Anna Mae Diehl is a pioneer and international leader in the field of liver growth and pathobiology. Colleagues describe her work as marked by persistence and inspiration. She has conducted seminal research in many areas, including liver regeneration, the role of cytokines in liver disease, and hepatocellular cancer. In addition, she has conducted the definitive work in understanding the important role of Hedgehog signaling proteins in liver pathobiology, from liver regeneration, to hepatic fibrosis, to activation of stellate cells, growth of progenitor cells, and development of cirrhosis. Also, she was one of the first to demonstrate that fatty liver is not a reversible innocuous condition, but a frequent cause of severe liver damage, evolving into non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
An innovative physician investigator, Diehl has been well funded by the National Institutes of Health for many years and has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed articles. She is a recipient of numerous awards, including the Leon Schiff Award, the Hans Popper Award, the Sheila Sherlock Award from the British Society of Gastroenterology, and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Distinguished Achievement Award.
Known for a congenial attitude, Diehl is always ready to explain and argue dialectically to critically examine her viewpoints and those of others. An active teacher and mentor, she has mentored 80 undergraduates, medical students, house officers, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty. When Diehl began her career in gastroenterology/hepatology, there were very few women in the field, and she has become known as an outstanding female role model.
Her service to Duke includes roles on the Distinguished Chair’s Selection Committee for Duke University, DOM Executive Committee Duke University, many search committees, and the Enterprise-Wide Planning Committee for Duke University Health System.
Before joining the Duke faculty, she was professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, where she had previously served as associate professor
Education: Georgetown University
Training: John Hopkins University
Current Titles: Florence McAlister Professor of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine; Director, Duke Liver Center; professor in pharmacology and cancer cell biology; professor in molecular genetics and microbiology