Our Team
HepVita is led by globally recognized recognized experts in hepatology, fatty liver disease, and nutrition.
Our team brings decades of experience in improving the liver health of our patients.
Mary Rinella
MD
Mary Rinella
MD
Dr. Rinella became a Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University and currently serves as director of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease at the University of Chicago. She is also an accomplished chef, who strongly believes in the ability of nutrition to transform our lives.
Dr. Rinella is a member of the governing board of ASLD. Dr. Rinella is also the lead author of the AASLD's (American Association of the Study of Liver Diseases) Practice Guidance on Diagnosis and Management of NAFLD.
Dr. Rinella has served as a leading investigator on many national and international clinical trials of therapeutic agents in MASH.
“MASLD/NAFLD is a disease that can be cured or improved in the majority of patients through changes in lifestyle, especially nutrition. Improving liver health through nutrition is a central focus of her practice.”
Michael Charlton
MD, FRCP
Michael Charlton
MD, FRCP
Dr. Charlton became a Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic where he served as Director of Hepatology as well as Medical Director of Liver Transplantation. He has served as an author for the AASLD's (American Association of the Study of Liver Diseases) Practice Guidance on Diagnosis and Management of NAFLD, and he has held editorial roles for leading journals, including, associate editor for Hepatology, Transplantation, American Journal of Transplantation, and Liver Transplantation, and was a founding Associate Editor for Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Stephen Harrison
MD
Stephen Harrison
MD
Dr. Stephen Harrison earned his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.
Dr. Harrison has unrivaled expertise in the diagnosis and management of MASLD/NAFLD and MASH/NASH. Dr. Harrison served as a Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and is currently a Visiting Professor of Hepatology at the Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford University.
Stephen Harrison is the founder and president of Summit Clinical Research, the leading clinical research organization in MASH/NASH.
He is a past Associate Editor for Hepatology and Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. He is a peer-reviewer for over 20 medical journals and internationally known for ground breaking studies in hepatitis C and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, with over 200 peer reviewed publications in these fields.
Ed MacDonald IV
MD
Ed MacDonald IV
MD
Edwin K. McDonald IV is a physician, scientist and chef who is dedicated to improving the health of individuals and communities through nutrition education. Dr. McDonald is the associate director of clinical nutrition at the University of Chicago. tr. McDonald’s interest in the effects of nutrition on health and disease stem from his experience with Project Brotherhood — an innovative clinic dedicated to providing accessible, affordable care for black men on Chicago’s South Side. Dr. McDonald has earned a certificate in professional cookery from Kendall College School of Culinary Arts. Dr. McDonald is the host of the popular blog and website, The Doc’s Kitchen (https://thedocskitchen.com).
Dr. McDonald also is an active researcher, whose work has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and has created a web-based mobile program to assess the utility of applications in caring for patients with liver disease. Dr. McDonald’s work has been funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Annie Guinane
RD, LDN, CNSD
Annie Guinane
RD, LDN, CNSD
Annie Guinane, our lead nutritionist at Hepvita, is a certified nutritionist with years of experience in helping people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease improve their liver health. Annie completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of Dayton and her Master of Science in Nutrition at Central Michigan University. Annie understands the importance of eating food that is not only healthful and healing, but also enjoyable and delicious. She provides customized nutrition advice along with the resources necessary to implement and sustain a balanced diet. Annie is the lead nutritionist for the University of Chicago's Multidisciplinary Metabolic Liver Disease Program.