Neil Kaplowitz

Dr. Neil Kaplowitz is a Professor of Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC), holding the Thomas H. Brem Chair in Medicine. His research focuses on drug toxicity, oxidative stress, alcoholic liver disease, and mitochondrial biology. He has contributed extensively to understanding mechanisms of liver injury, particularly acetaminophen toxicity and ER stress pathways.

Dr. Kaplowitz earned his MD from New York University School of Medicine and completed a Gastroenterology Fellowship at Cornell University Medical College. His awards include the American Liver Foundation’s Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award (2008) and the NIH Merit Award (1992).

Research Interests: His work spans drug-induced liver injury (DILI), mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and the role of glutathione in cellular defense. Recent studies include investigating the role of LRP-1 in Alzheimer’s-related amyloidosis and the protective effects of magnesium against acetaminophen toxicity.

Publications: Over 400 peer-reviewed articles highlight his contributions to hepatology. Themes include mitochondrial JNK signaling, gut microbiota interactions in liver injury, and clinical DILI registries.

Awards: Awardees include the Mayo Soley Award (2007), Western Gastroenterology Research Prize (1986), and multiple honors from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Advising & Grants: He has mentored numerous trainees and led grants on DILI mechanisms. His lab collaborates on translational research targeting mitochondrial and ER stress pathways in liver diseases.

Labs/Teams: Directs USC’s hepatotoxicity research initiatives, focusing on preclinical models of drug injury and clinical biomarker development.