When Jaideep Behari, MD, PhD, arrived at the University of Pittsburgh more than two decades ago as a GI fellow, he wasn’t planning to spend his entire career here. But three things convinced him to stay: a clinical faculty and division consistently ranked among the best in the country, a research environment he describes as unusually collegial, and a city that turned out to be an ideal place to raise a family. That kind of staying power is rare in academic medicine, but Behari’s path to Pittsburgh — and to hepatology itself — wasn’t a straight line. Now, after serving as interim chief for the past year, we reached out to Dr. Behari upon his appointment as Division Chief of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition to learn more about his journey to Pitt and his vision for the future.
Your path has included training and research in several areas, from genetics and basic science to clinical medicine and hepatology. How did that journey ultimately lead you to transplant hepatology and liver disease research?
My basic science research training was in bacterial genetics, and I had limited exposure to transplant hepatology in residency. However, by chance, I spent three consecutive months on the hepatology consult service in my first yar of fellowship. That year, we performed 275 liver transplants and experienced the infamous Chi-Chi hepatitis A outbreak in Beaver County. These early fellowship experiences were transformative, and I shifted my clinical and research focus to hepatology. Since then, it has been a fun journey, and I like to say that, while some days can be quite busy, I never have a boring day in my life!
You have held a number of leadership roles within the Division over the years. How have those experiences prepared you for the role of division chief?
On the clinical side, my role as the Director of the UPMC Liver Steatosis and Metabolic Wellness program has been invaluable to help me understand the complexities of clinical operations, clinical research, and sponsored clinical trials on the UPMC side. As the Co-Director of the Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, I have become familiar with basic and translational research resources, pathways, and partnerships that exist at the University of Pittsburgh. I hope to leverage this experience to deepen collaborations between the GI Division and the incredible scientific and clinical talent that exists throughout Pitt/UPMC.
As interim chief, you had the opportunity to lead the Division through an important period of transition. What did that experience reinforce for you about the strengths of the Division and the direction you believe it can take moving forward?
The interim chief year reinforced for me how outstanding our faculty in the GI Division is. The ethos that defines our division is world-class clinical care, cutting-edge research, and a highly supportive environment where we all watch out for one other. Yet, we live in a rapidly changing world with evolving institutional priorities, extramural funding headwinds, and an urgent need for strategic recruitment for several high-priority areas within GI. One of my highest priorities is to develop a multiyear strategic plan for the division that our faculty and institutional leadership can get excited about, without disrupting the culture that makes the GI Division such a special place to work.
The Division has a strong reputation across clinical care, research, and education. As you begin this next chapter as chief, what do you hope to accomplish that will have the greatest impact on patients, trainees, faculty, and the broader community?
Our goal as a division is to be considered among the very best academic GI programs in the country. The way to achieve that is to pursue clinical and operational excellence, recruit and retain the best physician scientists and GI researchers, and train the next generation of leaders in gastroenterology and hepatology. I believe that the only way we can achieve that is to maintain a laser-sharp focus on innovation and adoption of data-driven best practices across our tripartite mission of clinical care, research and education.
Where do you see the greatest opportunities for growth or innovation within digestive diseases over the next several years?
On the clinical side, deployment of telehealth-based complex care pathways for disorders such as IBD, cirrhosis, and alcohol-associated hepatitis, AI-based data analytics to improve operational efficiencies in endoscopy units and subspeciality clinics, and expanding our clinical trial infrastructure are significant growth opportunities. On the translational research side, I see a major opportunity to develop a GI Division-wide biospecimen repository linked to real-world outcomes data, which we are on the verge of launching, and to build strategic partnerships with industry to diversify our funding sources. Towards this goal, we have launched an initiative called the GI Research and Innovation Partnerships in collaboration with the Pitt Office of Industry and Economic Partnerships.
How would you describe your leadership style, and what do you hope faculty, staff, and trainees will experience under your leadership?
My guiding principles are to recruit talented people and give them creative independence to do their best work, maintain the highest standards of patient-centered clinical excellence, and foster consensus around data-driven decisions.
Your research has focused extensively on MASLD and MASH, areas that are becoming increasingly important public health concerns. What makes this such a critical moment for advancing research and care in metabolic liver disease?
Despite being the most common liver disorder in the US, MASLD/MASH is arguably one with the least amount of awareness among the general population and even clinicians. We have now entered an exciting era with two FDA-approved therapies for MASH and with more on the way. Given the morbidity and mortality that can result from untreated advanced MASLD/MASH, it is critical that we implement screening and early detection pathways, ensure appropriate therapy and lifestyle counseling for patients, and given the interindividual variability in response to therapy, develop precision-guided treatment strategies. Furthermore, because MASLD is an important component of the metabolic syndrome, it is critical to integrate treatment plans across medical subspecialties and to develop value-based care models that provide our patients with the best possible care.
Your work also brings together clinical research, precision medicine, digital technologies, and population health. How do you see these different approaches changing the way we understand and treat liver disease?
These various approaches are trying to address liver disorders at different scales, including the population health level, the level of most patients seen in our clinics, and the level of individual patients with complex issues that may not fit into standard therapeutic algorithms. Thus, a comprehensive yet integrated approach is needed to make liver care truly patient-centered and able to be delivered at scale in a large health system like ours.
What developments in gastroenterology or hepatology are you most excited about right now?
First, advances in therapeutic endoscopy have been truly breathtaking and are likely to accelerate. Second, AI-driven advances in drug discovery are going to bring a slew of precision therapies for conditions such as IBD and liver disorders. Third, omics-based early detection of GI cancers is likely to change screening strategies. Fourth, gut microbiome-targeted therapies hold great promise for several GI and systemic disorders. Thus, we are moving towards an exciting future of earlier detection, more individualized treatments, and less invasive procedures that will transform GI care.
After nearly 20 years at Pitt, what continues to excite or inspire you about being part of this community?
I have always been inspired by Margaret Mead’s quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” I think the scientific community at Pitt perfectly embodies that sentiment. It has been exciting and gratifying to work alongside brilliant and passionate physicians, surgeons, and scientists focused on developing novel solutions to complex, unsolved clinical problems.
What are you most looking forward to as you begin this next chapter as permanent division chief?
We have several ongoing initiatives in the GI Division, including reenergizing and reimagining our Centers of Excellence for maximum clinical impact, developing innovative patient-centered multidisciplinary clinics and care pathways, strengthening our clinical and translational research partnerships, and strategic faculty recruitment in key growth areas. I am fortunate to have an outstanding academic and administrative leadership team to work alongside, and it should be an exciting few years for our division!