SAN
ANTONIO, April 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Summit
Clinical Research LLC ("Summit") is deeply saddened by the death of
Co-Founder and Chairman Dr. Stephen
Harrison. Summit mourns Dr. Harrison and extends its
heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.
During an illustrious 30-year career, Dr. Harrison pioneered the
field of liver research and worked tirelessly in the pursuit of
finding new treatment options and cures for Metabolic
Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) / Metabolic
Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). He
revolutionized Hepatology and the greater research community,
including publishing over 350 peer-reviewed articles and more than
50,000 citations, achieving an H-Index of 106. Dr. Harrison also
played an instrumental role in the development of the first
FDA-approved drug to treat MASH / MASLD.
"Dr. Harrison will be missed more that words can express," said
Gail Hinkson, Co-Founder and
President of Summit Clinical Research. "Dr. Harrison was proud to
tell the story of how we imagined Summit on the back of a napkin
and built it into the complex clinical research leader that it is
today. He envisioned and helped create a strong foundation at
Summit through a deep and clinically driven team, leveraging the
scientific collaboration of world-renowned academic experts. This
team, with the stalwart support from the luminaries of the field,
remains firmly committed to continuing Dr. Harrison's legacy and
achieving his vision of revolutionizing the way clinical trials are
executed for the future of our industry."
Dr. Mazen Noureddin, Chief
Scientific Officer of Summit and Director of Houston Research
Institute, added, "Dr. Harrison's contributions in the field are
unmatched, and he will be remembered as a visionary leader,
renowned researcher, trusted collaborator, patients advocate,
patriot and physician, and as a dedicated husband, father and
friend. I know I speak for everyone at Summit and the broader
Hepatology field when I say that Dr. Harrison left a lasting
impression on all he encountered and contributed momentously to
liver disease research and its treatment."
Dr. Michael Charlton, Professor
of Medicine at the University of
Chicago, shared similar sentiments, "Dr. Harrison's legacy
is an ecosystem for the MASH community that will outlast us all. In
his absence, and with the help of Summit, we will take up the torch
to further accelerate the progress of MASH clinical research."
Dr. Mary Rinella, Professor of
Medicine at the University of Chicago,
commented, "Legacies are measured in what was achieved and, as
importantly, what was made possible. It is upon all of us, at
Summit and beyond, to pick up Stephen's mantle and carry it
further, as he would expect us to. We, investigators and our
partners in the pharmaceutical industry, will honor his challenge.
The outlook for the MASH disease state has never been brighter.
Thank you, Stephen!"
These statements are supported by the entire Summit scientific
community, including: Dr. Jörn Schattenberg, Dr. Naim Alkhouri, Dr. Vlad Ratziu and Dr. Adrián
Gadano.
Dr. Harrison was the Co-Founder and Chairman of Summit Clinical
Research, LLC, and the Founder and Chairman of Pinnacle Clinical
Research in San Antonio, Texas,
among others. He was also a Visiting Professor of Hepatology at the
Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University
of Oxford. Dr. Harrison served as a Colonel in the United States Army and concluded more than
20 years of dedicated service to his country in 2016. During his
army tenure, he served as the Director of Graduate Medical
Education at Brooke Army Medical Center, Associate Dean for the San
Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium and
Gastroenterology Consultant to the Army Surgeon General. Dr.
Harrison earned his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine.
About Summit Clinical Research
Headquartered in San Antonio,
Texas, Summit Clinical Research is an Integrated Research
Organization dedicated to MASH clinical trials, which delivers a
full spectrum of study enrollment and site enrichment services to
sites and sponsors in our network. From our inception in 2018,
Summit has increasingly built a leadership team of uniquely
specialized physicians, key opinion leaders, and clinical
operations team professionals that span the health care
industry.
For more information about Summit Clinical Research and its
ongoing initiatives, please visit
https://summitclinicalresearch.com or contact
info@summitclinicalresearch.com.
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SOURCE Summit Clinical Research