Sanjiv Harpavat, MD, PhD

Dr. Harpavat specializes in assessing and treating children with liver diseases, including biliary atresia, Alagille Syndrome, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, Wilson disease, autoimmune hepatitis, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. He also has expertise in caring for children during and after liver transplant. He is grateful for the opportunity to work closely with patients and their parents, and he especially appreciates the questions and new perspectives parents bring to the clinical team.

Dr. Harpavat’s research focuses on improving care in biliary atresia. He is using diverse approaches to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and subsequent management of the disease. Dr. Harpavat’s studies have shown that biliary atresia starts before birth, that newborns can be screened for disease with a simple blood test, and that non-fasting ultrasonography may be used to quickly evaluate infants. In addition, Dr. Harpavat’s studies have explored novel treatments for biliary atresia as well as mechanisms by which disease may continue to progress after treatment. For his studies, Dr. Harpavat works with a multi-disciplinary team at Texas Children’s Hospital and other national and international sites, and partners with organizations such as Biliary Atresia Research and Education (BARE), Inc and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Dr. Harpavat receives or has received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), and generous philanthropists in the Houston area.

Education

Organizations

* Texas Children’s Hospital physicians’ licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician’s office and were not verified by Texas Children’s Hospital.

Highlights

Apr 30, 2024

Dual Organ Transplant Brings New Life to 4-Year-Old

Harpavat S, Hawthorne K, Setchell KDR, Rivas MN, Henn L, Beil CA, Karpen SJ, Ng VL, Alonso EM, Bezerra JA, Guthery SL, Horslen S, Loomes KM, McKiernan P, Magee JC, Merion RM, Molleston JP, Rosenthal P, Thompson RJ, Wang KS, Sokol RJ, Shneider BL. Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChiLDReN). Serum Bile Acids as a New Prognostic Biomarker in Biliary Atresia Following Kasai Portoenterostomy. Hepatology, 2022 77(3):862-873. PMID: 36131538

Cavallo L, Kovar EM, Aqul A, McLoughlin L, Mittal NK, Rodriguez-Baez N, Shneider BL, Zwiener RJ, Chambers TM, Langlois PH, Canfield MA, Agopian AJ, Lupo PJ, Harpavat S. The Epidemiology of Biliary Atresia: Exploring the Role of Developmental Factors on Birth Prevalence. Journal of Pediatrics, 2022 Jul;246:89-94. PMID: 35364097

Harpavat S, Garcia-Prats JA, Anaya C, Brandt ML, Lupo PJ, Finegold MJ, Obuobi A, ElHennawy AA, Jarriel WS, Shneider BL. Diagnostic Yield of Newborn Screening for Biliary Atresia Using Direct or Conjugated Bilirubin Measurements. JAMA, 2020 323(12):1141-1150. PMID: 32207797

Mysore KR, Shneider BL, Harpavat S. Biliary Atresia as a Disease Starting In Utero: Implications for Treatment, Diagnosis, and Pathogenesis. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 2019 69(4):396-403. PMID: 31335837

Harpavat S, Lupo PJ, Liwanag L, Hollier J, Brandt ML, Finegold MJ, Shneider BL. Factors Influencing Time-to-diagnosis of Biliary Atresia. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 2018 66(6): 850-856. PMID: 29315162

Harpavat S, Garcia-Prats JA, Shneider BL. Newborn Screening for Biliary Atresia. New England Journal of Medicine, 2016 375(6):605-6. PMID 27509119

Harpavat S, Ramraj R, Finegold MJ, Brandt ML, Hertel PM, Fallon SC, Shepherd RW, Shneider BL. Newborn Direct/Conjugated Bilirubin Measurements As A Potential Screen for Biliary Atresia. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 2016 62(6):799-803. PMID: 26720765