Sergio Acuna Mancilla, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Division of Transplantation, has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA) and the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Foundation for his project, “Understanding surgical decision-making for cirrhotic patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma.” The award was presented at the AHPBA 2026 Annual Meeting in Miami Beach, Florida.
Through this project, Acuna Mancilla will investigate how surgeons make treatment decisions for patients with cirrhosis who also have resectable hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common primary liver cancer. This research aims to clarify the current decision-making patterns and identify opportunities to optimize surgical care for this patient population.
“We know that the choice between resection and transplantation for these patients is complex, but we don't fully understand what drives those decisions in practice,” said Acuna Mancilla. “This grant gives us the opportunity to study that process and work toward more consistent, patient-centered surgical care.”
Acuna Mancilla's clinical and research interests include liver transplantation, hepatobiliary disease, and transplant oncology. He earned his medical degree from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia, completed his general surgery residency and Ph.D. in clinical epidemiology at the University of Toronto, and trained as a fellow in the Abdominal Transplant Fellowship Program at UAB. He joined the UAB Division of Transplantation faculty in 2024.
“Dr. Acuna Mancilla has continued to make an outstanding contribution to the Division’s research initiatives and is pioneering treatment for several key patient groups within our sphere of care,” said Jacqueline Garonzik Wang, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division of Transplantation. “This grant reflects the quality of his work and his dedication to advancing our field. We are proud to see him recognized at the national level and look forward to his study findings.”
About the AHPBA Research Development Grant
The Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing patient care by improving education, training, innovation, and research related to diseases of the liver, pancreas, and biliary system. The AHPBA serves as the American chapter of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association. The AHBA Research Development Grant provides salary support or direct cost funding for junior faculty research conducted under the mentorship of an AHPBA member. Recipients must present an update on their findings at the AHPBA annual meeting two years after the award announcement.