Hepatitis

Dr Hamish Innes’ research provided some of the earliest and most robust data showing the benefits of a hepatitis C cure.

His research demonstrated that hepatitis C antiviral therapy is highly effective, substantially reducing the risk of mortality and severe liver disease in large population cohorts. This data has given policymakers the confidence to scale-up antiviral treatment and strive for hepatitis C elimination.

However, his research has also shown that antiviral therapy alone is not a panacea. In particular, people with hepatitis C cirrhosis still remain at high risk of dying from liver cancer even after their hepatitis C is successfully treated. Most of these liver cancer deaths could be averted by detecting the liver cancer early when it is small and far easier to treat.

Dr Innes’ recent research has concentrated on understanding how clinical prediction tools (i.e. risk calculators) could help to improve early detection of liver cancer in successfully treated hepatitis C patients. He is providing statistical leadership for improving surveillance to ensure liver cancer is detected at the earliest opportunity when it is easiest to treat.

High-quality patient data is the bedrock of Dr Innes' research. The Emerging Leaders Prize money will be used to access new datasets, allowing him to strengthen the evidence base for liver cancer surveillance and continue research into the genetic predictors of liver cancer. Ultimately, Dr Innes’ ambition is to lead a data science team that will tackle the biggest challenges in liver disease and viral hepatitis over the next 25 years.

This poster created by Dr Innes shows more on his career and research.