Nabiha Faisal, MD

Dr. Nabiha Faisal joined the University of Manitoba in 2019 as an assistant professor, bringing with her a wealth of experience and a passion for improving the lives of those affected by liver disease. Dr. Faisal completed her medical training at Dow Medical College, University of Karachi, Pakistan, one of the premier university hospitals in the country. After her training, she was recruited as a senior registrar to Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College, where she worked as a gastroenterologist/hepatologist from 2009 until 2012. From there, she went on to complete a transplant hepatology fellowship at the University of Toronto, where she served as chief fellow for an additional year.

Dr. Faisal's clinical interests focus on the epidemiology of advanced liver diseases in Manitoba, with a special interest in alcohol and nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases. These conditions are among the most prevalent etiologies of liver diseases worldwide, and Dr. Faisal is determined to improve the lives of those affected by them. She is a master at using large administrative databases to identify cirrhosis, and is currently exploring the epidemiology of cirrhosis in Manitoba. Her research is shedding new light on the trends of alcohol and nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases and sociodemographic disparities, and is helping to pave the way for new treatment options.

Dr. Faisal is also a leader in the development of integrated health systems for advanced liver disease. She is currently working on a collaborative care model that brings together expertise from hepatology, addiction medicine, and psychiatry to provide seamless access to addiction services for patients with alcohol liver disease. This innovative approach is helping to improve health-related quality of life and patient and provider satisfaction.

Dr. Faisal's achievements have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including the Mitacs Research Award (2020) and the EASL Young Investigator Award (2015). She is currently enrolled in a Master's program in Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, and is on track to complete it in 2022.