Sidney Barritt IV, MD, MSCR, associate professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology, has been named the director of clinical hepatology, a position previously held by Michael W. Fried, MD.
Sidney Barritt IV, MD, MSCR, associate professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology, joined Carolina in 2006 as a T32 clinical epidemiology fellow, where he completed fellowships in gastroenterology, transplant hepatology, and earned a master’s degree in clinical research at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. He joined the UNC Department of Medicine faculty in 2010 and is a tenured associate professor in the School of Medicine, the interim medical director of liver transplantation, and the transplant hepatology fellowship program director.
Dr. Barritt completed undergraduate and medical school training at the University of Virginia, followed by residency in internal medicine, and a year as a chief medical resident at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He conducts clinical outcomes research in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), general hepatology, and liver transplantation. His recent study with Andrew Moon, MD, found high mortality rates from COVID-19 among people with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis.
“Sid is a national thought leader in hepatology, and a great role model and mentor,” said Nick Shaheen, MD, MPH, chief of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology. “A product of our own training program, he knows the institution and understands our state. He will provide visionary leadership to this program.
“We also thank Mike for more than 20 years of service to UNC and the state. His contributions in the field of viral hepatology have been foundational, and it can truly be said that he was among those most instrumental in curing Hepatitis C. We are pleased he will continue on in his faculty position, and look forward to his future contributions to our field and the School of Medicine.”
Since 1998, Fried, professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology, has guided the UNC Liver Program through a changing landscape that has witnessed significant advances in the treatment of hepatitis B, a cure for hepatitis C, the rise of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as a major etiology of cirrhosis, and the expansion of the UNC Liver Transplant program. Fried is internationally known for his expertise and seminal research studies in viral hepatitis that have improved care for countless patients with liver disease. He served as the president of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease. He authored over 200 original publications and reviews.
For over 20 years, Fried has received continuous NIH extramural funding, serving as principal investigator on numerous clinical trials of antiviral agents for hepatitis B and hepatitis C that have defined treatment paradigms for these diseases. Currently, Fried serves as the co-chair of the NIH Hepatitis B Research Network and is co-principal investigator of the HCV-TARGET international network, studying HCV therapies used in usual clinical practice. Last year, Fried and the HCV-TARGET team were awarded the “FDA Excellence in Regulatory Science Award” for contributions to optimizing management for patients with hepatitis C. TARGET RWE, a company co-founded by Fried, based on the TARGET platform, develops real-world evidence communities across multiple therapeutic areas.