Lisa VanWagner, M.D. - Faculty Profile

Biography

Lisa B. VanWagner, M.D., M.Sc., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a member of the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases. She serves as the Division's Director of Clinical Research and focuses her clinical practice on metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)/metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a condition associated with high cardiovascular risk, and patients with liver disease due to congenital heart disease, heart failure and those undergoing heart-liver transplantation.

Dr. VanWagner holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She received her medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, Virginia and completed residency training at Northwestern University's McGaw Medical Center in Chicago, where she served as Chief Resident and obtained a master's degree in clinical investigation from the Northwestern University Graduate School. She then remained at Northwestern to receive advanced training through a fellowship program in gastroenterology and hepatology, followed by an advanced fellowship program in transplant hepatology. She then served as Assistant Professor of Medicine and co-director of the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Dr. VanWagner joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2022.

Her clinical research laboratory utilizes human population-based approaches, large electronic health record data analysis, and health services research methods to define and characterize cardiometabolic disease risk prediction, prevention, and treatment approaches in patients with chronic liver disease. Her scientific work has been recognized by leading professional organizations, with awards from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), American Society of Transplantation (AST), and American Heart Association (AHA). She has published more than 160 peer-reviewed manuscripts and has received NIH, foundation, and industry funding to support her scientific work.

She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, American Gastrointestinal Association, American Society for Transplantation, American Heart Association, European Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, and the International Liver Transplantation Society.

Personal Note

During her free time, Dr. VanWagner enjoys cooking, traveling (especially to Italy), and spending time with her husband and two young boys.

Education

Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine (2007)
Residency: McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University (2010), Internal Medicine
Graduate School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2011)
Other Post Graduate Training: Northwestern University Graduate School (2011)
Fellowship: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2014), Gastroenterology
Fellowship: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2015), Transplant Hepatology

Research Interest

Cardiovascular Risk Optimization in Liver Transplant Candidates and Recipients
Defining the Role of TIPS in Portal Hypertension
Identification and Management of Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy
Mechanisms Linking MASLD and Cardiovascular Disease

Publications

Featured Publications

Radiological and Surgical Treatments of Portal Hypertension.: Hunt C, Patel M, Bayona Molano MDP, Patel MS, VanWagner LB, Clin Liver Dis 2024 Aug 28 3 437-453
Management of the high cardiac risk liver transplant candidate: multidisciplinary best practices and recommendations.: Pagano G, Koshy AN, Chadha R, VanWagner LB, Crespo G, Liver Transpl 2024 May
Non-alcoholic fatty liver modifies associations of body mass index and waist circumference with cardiometabolic risk: The CARDIA study.: Mathew M, Pope ZC, Schreiner PJ, Jacobs DR, VanWagner LB, Terry JG, Pereira MA, Obes Sci Pract 2024 Apr 10 2 e751
Acute kidney injury in patients with Cirrhosis: Acute disease quality Initiative (ADQI) and international Club of ascites (ICA) joint multidisciplinary consensus meeting.: Nadim MK, Kellum JA, Forni L, Francoz C, Asrani SK, Ostermann M, Allegretti AS, Neyra JA, Olson JC, Piano S, VanWagner LB, Verna EC, Akcan-Arikan A, Angeli P, Belcher JM, Biggins SW, Deep A, Garcia-Tsao G, Genyk YS, Gines P, Kamath PS, Kane-Gill SL, Kaushik M, Lumlertgul N, Macedo E, Maiwall R, Marciano S, Pichler RH, Ronco C, Tandon P, Velez JQ, Mehta RL, Durand F, J Hepatol 2024 Mar
Summary of a Consensus Conference on Heart-Liver Transplantation.: Kobashigawa J, VanWagner LB, Hall S, Emamaullee J, Entwistle JW, Ganger D, Gebel H, Jeevanandam V, Kaldas F, Kilic A, Kittleson M, Kushwaha S, Kwong A, Lui GK, Motayagheni N, Patel J, Patel N, Pereira N, Potter L, Sani M, Schiano TD, Shingina A, Am J Transplant 2023 Dec
Aerobic and Muscle-Strengthening Physical Activity, Television Viewing, and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: The CARDIA Study.: McDonough DJ, Mathew M, Pope ZC, Schreiner PJ, Jacobs DR, VanWagner LB, Carr JJ, Terry JG, Gabriel KP, Reis JP, Pereira MA, J Clin Med 2023 Aug 12 17
Prognostic value of Coronary artery calcium score for the prediction of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in participants with suspected nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis: Results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.: Ichikawa K, Hansen S, Manubolu VS, Pourafkari L, Fazlalizadeh H, Aldana-Bitar J, VanWagner LB, Krishnan S, Budoff MJ, Am Heart J 2023 Jul
Evolution of pretransplant cardiac risk factor burden and major adverse cardiovascular events in liver transplant recipients over time.: Harrington CR, Levy P, Cabrera E, Gao J, Gregory DL, Padilla C, Crespo G, VanWagner LB, Liver Transpl 2023 Jun 29 6 581-590
The impact of right atrial pressure on outcomes in patients undergoing TIPS, an ALTA group study.: Bommena S, Mahmud N, Boike JR, Thornburg BG, Kolli KP, Lai JC, German M, Morelli G, Spengler E, Said A, Desai AP, Junna S, Paul S, Frenette C, Verna EC, Goel A, Gregory D, Padilla C, VanWagner LB, Fallon MB, Hepatology 2023 Jun 77 6 2041-2051
The association between hepatic steatosis and incident cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality in a US multicohort study.: Ahmed HS, Wang N, Carr JJ, Ding J, Terry JG, VanWagner LB, Hou L, Huo Y, Palmisano J, Zheng Y, Benjamin EJ, Long MT, Hepatology 2023 Jun 77 6 2063-2072

Honors & Awards

Midcareer Transition Grant Award
American Society for Transplantation (2022)
Outstanding Article Award in Clinical Transplantation
American Journal of Transplantation (2021)
Young Physician-Scientist Award
American Society for Clinical Investigation (2021)
Faculty Fellowship Teaching Award
Department of Medicine, Division of GI/Hepatology Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2020)
Clinical Science Career Development Award
American Society for Transplantation (2018)
Faculty Resident Teaching Award
Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2018)
Fellow
American Society for Transplantation (2018)
Fellow
American Heart Association (2018)
Faculty Fellowship Teaching Award
Department of Medicine, Division of GI/Hepatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2017-2018)
Faculty Teaching Award
Northwestern University (2017)
Feinberg Academy of Medical Educators
Northwestern University (2017)
Finalist
American Heart Association Sandra Daugherty Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology (2017)
Medical Student Small Group Teaching Award
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (NUFSM) (2016)
Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Fellowship Award
American Society for the Study of Liver Diseases (2014)
Epidemiology & Prevention Early Career Travel Grant
American Heart Association (AHA) (2014)
Jameson Clinical Research Prize
Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2014)
Young Investigator Full Bursary Award
European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) (2014)
Distinguished Achievement Fellow Research Award
American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) (2013)
Scott Grundy Award for Excellence in Metabolism Research
American Heart Association (AHA) (2012)
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
University of Virginia School of Medicine (2006)
Gold Humanism Honor Society
University of Virginia School of Medicine (2006)
Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Society
University of Virginia School of Medicine (2006)
Phi Beta Kappa
Northwestern University Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (2003)

Professional Associations/Affiliations

American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
American Gastrointestinal Association
American Heart Association
American Society for Transplantation
European Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
International Liver Transplantation Society