Kevin E. Behrns MD

Dr. Kevin Behrns, a gastrointestinal surgical scientist with a focus on hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases, investigates the role of chronic inflammation and resistance to apoptosis in the liver and pancreas. In the liver, chronic disease results in cirrhosis with loss hepatocyte function and fibrosis. Frequently, patients with cirrhosis develop hepatocellular carcinoma suggesting altered growth control mechanisms such as apoptosis or programmed cell death. We hypothesized and discovered that chronic liver injury inhibits hepatocyte apoptosis through a reactive oxygen species-dependent mechanism.