The Hepatitis B Foundation is proud to publicly recognize the outstanding contributions of Dr. Frank Chisari to advancing the science and medicine of hepatitis B. He is internationally renowned for his pioneering work in the host-virus interactions that determine the outcome of viral infections, using the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the hepatitis C virus (HCV) as models.

With his colleagues, Dr. Chisari developed the first transgenic mouse models of a human viral pathogen, and used these models to define the immunological basis of viral hepatitis. As a result, he discovered that chronic immune-mediated hepatocellular injury initiates primary liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma.

Dr. Chisari is a member of the National Academy of Sciences; was awarded the Ernst Jung Prize in Medicine, the Rous-Whipple Award of the American Society of Investigative Pathology, and the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award of the AASLD.

He received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Anatomic Pathology.

Past recipients of the HBF’s Distinguished Scientist Award include: Dr. Harvey Alter, Dr. Baruch Blumberg, Dr. Raymond Dwek, Dr. Jay Hoofnagle, Dr.W. Thomas London, Dr.William Mason, Dr. Raymond Schinazi and Dr. Jesse Summers.

(Photo: Dr. Frank Chisari and his wife Linda enjoy a spin on the dance floor after the awards ceremony at the Crystal Ball)