Rohit Kohli

Dr. Kohli received his medical degree from the Armed Forces Medical College, India in 1999 and his MS in clinical investigation from Northwestern University in 2006. While at Northwestern he first spent three years as a pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology fellow and then subsequently as a transplant hepatology trainee before relocating to the University of Cincinnati in 2007. He was faculty at Cincinnati Children’s and leading the pediatric liver transplant program before he again relocated to USC/Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in 2016.

His research work has focused on the pathogenesis of obesity related fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In particular, he has focused upon the role of bile acid signaling as a mechanism for NAFLD resolution after weight loss surgery. His work has also shed light on reactive oxygen stress in the generation and regulation of the extreme stage of this disease; nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). He has published many peer-reviewed articles including articles in Nature, Nature Reviews, The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Hepatology, Journal of Pediatrics, and The American Journal of Physiology. He is the author of many book chapters and review articles. He also is the recipient of the 2007 George Ferry Young Investigator Award from the Children’s Digestive Health and Nutrition Foundation, a Fellowship award from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Takeda Research Innovation Award from the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Foundation. He is currently funded by the NIH as an independent scientist through the R01 mechanism.

He currently leads The George Donnell Society for Pediatric Scientists at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

• Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, India — MBBS — 1999 — Medicine
• Northwestern University, Chicago, IL — MS — 2006 — Clinical Investigation
• Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL — 2006 — Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL — 2007 — Transplant Hepatology

• Candidate selection of a LPAR1 antagonist for therapeutic application in NASH
  NIH/NIDDK · 2R44DK129071-02 · Sep 1, 2023 – Jun 30, 2025 · Role: PI
• Limited Competition for the Continuation of the Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChilLDRen) Clinical Centers.
  NIH · 5 U01 DK084538-15 · Jun 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024 · Role: PI
• Translational Research Training in Hepatology
  NIH · T32DK127977 · Jul 1, 2022 – Jun 30, 2027 · Role: Co-Principal Investigator
• Candidate selection of a LPAR1 antagonist for therapeutic application in NASH
  NIH · R44DK129071 · Sep 20, 2021 – Jun 30, 2025 · Role: Co-Principal Investigator
• NAFLD Improvement after Bariatric Surgery: The role of bile acid signaling
  NIH · R01DK100314 · Apr 1, 2015 – Mar 31, 2021 · Role: Principal Investigator
• Limited Competition for the Continuation of the Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChilLDRen) Clinical Centers.
  NIH · U01DK084538 · Sep 10, 2009 – May 31, 2025 · Role: Principal Investigator
• Role of Ileum in Reducing Obesity Related Comorbidities
  NIH · K08DK084310 · Sep 1, 2009 – Aug 31, 2013 · Role: Principal Investigator

• Obesity
• Liver Disease
• Children
• Bariatric Surgery
• Bile Acid Signaling

• Obesity Treatments of the Future

• Terrault, Norah
• Goran, Michael
• Samakar, Kamran
• Chatzi, Vaia
• Vidmar, Alaina
• Peters, Anne