Dr. Matías Ávila, director of the Hepatology Program of the CIMA and Full Professor of Biochemistry at the School of Medicine of the University of Navarra, has been appointed member of the publishing house Board of the journal of the American Society of Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology. With this appointment he now holds positions in the two journals with the highest scientific impact in the areas of gastroenterology and hepatology: Gastroenterology (of the American society and first in the world) and Gut (of the British society and second at international level).

Dr. Avila, graduate and Doctor of Pharmacy, is the only Spanish researcher member of this publishing house Board at present. For the director of the Hepatology program of the research center Applied Medicine (CIMA) of the University of Navarra, "this appointment recognizes the work team work carried out over the years by many hepatology researchers at our institution. Its importance lies in the fact that it contributes to increase the visibility of the research in the field of biomedicine carried out at the University of Navarra", assures the researcher of the CIMA.

In the Hepatology program of CIMA he works with his collaborators in the development of hepatoprotective strategies, and in the identification of molecular targets to slow the progression of chronic liver disease and, above all, of liver cancer, which causes almost 10% of cancer deaths worldwide according to data of the WHO (World Health Organization).

For the last three years, Dr. Avila has been a member of the board Governing Board of the association European Association for the Study of the Liver(EASL). He is currently a member of the committee advisor Scientist of the high school National Cancer Center of France for the Bordeaux-Aquitaine region, and a member of the board Governing Board of the association Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver(AEEH).