Key Dates

Hepatology & Transplant Calendar

Abstract deadlines, conferences, and funding opportunities — updated annually. Plan your research timeline around these dates from the start of each academic year.

Annual Cycle — Plan Ahead

Abstract deadlines precede conferences by 5–7 months. If you want to present at a June conference, your data needs to be analyzed by October. Use this calendar to work backward from your goals.

OCT
Late
ATC Abstract Deadline
Abstract submission deadline for the American Transplant Congress (AST/ASTS joint conference). Submit original research, case series, or quality improvement work. All organ types welcome — not liver-only.
Typically late October each year. Check myast.org for exact dates.
Deadline
NOV
The Liver Meeting (AASLD)
The premier annual hepatology conference, hosted by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Covers the full spectrum of liver disease — from MASLD to HCC to transplant immunology. Attendance exposes students to cutting-edge hepatology research and networking with leaders in the field.
Annually in November. Location rotates. Student member registration discounted.
Conference
MAY
Late
AASLD Liver Meeting Abstract Deadline
Abstract submission for The Liver Meeting closes typically in late May of the same year as the conference (November). Plan your data collection and analysis to be complete by April to allow writing time.
Confirm exact deadline at aasld.org each year.
Deadline
JUN
American Transplant Congress (ATC)
Joint annual meeting of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. The largest transplant meeting in North America. Parallel tracks for all organs. Strong trainee program with dedicated sessions for students and fellows.
Annually in June. The most accessible transplant conference for medical students to present.
Conference
ROLLING
AST LICOP Medical Student Travel Grant
The Liver & Intestinal Community of Practice (LICOP) offers an annual travel grant to help fund medical student attendance and poster/oral presentation at the American Transplant Congress. This is a direct funding mechanism for students who have been accepted to present — one of the few dedicated medical student awards in transplant medicine.
Application through AST website. Requires abstract acceptance at ATC. Watch the LICOP listserv for announcement timing (typically Jan–March).
Funding
VAR
ILTS Annual Congress
The International Liver Transplantation Society annual meeting, rotating internationally. Particularly valuable for students interested in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), which is more commonly practiced outside the US, and for those interested in global transplant medicine. Abstract deadlines vary.
Location and dates vary annually. Check ilts.org for upcoming congress details.
Conference
A Note on Timing

All dates listed are approximate and should be verified directly with the respective society each year. Abstract deadlines and conference dates can shift by 2–4 weeks annually. Sign up for AST, AASLD, and ASTS email lists to receive announcements directly. The best way to never miss a deadline is to become a member of these societies — all send deadline reminders to their member lists.