Our goal is to contribute groundbreaking science towards curing liver disease through basic, translational and clinical research. The focus of the Szabo lab is to discover and target key molecular and cellular mechanisms that contribute to liver inflammation and liver damage. We study innate immune signaling pathways, such as inflammasome signaling, to understand the role of innate immune cells in disease. We are particularly interested in organ interactions along the gut-liver-brain axis caused by alcohol the metabolic syndrome. The recent focus of our discoveries include microRNAs and extracellular vesicles as potential biomarkers as well as their potential in inter-cellular communication. Our translational research includes in vitro model systems and in vivo animal models and expands to patient populations and clinical trials targeting the critical pathways we have identified in the laboratory. Clinical partnerships with the Division of Gastroenterology support our ongoing clinical research.