K Scholar Graduate, Arun Jose, MD, assistant professor, UC Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, was awarded a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute K23 for his project entitled, "Biomarker Discovery in Portopulmonary Hypertension".

Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) patients suffer from a cardiovascular disease with very high morbidity and mortality that occurs exclusively in those with underlying liver disease. Although both the incidence and prevalence of chronic liver disease and PoPH have been increasing, the mechanisms by which liver dysfunction leads to PoPH, the optimal markers of disease, and the best treatments to improve outcomes in this high-risk population, are all poorly developed. This work, focusing on dysregulated vascular endothelial growth factor signaling and hepatocellular dysfunction, addresses this urgent and growing clinical need by identifying and developing new biomarkers that will enable more accurate diagnosis, improved risk stratification, and more precise treatment for patients with PoPH, ultimately leading to improved clinical outcomes in this high-risk population.