Our Team

Principal Investigator Dr. Lai is a practicing general/transplant hepatologist and board-certified Physician Nutrition Specialist who specializes in caring for patients across the entire spectrum of liver disease, from diagnosis to liver transplant—and beyond.

Assistant Clinical Professor Lisa Catalli is a dedicated Nurse Practitioner specializing in liver health and has been a valued member of UCSF’s liver transplant team for over 15 years. She is also an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCSF School of Nursing and working toward her PhD in nursing.

Assistant Professor, Medicine My academic mission is to improve quality of life and outcomes among patients living with liver disease. As a health services researcher, my interest lies at the intersection of pain management and hepatology.

Clinical Fellow My research interests focus on understanding muscle health among patients with early stages of fibrosis in metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) through an integrative hepatology lens.

Outpatient Dietitian: Kathy Pariani is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Education Care and Specialist. Kathy provides nutrition assessments, education and counseling to patients with chronic diseases, specifically those with liver disease, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular risk factors.

Academic Program Manager I’m a clinical research professional passionate about improving patients’ quality of life across a range of diseases.

Research Associate Jessica Elia is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Jessica is passionate about using clinical research to help adults living with inflammatory chronic illnesses.

Senior Clinical Research Coordinator I am a physician and clinical research professional dedicated to improving the lives of patients with advanced liver disease.

Clinical Research Coordinator Fawzy is the lead clinical research coordinator on Dr. Lai's team and is a certified phlebotomist.

Clinical Research Coordinator Jackie is a clinical research coordinator (CRC) and certified phlebotomist at the University of California, San Francisco, and has been part of the Gastroenterology Department since 2022.