Sharad Wadhwani, MD, MPH

Dr. Wadhwani is a practicing pediatric general/transplant hepatologist who specializes in caring for children across the entire spectrum of liver disease, from diagnosis to transplant.

Dr. Wadhwani is also a clinical investigator with a research program dedicated to improving the lives of children undergoing liver transplant. His lab's primary research focus is on developing and testing interventions to narrow racial and socioeconomic disparities in outcomes for children undergoing liver transplantation. His research program has been continuously supported by numerous organizations including the National Institutes of Health, American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD), American Society of Transplantation (AST), American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), and Starzl Network for Excellence in Pediatric Transplantation (SNEPT). He serves as the director of the qualitative and mixed-methods subcore of the UCSF Liver Center.

Dr. Wadhwani earned his BA from Washington University in St. Louis and combined MD/MPH degrees from Tufts University. He then completed his clinical training in Pediatrics at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, Gastroenterology fellowship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Advanced/Transplant Hepatology fellowship at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco. Currently, Dr. Wadhwani serves as an Associate Editor for Hepatology Communications.

If you are interested in contributing to Dr. Wadhwani's research program, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution: https://giving.ucsf.edu/fund/dr-sharad-wadhwani-gift-fund
Education
2022 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, UCSF
2020 - Pediatric Advanced Transplant/Hepatology, UCSF
2019 - Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
2014 - Pediatrics, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland
MD, MPH, 2011 - , Tufts University School of Medicine
Websites

  1. Wang M, Harris A, McCulloch CE, Wadhwani SI, Lai JC, Rubin JB. Racial differences in primary sclerosing cholangitis: A retrospective cohort study leveraging a new ICD-10 code. Annals of hepatology 2025. PMID: 40081809


  2. Cheung T, Squires JE, Bautista B, Milionis C, Prugh J, Hsu E, Ebel NH, Campbell K, Vittorio J, Bucuvalas JC, Gottlieb LM, Lyles CR, Lai JC, Wadhwani SI. Co-producing a health advocate intervention for pediatric liver transplant recipients using human-centered design. Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society 2025. PMID: 39976578


  3. Wadhwani SI, Squires JE, Hsu E, Gupta N, Campbell K, Zielsdorf S, Vittorio J, Desai DM, Ebel NH, Shui AM, Bucuvalas JC, Gottlieb LM, Lyles CR, Lai JC, Society of Pediatric Liver Transplantation. Material economic hardship is associated with adverse 1-year outcomes after pediatric liver transplantation: Prospective cohort results from the multi-center SOCIAL-Tx study. Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society 2024. PMID: 39692470


  4. Cheung T, McDonald C, Setty M, Tsai P, Wadhwani SI. Social Adversities Associate with Worse Disease Control in Pediatric Celiac Disease. The Journal of pediatrics 2024. PMID: 39293560


  5. Vittorio J, Kosmach-Park B, Wadhwani S, Jackson W, Kerkar N, Corbo H, Vekaria P, Gupta N, Yeh H, King LY. Adult provider role in transition of care for young adult pediatric recipients of liver transplant: An expert position statement. Hepatology communications 2024. PMID: 39023314


  6. Gutierrez SA, Chiou SH, Raghu V, Cole CR, Rhee S, Lai JC, Wadhwani SI. Associations between hospital-level socioeconomic patient mix and rates of central line-associated bloodstream infections in short bowel syndrome: A retrospective cohort study. JPEN. Journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition 2024. PMID: 38924098


  7. Shifman HP, Hatchett J, Pai RA, Safer R, Gomel R, Vyas M, Li M, Lai JC, Wadhwani SI. Caregiver-reported symptom burden and preferences for therapeutic goals in pediatric primary sclerosing cholangitis. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition 2024. PMID: 38899591


  8. Bonn J, Ambrosino T, Rich K, Taylor A, Wadhwani SI. Implementation of a Multicomponent Medication Adherence Promotion System is Associated with a Decrease in Late T-cell Mediated Rejection. Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society 2024. PMID: 38814162


  9. Brahmania M, Rogal S, Serper M, Patel A, Goldberg D, Mathur A, Wilder J, Vittorio J, Yeoman A, Rich NE, Lazo M, Kardashian A, Asrani S, Spann A, Ufere N, Verma M, Verna E, Simpson D, Schold JD, Rosenblatt R, McElroy L, Wadwhani SI, Lee TH, Strauss AT, Chung RT, Aiza I, Carr R, Yang JM, Brady C, Fortune BE. Pragmatic strategies to address health disparities along the continuum of care in chronic liver disease. Hepatology communications 2024. PMID: 38696374


  10. Gutierrez SA, Chiou SH, Rhee S, Lai JC, Wadhwani SI. The influence of neighborhood income on healthcare utilization in pediatric liver transplant. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition 2024. PMID: 38693791


  11. Wadhwani SI, Kruse G, Squires J, Ebel N, Gupta N, Campbell K, Hsu E, Zielsdorf S, Vittorio J, Desai DM, Bucuvalas JC, Gottlieb LM, Lai JC. Caregiver Perceptions of Social Risk Screening in Pediatric Liver Transplantation: From the Multicenter SOCIAL-Tx Study. Transplantation 2023. PMID: 37831642


  12. Wadhwani SI, Alvarado A, Shifman HP, Bautista B, Yalung J, Squires JE, Campbell K, Ebel NH, Hsu E, Vittorio J, Zielsdorf S, Desai DM, Bucuvalas JC, Gottlieb L, Kotagal U, Lyles CR, Ackerman SL, Lai JC. Caregivers' and providers' perspectives of social and medical care after pediatric liver transplant: Results from the multi-center SOCIAL-Tx study. Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society 2023. PMID: 38166123


  13. Cullaro G, Ge J, Lee BP, Lai JC, Wadhwani SI. Association between neighborhood-based material deprivation and liver transplant waitlist registrants demographics and mortality. Clinical transplantation 2023. PMID: 37937349


  14. Gutierrez SA, Pathak S, Raghu V, Shui A, Huang CY, Rhee S, McKenzie-Sampson S, Lai JC, Wadhwani SI. Neighborhood Income is Associated with Healthcare Utilization in Pediatric Short Bowel Syndrome. The Journal of pediatrics 2023. PMID: 37940084


  15. Yalung JE, Shifman HP, Rasnick Manning E, Beck A, Bucuvalas J, Lai JC, Wadhwani SI. Ambient air pollution is associated with graft failure/death in pediatric liver transplant recipients. American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons 2023. PMID: 37898318


  16. Shifman HP, Huang CY, Beck AF, Bucuvalas J, Perito ER, Hsu EK, Ebel NH, Lai JC, Wadhwani SI. Association of State Medicaid Expansion Policies with Pediatric Liver Transplant Outcomes. American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons 2023. PMID: 37776976


  17. Ha NB, Fan B, Seetharaman S, Kent DS, Yao F, Shui AM, Huang CY, Wadhwani SI, Lai JC. Variation in skeletal muscle mass among patients with cirrhosis of different self-identified race/ethnicity. JGH open : an open access journal of gastroenterology and hepatology 2023. PMID: 37908292


  18. Wang M, Wadhwani SI, Cullaro G, Lai JC, Rubin JB. Racial and Ethnic Disparities Among Patients Hospitalized for Acute Cholangitis in the United States. Journal of clinical gastroenterology 2022. PMID: 35997698


  19. Wadhwani SI, Pantell MS, Winestone LE. Subspecialty pediatrics: An unmet opportunity to address unmet social risks. Academic pediatrics 2023. PMID: 37499795


  20. Chen VL, Song MW, Suresh D, Wadhwani SI, Perumalswami P. Effects of social determinants of health on mortality and incident liver-related events and cardiovascular disease in steatotic liver disease. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics 2023. PMID: 37394976


  21. Wadhwani SI, Kumar WM, Hsu EK. Towards equity in paediatric liver transplantation: improving access and long-term outcomes. The lancet. Gastroenterology & hepatology 2023. PMID: 37301205


  22. Yilma M, Dalal N, Wadhwani SI, Hirose R, Mehta N. Geographic disparities in access to liver transplantation. Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society 2023. PMID: 37232214


  23. Ge J, Lai JC, Wadhwani SI. Novel Approaches Are Needed to Study Social Determinants of Health in Liver Transplantation. Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society 2022. PMID: 35962612


  24. Wadhwani SI, Lai JC, Gottlieb L. Medical Need and Transplant Accessibility-Reply. JAMA 2022. PMID: 35972489


  25. Wadhwani SI, Lai JC. The Digital Determinants of Liver Disease. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 2022. PMID: 35753068


  26. Wadhwani SI, Barrera AG, Shifman HP, Baker E, Bucuvalas J, Gottlieb LM, Kotagal U, Rhee SJ, Lai JC, Lyles CR. Caregiver perspectives on the everyday medical and social needs of long-term pediatric liver transplant patients. 2022. PMID: 35524767


  27. Berry KA, Kent D, Seetharaman S, Wong R, Mohamad Y, Yao F, Nunez-Duarte M, Wadhwani SI, Boyarsky BJ, Rahimi RS, Duarte-Rojo A, Kappus MR, Volk ML, Ladner DP, Segev DL, McAdams-DeMarco M, Verna EC, Ganger DR, Lai JC. Loneliness in adults awaiting liver transplantation at 7 U.S. transplant centers. 2022. PMID: 35460882


  28. Ebel NH, Lai JC, Bucuvalas JC, Wadhwani SI. A review of racial, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities in pediatric liver transplantation. 2022. PMID: 35188708


  29. Wadhwani SI, Lai JC, Gottlieb LM. Medical Need, Financial Resources, and Transplant Accessibility. 2022. PMID: 35357415


  30. Shifman HP, Rasnick E, Huang CY, Beck AF, Bucuvalas J, Lai JC, Wadhwani SI. Association of Primary Care Shortage Areas with Adverse Outcomes After Pediatric Liver Transplant. 2022. PMID: 35301019


  31. Wadhwani SI, Ge J, Gottlieb L, Lyles C, Beck AF, Bucuvalas J, Neuhaus J, Kotagal U, Lai JC. Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Wait List Outcomes Are Only Partly Explained by Socioeconomic Deprivation Among Children Awaiting Liver Transplantation. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 2021. PMID: 34387881


  32. Wadhwani SI, Gottlieb L, Bucuvalas JC, Lyles C, Lai JC. Addressing social adversity to improve outcomes for children after liver transplant. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 2021. PMID: 34320247


  33. Wadhwani SI, Huang CY, Gottlieb L, Beck AF, Bucuvalas J, Kotagal U, Lyles C, Lai JC. Center variation in long-term outcomes for socioeconomically deprived children. American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons 2021. PMID: 33565227


  34. Wadhwani SI, Bucuvalas JC, Brokamp C, Anand R, Gupta A, Taylor S, Shemesh E, Beck AF. Association Between Neighborhood-level Socioeconomic Deprivation and the Medication Level Variability Index for Children Following Liver Transplantation. Transplantation 2020. PMID: 32032293


  35. Wadhwani SI, Brokamp C, Rasnick E, Bucuvalas JC, Lai JC, Beck AF. Neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation, racial segregation, and organ donation across 5 states. American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons 2020. PMID: 32654392


  36. Wadhwani SI, Nichols M, Klosterkemper J, Cirincione R, Whitesell K, Owen D, Rengering R, Walz B, Heubi J, Hooper DK. Implementing a Process to Systematically Identify and Address Poor Medication Adherence in Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients. Pediatric quality & safety 2020. PMID: 32656465


  37. Lyles JL, Wadhwani SI, Bolton SM, Mouzaki M. Methamphetamine-induced Acute Esophagitis in a 16-Year-old Girl. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition 2020. PMID: 31977955


  38. Wadhwani SI, Beck AF, Bucuvalas J, Gottlieb L, Kotagal U, Lai JC. Neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation is associated with worse patient and graft survival following pediatric liver transplantation. American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons 2020. PMID: 31958208


  39. Wadhwani SI. 50 Years Ago in TheJournalofPediatrics: The Diagnostic Value of Gamma Glutamyl Transpeptidase in Children and Adolescents with Liver Disease. The Journal of pediatrics 2019. PMID: 31655694


  40. Wadhwani SI, Hsu EK, Shaffer ML, Anand R, Ng VL, Bucuvalas JC. Predicting ideal outcome after pediatric liver transplantation: An exploratory study using machine learning analyses to leverage Studies of Pediatric Liver Transplantation Data. Pediatric transplantation 2019. PMID: 31328849


  41. Wadhwani SI, Nakayuenyongsuk W, Shinn L, Chase P, Kharbanda S, Bass D, Park KT. Predictive Value of Fecal Calprotectin in Pediatric Graft-Versus-Host Disease. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition 2016. PMID: 27504814


  42. Wadhwani SI, Turmelle YP, Nagy R, Lowell J, Dillon P, Shepherd RW. Prolonged neonatal jaundice and the diagnosis of biliary atresia: a single-center analysis of trends in age at diagnosis and outcomes. Pediatrics 2008. PMID: 18443020