Dr. Anna Diehl

Biography

Anna Mae Diehl is the Florence McAlister Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the Duke Cancer Institute. Her long-standing research interest focuses on liver injury and repair mechanisms, particularly how these processes are regulated and studied through cultured cells and animal models of acute and chronic liver damage. Her group is actively involved in clinical trials for patients with chronic liver diseases and has a specific interest in fatty liver diseases, including alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Diehl's research has significantly advanced the understanding of key areas, such as the regulation of liver injury and regeneration by the immune system and the role of fetal morphogens, including the hedgehog pathway, in regulating fibrotic responses to liver damage. She has received continuous NIH support for her basic research programs since 1989 and is an active participant in the NIDDK-funded Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network (NASH CRN), a national consortium involving eight university medical centers dedicated to generating a national registry of NAFLD patients and conducting multicenter treatment trials for the disorder. Diehl welcomes students, post-doctoral fellows, and visiting scientists with interests in her research area to reach out for training opportunities and potential collaborations.

Research Interests