(682) 427-0200
(682) 427-0200Dr. Thomas G. Cotter is the Founder and President of Texas Liver Care, leading integrated initiatives in liver and metabolic health across clinical care, research, and education. Trained as both a pharmacist and physician, he earned his medical degree with First Class Honors in Ireland and completed Internal Medicine at the Mayo Clinic, followed by Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology fellowships at the University of Chicago Medicine, where he also trained in clinical nutrition.
He is quadruple board-certified and holds a Master of Science in Public Health Sciences from the University of Chicago. Dr. Cotter’s research has been supported by the NIH (K-award >$1 million) and AASLD (~$200 k), with additional roles in multi-center consortium grants.
Previously on faculty at UT Southwestern Medical Center, he now leads Texas Liver Care and the Texas Liver Care Foundation, advancing expert care, research translation, and community education throughout Texas and beyond.
Dr. Cotter completed his Internal Medicine residency at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) and advanced fellowships in Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology at the University of Chicago Medicine. His training included advanced nutrition, metabolic care, and endocrinology rotations, providing deep expertise in complex liver and metabolic conditions. Dr. Cotter has also completed additional Addiction Medicine training at The University of Texas at El Paso and at Boston University (Fellow Immersion Training (FIT) Program in Addiction Medicine).
Dr. Cotter is an accomplished clinical investigator with leadership roles as PI and Co-Investigator on multiple NIH- and industry-sponsored trials and observational studies. Highlights include:
PI on the Intercept FRESH Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis Phase 2 trial and the NIH-funded Dallas Dionysus Study
Steering committee leadership on NIH-sponsored consortia, including AlcHepNet and the INTEGRATE Study Group
Co-Investigator on DURECT AH, GSK Starlight, and Altimmune Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease trials
His combined clinical and pharmacy experience provides operational expertise to run high-quality Phase 1–4 trials, with rigorous investigational drug handling and sponsor-grade documentation.
Dr. Cotter has held faculty appointments at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Health, serving as an Assistant Professor. He served as Chief Fellow in Gastroenterology at the University of Chicago and led the Fort Worth Liver Transplant Clinic at UT Southwestern’s Monty & Tex Moncrief Medical Center. He actively mentors trainees, organizes educational programs, and contributes to clinical practice guidelines. His expertise spans steatotic liver disease—including alcohol-associated and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease—as well as other major liver disorders and transplant-related research. He has held leadership roles in professional society committees and educational initiatives at national and international meetings. (Formal professional affiliations with UT Southwestern and Baylor Scott & White Health will be added when confirmed.)
Dr. Cotter has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications, frequently presents at national and international meetings, and is recognized for investigator-driven leadership in liver research. His work has been cited over 3,000 times, with an H-index approaching 30 (a measure of productivity and citation impact; above 25 is considered highly influential), underscoring his substantial impact and credibility in hepatology.
Dr. Cotter has contributed to global health initiatives in Bolivia (Centro Médico Humberto Parra) and Nepal (Draíocht Charity), leveraging his medical expertise and leadership to improve care in underserved settings — past work that reflects the Foundation’s mission to expand equitable access to care and research.
Dr. Cotter is an accomplished clinical investigator with leadership roles as PI and Co-Investigator on multiple NIH- and industry-sponsored trials and observational studies. Highlights include:
Steering Committee, NIH-sponsored AlcHepNet Consortium and INTEGRATE Study Group
Leadership contributions to NIH K-award and AASLD CTORA projects
Advisory roles in multiple industry-sponsored trials
Editorial reviewer and editorial board memberships for major hepatology journals
Use the Contact Page for patient or study scheduling. Professional collaboration requests can be submitted via the Research Collaboration Form.