East Asia Liver Alliance

RISING STAR BOOTCAMP

East Asia Liver AllianceRISING STAR BOOTCAMP SECTION

MASLD

2026 EALA Investigator Group

Mentor (AASLD) USA W. Ray Kim Mayo Clinic, USA
Mentor (KASL) Korea Seung Up Kim Yonsei Univ., Korea
Mentor (JSH) Japan Takumi Kawaguchi Kurume Univ., Japan
Young Investigator Japan Tsubasa Tsutsumi Kurume Univ., Japan
Japan Masaaki Mino Japan Institute for Health Security, Japan
Taiwan Chia-Hung Tai Chang Gung Univ., Taiwan
Taiwan Chun-Ming Hong National Taiwan Univ., Taiwan
Korea Sung Won Chung Univ. of Ulsan, Korea
Korea Dong Yun Kim Yonsei Univ., Korea

2025 EALA Investigator Group

Title of Group Research: Towards an Asian-Specific Definition of MetALD: Validation, Criteria Development, and Clinical Implications

Mentors

Jee-Fu HuangKaohsiung Medical Univ., Taiwan

Takumi KawaguchiKurume Univ., Japan

Young Investigators

Shang-Chin HuangNational Taiwan Univ., Taiwan

Kai-Chi ChangNational Taiwan Univ., Taiwan

Shih-Chieh ChienNational Cheng Kung Univ., Taiwan

Norihiro ImaiNagoya Univ., Japan

Han Ah LeeChung-Ang Univ., Korea

Young-Sun LeeKorea Univ., Korea

HCC

2026 EALA Investigator Group

Mentor (AASLD) USA Ju Dong Yang Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, USA
Mentor (TASL) Taiwan Chung-Feng Huang Kaohsiung Medical Univ., Taiwan
Young Investigator Japan Hiroki Inada Kumamoto Univ., Japan
Japan Masayuki Ueno Kurashiki Chuo Hospital, Japan
Taiwan Wei Teng Chang Gung Univ., Taiwan
Taiwan Pei-Chang Lee Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan
Korea Heechul Nam The Catholic Univ. of Korea, Korea
Korea Myung Ji Goh Sungkyunkwan Univ., Korea

2025 EALA Investigator Group

Title of Group Research: Real-World Comparative Study of Atezolizumab/Bevacizumab versus Durvalumab/Tremelimumab as First-Line Therapy in Unresectable HCC: An East-Asia Liver Alliance Cohort Analysis

Mentors

Yi-Hsiang HuangTaipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan

Do Young KimYonsei Univ., Korea

Young Investigators

Hung-Wei WangChina Medical Univ., Taiwan

Shu-Hsien LinChia-Yi Christian Hospital, Taiwan

Keisuke KorokiChiba Univ., Japan

Tomoaki YohKyoto Univ., Japan

Soon Kyu LeeThe Catholic Univ. of Korea, Korea

Yeonjung HaCHA Univ., Korea

VIRAL HEPATITIS

2026 EALA Investigator Group

Mentor (KASL) Korea Jeong Won Jang The Catholic Univ. of Korea, Korea
Mentor (JSH) Japan Tatsuya Kanto Japan Institute for Health Security, Japan
Mentor (TASL) Taiwan Wen-Juei Jeng Chang Gung Univ., Taiwan
Young Investigator Japan Kazuhiro Murai The Univ. of Osaka, Japan
Taiwan Yu Ping Chang National Taiwan Univ., Taiwan
Taiwan Yi-Chung Hsieh Chang Gung Univ., Taiwan
Korea Hee Sun Cho The Catholic Univ. of Korea, Korea
Korea Sung Hwan Yoo Yonsei Univ., Korea
Korea Yeowool Kang Dong-A Univ., Korea

2025 EALA Investigator Group

Title of Group Research: Development of an HCC Prediction Model for Non-Cirrhotic Patients with DAA-SVR -International Joint Research Project with EALA

Mentors

Wen-Juei JengChang Gung Univ., Taiwan

Tatsuya KantoJapan Institute for Health Security, Japan

Young Investigators

Yen-Chun LiuChang Gung Univ., Taiwan

Hsin-Ju TsaiTaichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan

Yuki TahataThe Univ. of Osaka, Japan

Kazuya OkushinThe Univ. of Tokyo, Japan

Jeong-Ju YooSoonchunhyang Univ., Korea

Won-Mook ChoiUniv. of Ulsan, Korea

CIRRHOSIS

2026 EALA Investigator Group

Mentor (AASLD) USA Willscott Naugler Oregon Health & Science Univ., USA
Mentor (KASL) Korea Sang Gyune Kim Soonchunhyang Univ., Korea
Young Investigator Japan Shinya Yokoyama Nagoya Univ., Japan
Japan Masaaki Hirata Kyoto Univ., Japan
Taiwan Shu-Chi Wang Kaohsiung Medical Univ., Taiwan
Korea Seul Ki Han Yonsei Univ. Wonju, Korea
Korea Se Young Jang Kyungpook National Univ., Korea
Korea Moon Hyung Lee Kyung Hee Univ., Korea

2025 EALA Investigator Group

Title of Group Research: Current Management and Perspectives on Sarcopenia in Cirrhosis across the East Asia Liver Alliance

Mentors

Kuei-Chuan LeeTaipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan

Moon Young KimYonsei Univ. Wonju, Korea

Young Investigators

Tyng-Yuan JangKaohsiung Medical Univ., Taiwan

Yun-Cheng HsiehTaipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan

Yu-Ju WeiKaohsiung Medical Univ., Taiwan

Takao MiwaGifu Univ., Japan

Soon Sun KimAjou Univ., Korea

About the Rising Star Bootcamp

The Rising Star Bootcamp is an educational initiative of EALA designed to support early-career investigators in hepatology.
The program provides opportunities for young researchers from Korea, Japan, and Taiwan to connect, learn, and develop future collaborative relationships.

Program Objectives

Built for your growth, designed for your future

  • 1

    Develop emerging investigators

    Structured mentorship from leading hepatologists across East Asia, tailored to early-career researchers.

  • 2

    Build your East Asian network

    Meet peers and faculty from KASL, JSH, and TASL — connections that go beyond the event and into real research partnerships.

  • 3

    Foster collaborative research

    Work in small, cross-country groups to develop ideas that have real potential for multi-center studies.

  • 4

    Shape the next generation

    Help build a new generation of regional leaders in hepatology — and be part of that story from day one.

Educational Impact

More than a meeting — a career milestone

WHY IT MATTERS

By bringing together promising young researchers from KASL, JSH, and TASL, the Bootcamp strengthens regional academic exchange and contributes to the long-term development of hepatology research in East Asia.

Past participants have gone on to co-author multi-center studies, build lasting faculty relationships, and take leadership roles in their national hepatology societies.

WHAT YOU'LL GET

  • Small-group workshops

    Topic sessions on MASLD, HCC, viral hepatitis, and cirrhosis — deep dives, not lectures

  • Presentation & writing skills

    Hands-on sessions on how to present your research and write for top hepatology journals

  • Faculty mentoring

    Work directly with leading professors to shape your research direction and get practical guidance

  • A real East Asian network

    Peer connections across Korea, Japan, and Taiwan that translate into future collaborations and multi-center studies