcome Dr. Nir Wasserberg from Rabin Medica Center, Isreal, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Wasserberg is the Associate Professor of Surgery in Rabin Medical Center where he also serves as the Director in Division of Colorectal Surgery. Dr. Wasserberg has extensive experience and publications in colon & rectal surgery. We are grateful to Dr. Nir Wasserberg for his participation and support.

We welcome Prof. Steven-Huy B. Han from University of California at Los Angeles, USA, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Prof. Han is Professor of Medicine and Surgery in the Division of Digestive Diseases and the Division of Liver and Pancreas Transplantation. He is also the Principal Investigator of the National Institute of Health (NIH) Hepatitis B Clinical Research Network in Los Angeles. Prof. Han has extensive publications in the area of viral hepatitis, liver transplantation, and liver cancer. In addition, he is a past president of the Southern California Society of Gastroenterology and an ongoing council member. We are grateful to Prof. Han for his participation and support.

We welcome Dr. Natalia A. Osna from University of Nebraska Medical Center, USA, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Osna is an Associate Professor in Division of Gastroenterology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, and a Research Biologist in the Research Service, Veterans Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System. Dr. Osna has extensive experience and publications in peer-reviewed journals and many talks at international meetings. We are grateful to Dr. Osna for her participation and support.

We welcome Doctor Emilie Viennois from Georgia State University, USA, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Viennois is the Assistant Professor in the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University. Dr. Viennois has extensive experience and publications in colitis and related treatment. We are grateful to Dr. Viennois for her participation and support.

We welcome Professor Kazuhiko Nakao from Nagasaki University, Japan, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Professor Nakao’s main research fields are gastroenterology and hepatology. We are grateful to Professor Nakao for his participation and support.

We welcome Professor Takuji Torimura from Kurume University, Japan, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Professor Torimura’s main research interests are hepatocellular carcinoma, angiogenesis, molecular targeted therapy, and regeneration of liver, etc. We are grateful to Professor Torimura for his participation and support.

We welcome Professor Hitoshi Yoshiji from Nara Medical University, Japan, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Professor Yoshiji mainly focuses on the research of liver cirrhosis, liver failure, alcoholic liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma, etc. He has published over 210 peer reviewed papers in international journals. We are grateful to Professor Yoshiji for his participation and support.

We welcome Professor Katsutoshi Tokushige from Tokyo Women's Medical University, Japan, to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Professor Tokushige mainly focuses on the research of liver diseases, NASH, hepatocellular carcinoma, and fatty liver, etc. He has published over 130 peer reviewed papers in international journals. We are grateful to Professor Tokushige for his participation and support.

We welcome Dr. Ikuo Nakamura to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Nakamura is an Associate Professor in Department of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Medical University, Japan. His main research interests are Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and immune responses in the liver (innate and adaptive). We are grateful to Dr. Nakamura for his participation and support.

We welcome Dr. Shuang Wu to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Wu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Gastroenterology and Nephrology, Chiba University, Japan. Her main research interests are infectious diseases, gastroenterology, and hepatology, etc. We are grateful to Dr. Wu for her participation and support.

We welcome Professor Keisuke Hino to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Professor Hino serves in the Department of Hepatology and Pancreatology, Kawasaki Medical School, Japan. His main research interests are oxidative stress, autophagy, iron metabolism, and hepatocarcinogenesis, etc. We are grateful to Professor Hino for his participation and support.

We welcome Dr. Masato Nakamura to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Nakamura is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Gastroenterology and Nephrology, Chiba University, Japan. His main research interests are hepatology, hepatitis, liver cancer, and biliary diseases. We are grateful to Dr. Nakamura for his participation and support.

We welcome Dr. Motoyori Kanazawa to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Kanazawa is an Associate Professor at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan. His research interest on gastroenterology is functional gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome. We are grateful to Dr. Kanazawa for his participation and support.

We welcome Dr. Satoshi Yamagiwa to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Yamagiwa is an Associate Professor at the Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Japan. His main research interests are liver cancer and liver diseases. We are grateful to Dr. Yamagiwa for his participation and support.

We welcome Dr. Xia Jiang to join the Editorial Board of OBM Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Dr. Xia Jiang is an Assistant Professor at the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, China. Her research interests are gastroenterology, colorectal cancer, and liver cancer, etc. We are grateful to Dr. Jiang for her participation and support.