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Studies & Degrees in Hepatology and Gene Therapy

Hepatology is the branch of medicine that deals with the liver, the gallbladder and the bile ducts. Liver diseases are many: according to the US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, some, like hepatitis, are caused by viruses, others result from drugs or alcohol, and long-lasting injury or scar tissue in the liver can cause cirrhosis. Hepatologists also treat fatty liver disease, liver cancer and patients before and after a liver transplant.

Gene therapy is a different kind of subject: a treatment approach, not an organ specialty. MedlinePlus, the information service of the US National Library of Medicine, defines it as a medical approach that treats or prevents disease by correcting the underlying genetic problem, for example by introducing a working copy of a gene into cells; genome editing techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 are a newer route. The two fields are grouped here because the liver is one of the organs most studied as a target for gene therapy, and some research centres work on both together.

Qualifications and levels

Neither field is an undergraduate degree. There are two routes, one clinical and one in research.

  • Clinical route: medicine first. A hepatologist is a physician. In Spain the Grado en Medicina has 360 ECTS credits and lasts 6 years, as at the Universidad de Navarra, where it is taught in Spanish and English. Graduates then train in the specialty of Aparato Digestivo, which lasts 4 years and includes clinical gastroenterology, clinical hepatology and endoscopy. The official programme notes that in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States hepatology is considered a medical subspecialty within that specialty.
  • United States. After medical school and a residency, physicians enter a fellowship. At Saint Louis University School of Medicine, the gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship lasts three years, and a separate one-year transplant hepatology fellowship is designed for trainees who have already completed their gastroenterology training. Both are ACGME-accredited.
  • Research route: science first. Gene therapy is usually reached through a bachelor's degree in biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, biomedicine or pharmacy, followed by a master's degree and a PhD. Official Spanish master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Máster Universitario en Investigación Biomédica of the Universidad de Navarra, for example, has 60 credits, lasts 10 months, is taught in Spanish and English and offers a specialisation in Regenerative Medicine and Advanced Therapies.

Where to study it

Our directory lists five schools under this subject, one each in Spain, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the United States and Russia. They are universities with medical faculties: the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Saint Louis University in St. Louis, the University of London, Bukovinian State Medical University in Chernivtsi and Rostov State Medical University in Rostov-on-Don.

At the Universidad de Navarra, the research centre Cima works on liver disease together with physicians of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra. It states that its liver research centres on liver tumours, steatosis and acute intermittent porphyria, and that one of its aims is to design new advanced genetic and cellular therapies. Saint Louis University has a Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology with its own liver centre.

Clinical training is tied to the country where you want to practise: specialist titles, entrance exams for residency and the language used with patients are all national. Ask the university or the health authority how a foreign medical degree is recognised before you plan a specialty abroad. Research training is more international, and English is the working language of most laboratories.

Careers

Clinical hepatologists work in hospital digestive or liver units, transplant programmes and outpatient clinics, often combining patient care with clinical research. The need is large: Cima cites World Health Organization data according to which about 29 million people in the European Union have a chronic liver disease. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, physicians need 3 to 9 years in internship and residency programmes depending on their specialty, plus a fellowship of 1 to 3 years for a subspecialty; it projects employment of physicians and surgeons to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035.

Gene therapy specialists work in university and hospital laboratories, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and regulatory agencies. The same source states that medical scientists typically have a PhD and projects their employment to grow 13 percent from 2025 to 2035. Those who treat patients in clinical trials must be licensed physicians. MedlinePlus notes that many gene therapies are still undergoing research to make sure they are safe and effective, so much of the work is in research and clinical trials.

Frequently asked questions

Can I study hepatology as a bachelor's degree?

No. Hepatology is a medical specialisation. You first complete a degree in medicine and then specialist training; in Spain this is the 4-year specialty of Aparato Digestivo, which includes clinical hepatology.

Do I need to be a doctor to work in gene therapy?

Not for laboratory research: most researchers come from biology, biochemistry, biotechnology or pharmacy and hold a PhD. Treating patients in clinical trials does require a medical licence.

How long does it take to become a hepatologist in the United States?

After a bachelor's degree, medical school and a residency, the gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship at Saint Louis University, for example, lasts three years; transplant hepatology takes one more year, or is included in a three-year dual pathway.

Why are hepatology and gene therapy grouped together?

Because some research centres study both: the liver is a common target for gene therapy, and centres such as Cima Universidad de Navarra research liver disease and design advanced genetic therapies.