WELCOME MESSAGE

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the 2027 AASLD–TASL CONNECT Meeting, to be held in Istanbul, Türkiye, on January 29-30, 2027. It is our pleasure to once again bring together the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and the Turkish Association for the Study of the Liver (TASL) for a meeting dedicated to advancing hepatology through scientific excellence, education, and international collaboration.

Now in its eighth version, the AASLD–TASL CONNECT Meeting continues to serve as the premier forum for scientific exchange and collaboration between our two societies. Together, AASLD and TASL remain committed to fostering lasting collaborations that accelerate research, education, and innovation in liver disease.

The 2027 scientific program has been designed to address the most important and rapidly evolving areas of clinical hepatology. Key topics will include:

• Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): Real-world experience with approved and emerging liver-directed therapies.
• Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease (ALD): Current advances in clinical management and research.
• Viral Hepatitis: Emerging therapies for chronic hepatitis B and the latest developments in hepatitis D and hepatitis C.
• Cirrhosis and Its Complications: Contemporary approaches to diagnosis, prevention, and management.
• Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC): A special focus on systemic therapies and their implementation in clinical practice.
• Liver Transplantation: Long-term management challenges, including metabolic complications, disease recurrence, secondary malignancies, and optimization of post-transplant care.

The meeting will feature expert-led presentations, interactive case-based discussions, and opportunities for meaningful dialogue among colleagues from Türkiye, the United States, and across the region. Our popular Clinical Debates will once again provide a dynamic forum for discussing controversial and evolving topics in hepatology.

As hepatology continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, CONNECT 2027 will provide an outstanding forum to exchange ideas, translate new evidence into clinical practice, and strengthen the partnerships that drive innovation and improve patient care.

We look forward to welcoming you to Istanbul for two days of outstanding science, collaboration, and collegial exchange.

On behalf of AASLD and TASL, we warmly invite you to join us for CONNECT 2027.