BIO

Mrs. April Morris received a bachelor of science in biology and nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia. She went on to complete a master’s degree in nursing at VCU and became a board-certified family nurse practitioner in 2006. Initially, she worked in hepatology at VCU Medical Center for many years focusing on treating those patients with chronic hepatitis C. She then worked in a community hospital-based setting at the Liver Institute of Virginia in Newport News, VA and Richmond, VA for several years as the senior nurse practitioner. In this role, she gained extensive experience evaluating and managing patients with various acute and chronic liver diseases and conditions, including complications related to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). She was also a sub-investigator for many liver-related clinical trials including studies conducted to develop better oral medications for chronic hepatitis C, NASH and PBC.

Currently, she works full-time in the GI/Hepatology department at Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond, VA. In this role, she is primarily working to help develop a metabolic liver clinic to benefit those patients with NASH.

Mrs. Morris is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American College of Gastroenterology, Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners and an executive committee member and advisor for Chronic Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF).

MASLD-MASH Content Featuring April

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In this comprehensive video, Sherona Bau, NP from UCLA, breaks down the essential hepatology workup for patients with MASLD (formerly NAFLD) and MASH, offering guidance for both primary care providers and GI/hepatology specialists. Drawing from her extensive clinical experience, she outlines a systematic approach to evaluating abnormal liver ultrasound findings—starting with critical labs to rule out chronic liver conditions like hepatitis B, hepatitis C, autoimmune hepatitis, PBC, and hereditary hemochromatosis. Sherona discusses the importance of ordering ANA, AMA, ferritin, serologies, and even specialized labs like the phosphatidylethanol (PEth) test to uncover alcohol-related liver disease that may be overlooked. She emphasizes the need to screen for cardiometabolic risk factors including type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia and highlights non-invasive tests such as FibroScan and FIB-4 to help identify patients at risk of advanced fibrosis who may benefit from specialist referral. Most importantly, Sherona addresses the fears many patients face around liver disease progression and life expectancy, encouraging early intervention and coordinated care to improve long-term outcomes. This video is a must-watch for any clinician managing steatotic liver disease.

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