Immunology & Infectious Diseases

David Askew

Stephen Zucker, MD

Int Med-Digestive Diseases

Associate Professor

Director GI Fellowship

Research Summary

The primary focus of the laboratory of Dr. Zucker is on elucidating the physiological and pathophysiological effects of bilirubin, which is the main breakdown product of heme catabolism. The primary areas of research center on elucidating the mechanism(s) underlying the anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive properties of bilirubin. An additional series of investigations are examining how bilirubin is able to enter the newborn brain and induce injury to nerve cells (kernicterus).

Dr. Zucker joined the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine's staff in September, 1998. He previously held the position of Instructor in Medicine and Associate Physician at Harvard Medical School and the Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston. Dr. Zucker's primary interests are in the areas of Liver Disease. Dr. Zucker is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.

Recent Publications

Ahmed K, Zucker SD. Giant cell hepatitis in a teenage woman. ClinGastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Jan;6(1):A26-26.e1. PubMed PMID: 18166469.

Limketkai BN, Zucker SD. Hyperammonemic encephalopathy caused by carnitinedeficiency. J Gen Intern Med. 2008 Feb;23(2):210-3. Epub 2007 Dec 13. PubMedPMID: 18080167; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2359173.

Smith DL, Shire NJ, Watts NB, Schmitter T, Szabo G, Zucker SD.Hyperbilirubinemia is not a major contributing factor to altered bone mineral density in patients with chronic liver disease. J Clin Densitom. 2006Jan-Mar;9(1):105-13. Epub 2006 Mar 27. PubMed PMID: 16731439.

Keshavan P, Deem TL, Schwemberger SJ, Babcock GF, Cook-Mills JM, Zucker SD.Unconjugated bilirubin inhibits VCAM-1-mediated transendothelial leukocytemigration. J Immunol. 2005 Mar 15;174(6):3709-18. PubMed PMID: 15749910. 

Zucker SD, Horn PS, Sherman KE. Serum bilirubin levels in the U.S. population:gender effect and inverse correlation with colorectal cancer. Hepatology. 2004Oct;40(4):827-35. PubMed PMID: 15382174.  

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