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SLU Liver Center ‘Friends’ Raise $380,000 at Annual Gala

Each fall, the Friends of the Saint Louis University Liver Center holds a “Diamonds” gala to support the research efforts of SLU’s Liver Center. This year’s event – WANTED: Partners for a Cure – raised more than $380,000 in corporate and donor support for the Saint Louis University Liver Center and the life-saving research and treatment they provide to patients from all over the world.

In addition, the organization honored Brent Tetri, M.D., director of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and volunteer Cheryll Pinder.

The “Diamonds Gala” supports the research efforts of the world-renowned Saint Louis University Liver Center for the treatment and cure of liver diseases, and promotes understanding and awareness of liver disease. All money raised by the organization stays in the St. Louis area to perform life-saving research and treat patients in St. Louis.

The Friends organization has donated more than $3.6 million for the SLU Liver Center since its inception in 2002. The funds help support the critical infrastructure of the Liver Center from supporting faculty salaries to visiting professorships and patient-oriented seminars and research. By leveraging the donations of the Friends, the Liver Center uses the funds as “seed grants” for investigators to gather preliminary research data that in turn generates larger grants from outside sources. This seed grant process has generated $18 new dollars from outside the region for every $1 raised locally.

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Brent Tetri, M.D., director of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology, received the “Naomi Judd Award”.

Tetri received the Friends “Naomi Judd Award” for his work studying non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, an emerging health issue that now affects more than one in five Americans. In some people, fatty liver disease can cause progressive liver damage and scarring of the liver, ultimately resulting in cirrhosis and sometimes leading to liver cancer. Fatty liver disease is rapidly overtaking hepatitis C as one of the major diseases liver specialists treat.

Tetri has played an important leadership role in the NIH’s NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) Clinical Research Network, organized to study fatty liver disease. Over the course of the last decade, they have developed now-standard definitions of the disease and they continue to follow many patients recruited from SLU and other centers around the country to determine the long term effects of the illness. Through his research, Tetri has helped establish Saint Louis University as a leader in efforts to develop new treatments for this potentially fatal disease.

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Cheryll Pinder was named "Volunteer of the Year" for her contributions to the organization.

Volunteer of the year Cheryll Pinder was honored for her service to the Friends organization. In particular, the Friends noted their appreciation of her cheerful spirit and dedication.

The Friends also noted the generosity of their corporate sponsors.

Additional details and photos from the recent “Diamonds Gala” event can be found at the Friends website. And for more information, contact executive director Leisa Duff at 314-576-3078.