Apply now for the EASL Mentorships

The EASL Mentorship Programme was created to guide young scientists and clinicians through a crucial stage in their career path by encouraging scientific exchange and fostering personal developmental relationships with a more experienced and knowledgeable hepatologist or senior scientist.

About EASL Mentorships

This Mentorship Programme offers three young scientists or clinicians the opportunity to receive support from an international and independent experienced senior colleague. By matching mentees with a senior hepatologist or senior basic scientist as mentor, the Mentorship Programme aims at enhancing scientific exchange and personal developmental relationships. This is achieved by supporting and advising junior scientific researchers and junior clinicians in their career choices and scientific growth.

EASL offers two types of mentorship formats to accommodate different preferences and availabilities:

Classic (face-to-face) mentorship – mentor and mentee meet in person duringEASL Congress, with the possibility of organising a visit to the mentor’s institution during the year.
Virtual mentorship – mentor and mentee connect exclusively online, through regular (monthly) meetings and ongoing communication.

Benefits for Mentees

Personal development
Monthly virtual meetings between Mentor and Mentee
Complimentary registration to EASL Congress
EUR 800 bursary to support travel and accommodation to attend EASL Congress
Up to EUR 1,200 EUR financial support to visit Mentor’s institute or support other beneficial educational activity as agreed with Mentor.

Discover the Mentors for 2026

Matias A Avila

Matias A Avila

CIMA-University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain

Matias A Avila is Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Navarra, specialized in the investigation of mechanisms involved in liver regeneration, fibrogenesis and tumorigenesis.

Between 1989–1992, I completed my Ph.D. (Pharm. D) in the Institute for Biomedical Research (IIB, CSIC, Madrid). I was a postdoctoral fellow at the comprehensive cancer center of Georgetown University, Washington D.C., I investigated oncogenic pathways induced by chemical carcinogens and ionizing radiation. In 1995, I returned to the IIB (CSIC) before joining the University of Navarra as Assistant Professor in 1997. Between 1995–2004, my research focused on alterations of one-carbon metabolism in liver disease and hepatocarcinoma, pioneering studies on the regulation of enzymatic activities by free radicals and nitric oxide, as well as the epigenetic control of gene expression by extracellular signals. Since 2004, I have uncovered novel mechanisms regulating liver regeneration, fibrogenesis, and carcinogenesis mediated by growth factors, cytokines, and bile acids. Over the past decade, my work has centered on epigenetic drivers of liver cancer and the identification of therapeutic targets. More recently, I have advanced liquid biopsy approaches for hepatobiliary malignancies, advocating bile as a sensitive diagnostic matrix, and contributed to translational studies validating mRNA-based therapies for rare liver metabolic diseases.

My research, published in leading international journals and through collaborations worldwide, has been continuously funded for over 23 years by ISCIII, the Spanish Ministry of Science, and competitive international programs. I have mentored numerous early- and mid-career scientists well as 20 Ph.D. students.

We also collaborate with the industry through research agreements. Among them, the US companies Moderna Therapeutics and Epizyme, and the Barcelona-based biopharmaceutical company Kintsugi Therapeutics, in which I am a member of their Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). I am a member of the Scientific Committee of the University of Navarra Cancer Center (CCUN), accredited by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC). I was member of the governing boards of the European and the Spanish Associations for the Study of the Liver (EASL, 2011-14, AEEH, 2015-17). Currently, I am in the SABs of: i) Institut Cochin, Paris, France; ii) Centre de Recherche sur l’Inflammation of the University Paris Cité and Inserm (CRI), Paris, France; iii) HUNTER consortium funded by CRUK, AIRC, and AECC, UK, Italy, Spain; and iv) DELIVER Program for academic and clinical health research, Inserm and ANR, France. I am Associate Editor (AE) of the Gut journal (2011-19, and 2023-today). Editorial Boards: From 2019 to 2023 I was AE of the Journal of Hepatology (EASL). I am, or have been, member of the Editorial Boards of major journals in the field: Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Journal of Hepatology and Liver International. Grant evaluation: I regularly evaluate INSERM research units (France), and research grants for: AIRC (Italy), ANR, AIRC and AFEF (France), CRUK (UK), Israel Science Foundation, PHRT (Switzerland) and the ERC. I am Expert evaluator of The National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), Poland. I regularly participate in the evaluation panels for the Ministry of Science and Innovation (Spain).

Mentorship format:

Virtual

Hepatology area of interest:

Liver Tumours
Basic Science
Metabolism, Alcohol and Toxicity

Reasons why you should select Matias A Avila as your mentor:

Scientific guidance
Networking opportunities
Specific technical or research expertise

Francesco Negro

Francesco Negro

Emeritus Professor, University of Geneva, Switzerland

Emeritus Professor, formerly at the Departments of Medicine and of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

His clinical and research interests focus on viral hepatitis B, C, and D. He has authored or co-authored approximately 370 peer-reviewed publications addressing the pathophysiology of viral hepatitis in humans and experimental animal models, liver tissue diagnostics, and the factors influencing the clinical progression of liver disease.

He has participated in several clinical trials on the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis C and has contributed to public health research on access to care. He served as a member of the hepatitis C and D guideline development panels for both EASL and the WHO.

In medical education, he has promoted the flipped classroom model for teaching medical students and residents, both within EASL and at the University of Geneva. He continues to lead a Journal Club at the Faculty of Medicine, focusing on the role of cognitive biases in medical decision-making.

At EASL, Professor Negro contributed for several years, including launching the iLiver application in 2012, and later serving as Educational Councillor and Treasurer.

Mentorship format:

Classic and/or Virtual

Hepatology area of interest:

Viral Hepatitis
Public Health

Top reasons to choose Francesco Negro as your mentor:

Mentorship on all aspects of viral hepatitis research, from basic science to public health
Career counselling and guidance for young researchers and clinicians
Promotion of critical thinking, with emphasis on cognitive biases and the culture of error in medical decision-making
Insight into how to navigate the interface between clinical hepatology and health policy, including effective engagement with policymakers

Jörn M. Schattenberg

Jörn M. Schattenberg
Professor of Medicine
Director, Metabolic Liver Research Program
University Medical Center
Mainz, Germany

Jörn M. Schattenberg is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Department of Medicine II at the University Medical Center Homburg and University of the Saarland in Germany. He received his medical degree in 2002 after studying at the University of Mainz (Germany) and at the Tulane University in New Orleans (US). He completed his post-doctoral training at the Albert-Einstein College of Medicine, New York, where he focused on delineating signalling pathways involved in the pathophysiology of acute and chronic liver injury with a special focus on metabolic liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Infectious Disease. He leads the translational Liver Research Program at the University of the Saarland. His research focuses on translational sciences and clinical trials in Hepatology. He is involved in multinational, EU-funded research consortia exploring new technologies and approaches for the prevention and screening of metabolic liver disease and the development of novel biomarkers.

Professor Schattenberg is member of the Policy, Public Health and Advocacy Committee of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), a member of the Editorial Board of Hepatology and the Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics and an Associate Editor of JHEP Reports.

Reasons why you should choose Jörn M. Schattenberg as your mentor:

Clinical Hepatology and translation research focusing on mechanisms of liver injury
Referral pathways in MASLD and other chronic liver disease
In- and out-patient care with metabolic disease
Interventional Hepatology including endoscopy
Mentoring on scientific publications

Luca Valenti

Luca Valenti

University of Milan, Italy

Luca Valenti graduated in Medicine in 2000, and Specialized in Internal Medicine in 2005 at the University of Milan. He was then fellow at the Diabetes Research Center at Columbia University, NY and the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Milan, where is now Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation.

He manages a hepatology and internal medicine outpatient service and is head of the Biological Resource Center Unit, and of the clinical and translational research at the Precision Medicine Unit at the Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Policlinico Hospital in Milan.

His main research interests are metabolic and genetic liver diseases, application of precision medicine approaches in the field of hepatology with a special focus on metabolic steatotic liver disease and metabolic disorders. He was a member of the EASL Scientific committee and Governing Board and is Editor-in-chief of Liver International.

He authored 473 peer-reviewed papers; total impact factor = 5,276; 222 papers as main author (IF=2,534; average IF=11.4). Scholar: H-index 107, SCOPUS H-index: 90. FWCI: 5.12.

Mentorship format:

Classic and/or Virtual

Hepatology area of interest:

Basic Science
Metabolism, Alcohol and Toxicity

Reasons why you should choose Luca Valenti as your mentor:

Scientific guidance in the field of translational hepatology,
Special focus and reasearch expertise on genetics and metabolic liver disesases
Specific expertise in genetics, precision medicine, metabolic disorders, modelling on liver disease in human liver organoids

Application Process

To apply, you will need to provide the following:

A complete CV: Demonstrate your strong interest in hepatology and/or liver research.
An abstract: Accepted at a scientific congress/medical congress/conference.
Or a publication: Published.
A cover letter: Detail your interest in the Mentorship Programme, explaining which mentor you would like to choose and why, and stating the objective(s) which you, the mentee, would like to achieve.
A letter of recommendation: From a former or current supervisor or Head of Institute/Head of Department.

All applications will be reviewed by the Educational Committee and are to be submitted in English.

EASL will process the applicant’s personal data as provided in the application dossier. The applicant gives his/her consent to such control and processing of his/her personal data. EASL will handle the applicant’s personal data in accordance with all applicable legislation for the purpose of reviewing the candidate’s suitability for the Mentorship.

Applications for the EASL Mentorships Programme 2026 will be open from 21 October to 30 November 2025.

Conditions for Mentees

Mentorships are to begin, latest, January of the year following application and should last for one year. Extended programmes cannot be requested or accepted.

Must be a registered EASL member.
Should be under the age of 35 at the time of application and/or still in training. The age limit does not apply to Nurses or AHPs.
Must not hold a permanent position.
Home institution must be European and located in a different European country from the mentor’s institution.
No restriction on the applicant’s nationality.
The Mentors and Mentees are invited to attend the EASL Congress.

Questions regarding EASL Mentorship should be sent to easlmentorship@easloffice.eu