The Snow Medical Research Foundation has today announced major long-term funding of $15.5 million to the University of Sydney for a new national research program targeting fatty liver disease, a condition that affects up to one in three Australian adults annually.

Snow Medical’s long-term, seven-year commitment will fund a consortium of Australia’s leading liver researchers and clinicians through the Snow Program for Liver Health. 

The initiative will bring together researchers and clinicians from several University of Sydney affiliated institutions including the Charles Perkins Centre, and Westmead and Royal Prince Alfred Hospitals and other partners nationally to fast-track breakthroughs in diagnosis, treatment and prevention. It will be headquartered at the Storr Liver Centre at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research.  

Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) is a rapidly growing and yet silent threat to public health. MAFLD has become the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide and is increasingly driving cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. 

As obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome rise, the burden of liver disease is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. 

Tom Snow, Chair of Snow Medical, said the program reflects the kind of long-term, high‑impact science the Foundation is committed to supporting.

“Fatty liver disease is one of the biggest and most under‑recognised health threats of our time. It affects millions of Australians, yet we still lack the basic scientific understanding and treatments needed to address it effectively. That is why Snow Medical is committing to long-term, team-based science giving outstanding researchers the stability and resources to tackle problems on this scale.

“Our family has a close personal connection to this work. My father, Terry Snow, lived with liver disease, and so we know firsthand how devastating and how poorly understood these conditions can be.” 

Professor John Prins, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney said, “The Faculty of Medicine and Health is delighted to be part of this terrific collaboration, facilitated and funded by this generous gift from the Snow Foundation. This is a wonderful example how our Faculty and the University of Sydney are involved in developing solutions to significant health problems - in this case metabolic liver disease. The strong partnership with our good friends at WIMR and Centenary, with close association with our local health districts, will ensure the success of the program.”

Professor Jacob George, head of the Storr Liver Centre at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), welcomed the partnership with Snow Medical, calling it “transformative”.

“This is a landmark commitment that allows us to unite Australia’s leading scientific and clinical experts to tackle a disease that has been accelerating faster than the health system can currently respond. Snow Medical’s support gives us the opportunity to conduct bold, collaborative, long-term science, work that simply isn’t possible under conventional short-term funding models.” 

Professor Geoff McCaughan from the Centenary Institute said, “one key strength of this program is its interdisciplinary nature, leveraging basic immune system, metabolic and ageing research, as well as clinical diagnostics and large patient cohorts from diverse backgrounds.” 

Sally Castle, the CEO of Liver Foundation added, “every day we hear from patients living with fatty liver disease who are confused about what to do and worried about their disease progressing. This multi-year investment offers real hope that research can lead to earlier diagnosis, better treatments, and prevention, particularly for diverse communities across Australia who are disproportionately affected. It is exactly the kind of coordinated, patient-focused research effort that is urgently needed. 

In 2025 the Snow Medical Research Foundation (Snow Medical) launched the Snow Vision Accelerator in partnership with the University of Sydney, with a landmark $50 million commitment from the Snow family over 10 years, to fight glaucoma, the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness.

Hero Image: Funding announcement at Westmead Medical Research Institute. Credit, Ellen de Vries.