Maureen Jonas, MD

Research Overview

Maureen Jonas' research focuses on liver disease in children, with emphasis on viral hepatitis. She was the principal investigator in the multicenter International Pediatric Lamivudine Trial, and is currently studying the safety and efficacy of other drugs, adefovir dipivoxil and entecavir, in children with chronic hepatitis B. She is the principle site investigator for PEDS-C, an NIH sponsored study of the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in children. Other research involves looking at non-invasive ways to detect and measure fibrosis (scarring) in the liver, and some of the metabolic effects of chronic hepatitis C. She participates in an international epidemiologic study of hepatitis B in children, and the national Studies of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (SPLIT.)

About Maureen Jonas

Maureen Jonas received her MD degree from University of Miami School of Medicine. She completed internship and residency in General Pediatrics, and fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology, at Children's Hospital Boston. She is certified in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Pediatric Transplant Hepatology.

Dr. Jonas has served on the Executive Council of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) and numerous committees of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. She is a member of the Medical Advisory Committee of the New England Chapter of the American Liver Foundation. She is the director of the Center for Childhood Liver Disease and the Medical Director of the Liver Transplant Program at Children’s Hospital Boston. She is also the Director of the 4^th year Advanced Hepatology Fellowship at Children’s. Dr. Jonas recently edited a book on Viral Hepatitis in Children.

Key Publications

• Jonas MM, Kelly, DA, Mizerski J, Badia IB, Areias JA, Schwarz KB et al. Clinical trial of lamivudine in children with chronic hepatitis B.  N Engl J Med 2002; 346: 1706-13.
   
• Sokal EM, Kelly DA, Mizerski J, Badia IB, Areias JA, Schwarz KB, Vegnente A, Little NR, Gardner SD, Jonas MM. Long-term lamivudine therapy for children with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B. Hepatology 2006; 43: 225-32.
   
• Elisofon SA and Jonas MM. Hepatitis B and C in Children: Current Treatment and Future Strategies. In Clinics in Liver Disease (Bezerra J and Balistreri W, eds) W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) 2006; 10: 133-48.
   
• Jonas MM and Perez-Atayde AR. Liver Disease in Infancy and Childhood in Diseases of the Liver, 10th Edition, ER Schiff and M Sorell, eds., Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2007; pages 1305-47.
   
• Jonas MM and Perez-Atayde AR.  Fibrocystic Liver Diseases in Liver Disease in Children, 3rd Edition, (Suchy FJ, Sokol RJ, Balistreri WF, eds.), Cambridge University Press, New York, New York 2007; pages 928-42.
   
• Jonas MM, Kelly D, Pollack H, Mizerski J, Sorbel J, Mondou E, Frederick D, Rousseau F, Sokal E M. Safety, Efficacy and Pharmacokinetics of Adefovir Dipivoxil in Children and Adolescents (Age 2 to < 18) with Chronic Hepatitis B.  Hepatology 2008; 47(6): 1863-71.
   
• Delgado-Borrego A, Healey D, Negre B, Christofi M, Sabharwal S, Ludwig DA, Chung RT, Jonas MM. The influence of body mass index on outcome of pediatric hepatitis C virus infection. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2010; 51: 191-7.
   
• Jonas MM, Block JM, Haber BA, Karpen SJ, London WT, Murray KF, Narkewicz MR, Rosenthal P, Schwarz KB, McMahon BJ. Treatment of children with chronic hepatitis B virus infection in the United States: Patient selection and therapeutic options.  Hepatology, 2010; 52: 2192-205.