Snow Medical backs Australia’s national effort to tackle deadly liver disease with $15.5 M funding

Snow Medical backs Australia’s national effort to tackle deadly liver disease with $15.5 M funding

March 21, 2026 | Saturday | News

Burden of liver disease is expected to grow significantly in the coming years

The Snow Medical Research Foundation has announced major long-term funding of $15.5 million to the University of Sydney, Australia for a new national research programme targeting fatty liver disease, a condition that affects up to one in three Australian adults annually.

Snow Medical’s long-term, seven-year commitment will fund a consortium of Australia’s leading liver researchers and clinicians through the Snow Programme for Liver Health. 

The initiative will bring together researchers and clinicians from several University of Sydney affiliated institutions including the Charles Perkins Centre, and Westmead and Royal Prince Alfred Hospitals and other partners nationally to fast-track breakthroughs in diagnosis, treatment and prevention. It will be headquartered at the Storr Liver Centre at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research.  

Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) is a rapidly growing and yet silent threat to public health. MAFLD has become the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide and is increasingly driving cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. 

As obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome rise, the burden of liver disease is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. 

Tom Snow, Chair of Snow Medical, said the programme reflects the kind of long-term, high‑impact science the Foundation is committed to supporting.

“Fatty liver disease is one of the biggest and most under‑recognised health threats of our time. It affects millions of Australians, yet we still lack the basic scientific understanding and treatments needed to address it effectively”, said Snow.