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A Conversation with Nancy S. Reau, MD
In this issue, HCV Next asks five questions of Nancy S. Reau, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago.
Reau completed her undergraduate studies at Oberlin College in Ohio. She remained in that area and earned her cum laude medical degree from the College of Medicine at Ohio State University in Columbus, after which she completed her medical internship, residency and gastroenterology fellowships at the Ohio State University Medical Center. Reau moved on to Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore for another fellowship, this one in advanced transplant hepatology. Her certifications today include internal medicine, gastroenterology and transplant hepatology.
Several societies call Reau a member, including the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, for which she maintains a seat on the practice guideline committee. She is also a member of the American College of Gastroenterology Women in Gastroenterology Committee, the medical advisory committee of the Illinois chapter of the American Liver Foundation and the HCV Next Editorial Board.
Fatty liver disease, viral hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver transplantation are just some of the topics on which Reau has presented at major medical conferences, and her research interests range from hepatitis to complications of chronic liver disease. Hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus are her special interests.
Who has had the greatest influence on your career?
Effective mentorship is vital. I have been very fortunate to have several impactful mentors who have shaped the direction of my career, especially my interest in viral hepatitis. When people who love their job surround you, it is almost impossible to not catch their enthusiasm. Currently, I am fortunate to work at the University of Chicago with Donald M. Jensen, MD, who has helped shape the field of viral hepatitis.
What was the defining moment that led you to your field?
My undergraduate degree was in neuroscience. I always believed I would grow up and become a neurologist. During my residency, I realized that although I loved the field of neuroscience, I liked other areas of medicine even better. Oddly, one of the gastroenterology fellows backed out of fellowship at this same time, and the fellowship director offered me the opportunity to switch into medicine and gastroenterology. During the next 4 years of training, I found that hepatology offered me a balance of complex medical management and procedural-based medicine that I loved.
What area of research in hepatology most interests you right now and why?
I have been following the noninvasive testing with a lot of attention. Given the limitations in resources, HCV therapy is being prioritized to those with advanced fibrosis. We need to have effective ways of identifying people with advanced fibrosis without a liver biopsy. Serum fibrosis markers and transient elastography are making this a reality for many. We need to apply this same intervention to fatty liver disease. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a spectrum with only those with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis having significant risk for liver disease. Fatty liver is the most common liver disease in America and we need accurate noninvasive techniques to effectively identify the subset of patients at highest risk for progression.
What advice would you offer a student in medical school today?
One of my early mentors once told me that you have to love the mundane aspects of your field. I must have been caught up in a “zebra” or a patient with a rare and exciting presentation. She was trying to communicate that this was not a good reason to choose a career path unless I also enjoyed managing the more common aspects of the field. In addition, you need to be brave enough to admit when your current path isn’t leading in the right direction.
What are your hobbies outside of practicing medicine?
I have three children, so I really don’t have a lot of free time. I try to use the bits of free space efficiently. I listen to books on tape on my commute. We all enjoy cooking (or at least eating) and spend a lot of time in the kitchen.