EL-FIT TEAM MEMBERS
Andres Duarte-Rojo, MD, PhD is a Transplant Hepatologist and a faculty member at the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He has worked with exercise in cirrhosis since 2007 and currently leads the prehabilitation efforts at the Starzl Transplantation Institute. EL-FIT was conceived following discussions on the need to standardize home-based exercise programs and to make them available to a broad community of patients with liver disease.
Pamela Bloomer, PT, MPT is a dedicated Transplant Physical Therapist who works in the liver disease and transplant clinic within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She is the senior physical therapist and took on this specific role in June of 2018. She has been a physical therapist for over 20 years with experience in other backgrounds including pediatrics, geriatrics, sports injuries, and aquatic therapy. She received her physical therapy education from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks to Dr. W. Ray Kim whose sound advice facilitated EL-FIT conceptualization, and to Dr. Arny A. Ferrando for his invaluable help in the early phase of development.
EL-FIT team would like to thank:
Drs. Michael A. Dunn, Elliot B. Tapper, and John M. Jakicic for their support with app testing.
Drs. Nancy Howes and Deborah Josbeno for their review of the training videos.
Exercise professionals and dietician performing EL-FIT videos:
- Sheery Woods, Karen Johnson, Amanda Martin, Rodrigo Ruiz, and Margaret Pauly.
The Innovation Institute, University of Pittsburgh.
The Clinician Scientist Program and Creative Services at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
FUNDING SUPPORT
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Foundation Innovation Fund 2017
Pittsburgh Liver Research Center (PLRC) Pilot & Feasibility Grant 2019