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Cynthia Webster

Faculty

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Associate Professor of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

With a major NIH grant—one of a tiny fraction awarded to veterinarians—Cynthia Webster is probing the mysteries of how liver cells come to be damaged, how they strive to protect themselves, and how they send signals to control cell death. Chronic liver disease afflicts 5.5 million Americans; although transplants are often highly successful, given the persistent shortage of donors, they offer realistic hope for only a few. By tracing the molecular parallels between liver disease in dogs and cats, and in humans, Webster hopes to find answers that will benefit all three.

Tufts People

“What’s exciting is discovering that liver cells have ways of signaling that help protect them against injury and disease. Once we really understand the mechanisms and molecules involved, the ultimate benefit would be targeted drugs that could dramatically slow the rate of cellular destruction.”