The biannual meeting of the Global NASH/MASH Council (GNC) and the Global Liver Council (GLC), held in conjunction with EASL 2026 in Barcelona, Spain, convened over 60 leading hepatology experts from across the globe. The meeting was opened by Professor Zobair Younossi, Chair of the GNC/GLC, and was followed by a scientific program featuring distinguished lectures by Professors Emmanuel A. Tsochatzis, Laurent Castera, Naim Alkhouri, Manal Abdelmalek, and Shira Zelber-Sagi. Their presentations highlighted the latest evidence on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), with particular emphasis on risk stratification algorithm implementation and therapeutic strategies, encompassing both pharmacological interventions and lifestyle modifications, for patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
The second half of the meeting was devoted to a comprehensive review of GNC/GLC activities, presented by Professors George Papatheodoridis, Shira Zelber-Sagi, and Zobair Younossi, and included an in-depth presentation on the ultra-processed food project by Dr. Dana Ivancovsky Wajcman. Nearly 50 active global projects spanning steatotic liver disease (SLD), viral hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and liver transplantation were reviewed. Throughout the proceedings, lively discussions and constructive debates addressed the most pressing challenges in MASLD and SLD, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange among international leaders in the field.
As committed members of the GNC/GLC, we remain dedicated to advancing hepatology research, promoting patient-centered models of care, and supporting policy initiatives that strengthen global awareness of liver disease, particularly MASLD as a major non-communicable disease of growing public health significance. We look forward to continued productive collaboration in our shared mission to improve liver health outcomes worldwide.
