Ronald J. Sokol MD, FAASLD

Dr. Ronald J. Sokol is Professor of Pediatrics and Vice Chair of Clinical and Translational Research in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (SOM) and Children's Hospital Colorado. He is the Director and Principal Investigator of the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute at University of Colorado Denver and the Section Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition in the SOM and the Digestive Health Institute at Children's Hospital Colorado. He holds the Arnold Silverman MD Endowed Chair in Digestive Health.

Dr. Sokol received his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and completed pediatric residency training and Chief Residency at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He completed fellowship training in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati. He has been a faculty member at University of Colorado since 1983. As a physician scientist, he is involved in patient care, basic, clinical and translational research and education of fellows, residents, and students.

Dr. Sokol's research focuses on chronic cholestatic, genetic/metabolic, and mitochondrial liver diseases of infancy and childhood, and mechanisms of hepatocyte injury and cell death. He has received uninterrupted NIH funding since 1987 and is currently supported by U01, T32, UL1, KL2, and TL1 grants. His recent laboratory research investigates the role of plant sterols and Toll-Like Receptor and FXR/LXR signaling in the pathogenesis of parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis, the immune pathogenesis of biliary atresia, and the role of the gut microbiome in cholestasis. Dr. Sokol was also among the first to demonstrate the important role of vitamin E metabolism in cholestatic liver disease and the clinical effects of human vitamin E deficiency.

Dr. Sokol is the Chair of the Steering Committee of the NIDDK-funded Childhood Liver Disease Research and Education Network (ChiLDREN), in its 12th year of funding, which investigates the genetics, causes, course, and outcome of eight rare childhood cholestatic liver diseases and conducts clinical trials. He has been instrumental in the creation of collaborative clinical and translational research networks in a variety of childhood liver diseases and is a strong advocate for the involvement of patient support groups in research development. He has authored over 350 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, review articles, and books, and is co-Editor with Drs. Suchy and Balistreri of the leading pediatric liver disease text, Liver Disease in Children.

Dr. Sokol has served the AASLD in a number of capacities including being a member of the Scientific Program, Basic Research, Clinical Research, Education, Nominating, Federal Agencies Liaison, Program Evaluation, and Membership committees; abstract review panels; chairing annual meeting sessions; sitting on the Editorial Boards of HEPATOLOGY and Liver Transplantation; and as an invited speaker. He has been a member of AASLD since 1983. He served as a member of the Liver Action Plan and the National Commission for Digestive Diseases of the NIDDK. He served as President of the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. He has received numerous awards, including the Harry Shwachman Award from NASPGHAN.