ALF Academic Debate Madness Features Medical Fellows and Physicians from Across the U.S.

Medical Fellows and Physicians from Across the U.S. Team Up for Annual Liver Disease Competition

Academic Debate Madness Week Begins March 28th

Fairfield, NJ — March 24, 2022 — The American Liver Foundation (ALF) will host its annual Academic Debate Madness, a week-long educational competition for medical professionals featuring 28 teams, 60 debaters, and 21 unique topics in liver disease, beginning on Monday, March 28, 2022.

One of ALF’s flagship programs, Academic Debates is an educational event which engages fellows and physicians from major academic institutions in a lively virtual setting. Specialists and fellows in primary care, internal medicine, gastroenterology, hepatology, transplant surgery and infectious disease participate, as do members of allied health fields.

“If you are a liver healthcare professional, this is your annual go to event,” said Emmanuel Thomas M.D., Ph.D., FAASLD, a National Medical Advisor for American Liver Foundation. “American Liver Foundation has championed this competitive program for the past 18 years providing those new to the liver field an opportunity to engage with peers and learn directly from specialists on key topics critical to liver disease management and care.” Dr. Thomas has served as a judge for previous ALF debates and is looking forward to a spirited event this year.

Academic Debate Week runs daily from March 28 to April 1. Each two-hour program will consist of multiple debates, six three-person teams, three judges and one moderator. In total, arguments and compelling evidence will be shared on 14 unique topics from nearly 200 medical professionals. View the full debate schedule.

“ALF’s Academic Debates are our most popular non-CME program for medical professionals and the friendly, yet fiercely competitive, environment is thrilling to watch,” said Lorraine Stiehl, Chief Executive Officer of American Liver Foundation (ALF). “The program is specifically designed to provide an opportunity for medical professionals in their fellowship program, residency, or who are early in their liver careers to showcase their presentation and research skills on topics which address current practices in liver diseases and transplantation.”

To watch the team competitions, register for free at alfevents.org/debatemadness. While the program is designed for medical professionals, liver patients and caregivers are welcome. Participating institutions include:

• California: California Pacific Medical Center, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Kaiser Permanente LA Medical Center, University of Southern California (USC), University of California San Francisco (Fresno)
• Colorado: Children’s Colorado, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
• Connecticut: Yale University
• Florida:  Cleveland Clinic Florida
• Georgia: Emory University
• Illinois: Advocate Lutheran General, Northwestern Medicine, Rush University, University of Illinois, Chicago
• Maryland: National Institutes of Health (NIH), University of Maryland Medical Center
• Massachusetts: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children’s Hospital
• Michigan: Ascension Providence Hospital
• New York: Memorial Sloan Kettering, Montefiore-Einstein
• Ohio: University of Cincinnati
• Pennsylvania: Einstein Healthcare Network
• Rhode Island: Brown University
• Texas: University of Texas Southwestern
• Wisconsin: Aurora Healthcare, University of Wisconsin (UW Health)

Find more information on participating teams.

View a highlight reel from Academic Debates 2021.

About the American Liver Foundation

The American Liver Foundation is the nation’s largest non-profit organization focused solely on promoting liver health and disease prevention. The American Liver Foundation achieves its mission in the fight against liver disease by funding scientific research, education for medical professionals, advocacy, information and support programs for patients and their families as well as public awareness campaigns about liver wellness and disease prevention. The mission of the American Liver Foundation is to promote education, advocacy, support services and research for the prevention, treatment and cure of liver disease. For more information visit www.liverfoundation.org or call:1 800 GO LIVER (800-465-4837).