Digestive Diseases Research

Benhammou Laboratory

Jihane Benhammou, MD, PhD

Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma

Key investigator

  • Jihane N. Benhammou, MD, PhD

Mission

The Benhammou Laboratory is focused on understanding the molecular and clinical predictors of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and MASLD-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in diverse populations. The Research Group also aims to understand the role and mechanisms of statins and other chemo-preventive agents for HCC prevention. The laboratory conducts multidisciplinary research at UCLA and Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Health Systems and uses transdisciplinary approaches including population genetics and clinical/environmental risk factor identification, to guide further mechanistic studies in patient-derived organoids and mouse models. We value a collaborative and inclusive environment to ultimately advance science and help the care of patients living with chronic liver diseases. We are part of the Comprehensive Liver Research Center at UCLA and work collaboratively and closely with other teams at UCLA and beyond to accomplish our goals.  

Honors and awards

  • Pilot & Feasibility Award 2025: This award is from the Comprehensive Liver Research Center at UCLA for research on “The Impact of Genetic Risk and Social Determinants of Health on the Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.”
  • OPSCD Bridge Grant 2024-25: This award from the UCLA DGSOM Office of Physician-Scientist Career Development will support Dr. Benhammou and her team in obtaining more preliminary results for an NIH R21 resubmission to assess the impact of genes and social determinants of health on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease outcomes in the Million Veteran Program.
  • Seed Grant: UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Foundation, "The impact of statins on immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. PI: Benhammou. 2024
  • KL2 UL1TR001881: National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Institute. PI: Benhammou, 2022-2025
  • Clinical Science Research & Development (CSR&D) grant from the Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development. Her work aims to improve our understanding of the role of statins for chemoprevention in hepatocellular carcinoma by using novel patient-derived organoid models and interrogating key oncogenic pathways. PI: Benhammou, 2023-2028 Full story
  • Selected to AASLD Promoting Leadership Potential for Women in Hepatology Mentorship Program
  • New member of the NIH Early Career Reviewer (ECR) Program
  • Selected an Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Early Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar recipient
  • Joins the executive committee for the VA Cooperative Study, "Preventing Liver Cancer Mortality through Imaging with Ultrasound vs MRI." As a committee member, she joins other liver cancer experts across the country to oversee one of the largest randomized control trials comparing ultrasound to MRI for the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma
  • Joins the editorial board of Hepatology Communications.
  • Selected as an early career physician-scientist "scholar" for the 2021-2023 AGA FORWARD Program: Fostering Opportunities Resulting in Workforce and Research Diversity supported by NIH.
  • NIH/NIDDK CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center Pilot and Feasibility Studies (P03 DK41301), 2019-2022
  • American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Advanced Transplant Hepatology Award, 2020-2021
  • Visium 10X Spatial Genomics Grant, 2020-2021
  • Intercept Pharmaceuticals Investigator Initiated Study to determine the prevalence of NAFLD in the post hepatitis C SVR patient population within Veterans, 2017-2019

In the news

  • Pham Nguyen, MD, IM resident in the Benhammou Lab, was selected for the 2024 AASLD Emerging Liver Scholar Award (2024)
    • This award is dedicated to internal medicine residents who have shown a commitment to a career in academic hepatology.
  • Prerana Kasanagottu, undergraduate in Benhammou Lab, was selected for the 2024 Lee Summer Fellowship Award to support her summer in the Benhammou Lab (2024)
    • This award is supported by the Southern California Alcoholic Liver and Pancreatic Diseases (ALDP).
  • An inspiring weekend in LA with women in GI (2024)
    • The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) supports women in gastroenterology by offering opportunities for career and professional development as a part of a framework to advance gender equity in gastroenterology. To support these efforts, they’ve been bringing together women in GI for regional workshops across the country. The most recent workshop was held at the UCLA, where 50 women in academia and private practice from all career stages heard from women leaders who facilitated conversations in topics most relevant to their personal and professional development. Lin Chang, MD, vice chief of the division, was a co-organizer and speaker. UCLA GI speakers also included Jihane N. Benhammou, MD, PhD, assistant clinical professor of medicine; Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, associate professor of medicine; and Suzanne R. Smith, MSN, NP, CMT-P, integrative health practitioner. Read full story(Link is external) (Link opens in new window)

Current trainees

  • Juliana Avilas - Undergraduate
  • Nguyen V. Pham, MD - IM resident
  • Namrata Venkatesan - Undergraduate

Past trainees

  • Saroja Bangaru, MD - GI fellow
  • Prerana Kasanagottu - Undergraduate
  • Ram Sundaresh, MD - IM resident

About Dr. Benhammou

Dr. Benhammou completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin, with a major in human biology. She then completed medical school at University of California, San Francisco with a thesis in molecular medicine. Before starting her internship at the University of California, Los Angeles in internal medicine, Dr. Benhammou participated in a two-year intramural program at the National Cancer Institutes studying functional genomics and hereditary forms of kidney cancer.

Dr. Benhammou went on to complete her internal medicine and gastroenterology training at UCLA. There, she received advanced research training in the UCLA Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) program and NIH T32, which supported her graduate studies in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology. Her doctoral dissertation addressed the clinical risk factors of NAFLD hepatocellular carcinoma and the molecular mechanisms at play in NAFLD pathogenesis. Following her PhD, Dr. Benhammou completed additional clinical training in transplant hepatology at UCLA.

Dr. Benhammou joined the digestive diseases and hepatology faculty at UCLA and Greater Los Angeles VA where she will care for patients with chronic liver disease before and after liver transplantation. She will continue to pursue her research on NAFLD-associated hepatocellular carcinoma using clinical and translational research tools. She is board certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology, and transplant hepatology.

Lab members

Courtney Labrecque, PhD

Courtney Labrecque, PhD

Postdoctoral fellow

Dr. Labrecque earned her BS in biochemistry & molecular biology at the University of Richmond. She completed her PhD in chemical biology at Virginia Commonwealth University under Dr. Brian Fuglestad. Her thesis work was understanding the underpinnings of peripheral membrane protein (PMP) membrane engagement as well as developing a method to screen for small molecule binders for the proteins while bound to a membrane model.

Nicole Prause, PhD

Nicole Prause, PhD

Senior statistician

Dr. Prause specializes in time series analysis, including biosignal processing and cognitive models. She will be working with Dr. Jihane N. Benhammou, Dr. Tien S. Dong and Dr. Arpan A. Patel on a number of clinical, translational and health services research projects in hepatology. Her past research has focused on decision making during alcohol intoxication using direct administration in laboratory studies.

Publications (selected) - Full list on PubMed(Link is external) (Link opens in new window)

Contact us

For more information, please email Dr. Benhammou at jbenhammou@mednet.ucla.edu

If you are interested in joining our research group, please include a cover letter detailing your relevant accomplishments and your CV. We are particularly interested in training physician-scientists from diverse backgrounds.