Collaboration Over Ego: How Dr. Cynthia Levy’s Global Leadership Earned a Prestigious Hepatology Honor
Recognized by the European Association for the Study of the Liver, Dr. Cynthia Levy’s collaborative approach is advancing research, improving care for rare liver diseases and shaping the next generation of hepatology leaders.
When Cynthia Levy, M.D., professor of clinical medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, learned that she would receive the 2026 EASL Community Award from the European Association for the Study of the Liver, she was sure it was a mistake.
The associate director of the Schiff Center for Liver Diseases at UHealth — University of Miami Health System and Arthur H. Hertz Endowed Chair in Liver Diseases at the Miller School was juggling patient charts, research projects and administrative tasks when she learned she had been selected to receive the prestigious international honor recognizing exceptional contributions to the hepatology community.
“I could not believe it. It made me feel recognized for all the super hard work that we do,” said Dr. Levy.
Only when Dr. Levy learned that her fellow and mentee, Adrielly Martins, M.D., had nominated her did she realize it was real. Dr. Martins wasn’t surprised in the least.
“It’s so logical for me because how could these people not choose her?” Dr. Martins said.
Innovations in Global Liver Disease Research
The EASL Community Award recognizes excellence in mentorship, education, innovation, advocacy and service to the global liver disease community. For Dr. Levy, it underscores her commitment to bringing people together around a shared mission to improve patients’ lives.
“It didn’t only honor my scientific accomplishments or contributions. It recognized this ability to build bridges between international societies, experts, patient groups, foundations and advisory boards,” she said.
Collaboration has defined Dr. Levy’s career from the start. As a physician-researcher specializing in rare autoimmune and cholestatic liver diseases, she has spent decades building partnerships across institutions, disciplines and countries to answer questions that no single researcher or medical center can solve alone.
Solving Rare Diseases Requires Teamwork
Dr. Levy’s passion and research focus on rare liver conditions such as primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and autoimmune hepatitis. The diseases affect relatively small patient populations with a high symptom burden.
The conditions are so rare, meaningful scientific progress requires global collaboration.
“When you work with rare diseases, there’s not one single person or institution that can generate enough patient data to answer meaningful questions that move the field forward,” said Dr. Levy.
Over the years, Dr. Levy has helped lead international study groups, guideline development efforts and partnerships with patient advocacy organizations. Those experiences reinforced a lesson she now shares with trainees and colleagues alike.
“There’s no other way. It’s collaboration over ego, mentorship over competition and putting the patient in the center of our decisions. That’s what drives me,” she said.
The Research Behind the Recognition
Among the initiatives Dr. Levy is most proud of is leading an international consensus effort focused on clinical trial endpoints for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), a rare autoimmune liver disease. The goal is to streamline the drug approval process for this disease.
The project brought together global experts, as well as patient representatives, regulators and industry leaders. The resulting recommendations aim to improve the evaluation of therapies and the incorporation of real-world evidence into drug development.
The undertaking required coordinating dozens of experts across multiple working groups, a challenge Dr. Levy initially questioned whether she should accept.
“Sometimes opportunities arrive disguised as challenges,” she said.
Ultimately, the project became a powerful example of the collaborative leadership that has defined her career and helped shape the future of liver disease research.
“These things that began as very challenging projects become something really meaningful,” she said.
Most of the research in Dr. Levy’s lab focuses on developing better ways to measure disease progression in PBC and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), assessing treatment response and developing new drugs in this field.
Improving access to treatment drives Dr. Levy to refine guidelines. The standard of care for PBC and PSC is well established, yet many patients never receive it.
“For example, research around the world has shown that 20-30% of patients with PBC are not receiving the therapy they should be on. People don’t even know how to diagnose the disease,” said Dr. Levy.
Juggling patients and research makes Dr. Levy better at both roles. As a renowned expert in her field, she sees patients from across the country.
“It makes me feel more empowered to give back. If they’re coming to me, I need to know the answer, so we go back to research and more trials,” Dr. Levy said.
Mentorship as a Legacy
Dr. Levy attributes much of her success to her fellowship mentor at Mayo Clinic, Keith Lindor, M.D.
“I learned very early from my mentor that collaboration is exceedingly important in this field,” she said.
Today, she sees mentorship as one of her most important responsibilities and is known for always having her door open. For Dr. Martins, working with Dr. Levy has offered her major research opportunities that have led to meaningful publications. One of her first research projects, a network meta-analysis, appeared in Hepatology, a prestigious journal in the field, and is being used as a reference for the upcoming guidelines for primary biliary cholangitis.
“It’s a common feeling from all the people who work with her that she gives us responsibility and trusts us. She’s very present and generous with sharing her knowledge and time,” said Dr. Martins.
Dr. Martins is the first fellow in a clinical research fellowship Dr. Levy designed for the Schiff Center to provide young investigators with hands-on experience in liver disease research. At the EASL Congress, Dr. Martins was also a recipient of a top investigator poster award.
For Dr. Levy, training the next generation may be the most meaningful accomplishment of all.
“I have always wanted to give back,” she said.
Building Global Impact from Miami
Dr. Levy said the Miller School provides an ideal environment for the kind of international collaboration that drives her work.
Miami’s diverse population, global connections and institutional commitment to teamwork have helped support partnerships that extend far beyond South Florida.
She credits leadership at the Schiff Center, Miller School and UHealth with encouraging engagement across disciplines and across borders.
“The leadership here understands that complex diseases require partnerships and teamwork, and they provided all the support I need to work nationally and internationally,” said Dr. Levy.
As she looks ahead, Dr. Levy remains focused on developing better ways to measure disease progression, improve access to therapies and ensure patients’ voices are reflected in research and clinical care.
While the EASL Community Award recognizes those achievements, the honor also reinforces the collaboration that’s at the heart of Dr. Levy’s career.
“When you put the patient in the center and launch collaborative efforts, the result is beautiful,” she said.
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Tags: Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Dr. Cynthia Levy, European Association for the Study of the Liver, hepatitis, liver disease, Miller School of Medicine, rare diseases, Schiff Center for Liver Diseases