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A ��֦��Ƶ professor of medicine and liver researcher is reflecting with pride and gratitude after 15 years as lead of an endowed research chair.

When , MD, first arrived in ��֦��Ƶ, the young hepatologist had a simple goal. 

“I just wanted to survive,” he says with a laugh. After completing specialized training in Maryland at the National Institutes of Health, Swain joined U��֦��Ƶ’s as a clinician-scientist. “When I got here, there was one other hepatologist, Dr. Sam Lee, MD, and that was it,” he says. 

Swain says then-department head , MSc'89, MD, wanted that to change.

“He had a vision for growth and encouraged us to form a liver unit, even though there were just two of us," says Swain. "It was a bold move, but that’s how great things often start.”

A gift that changed everything

When the Cal Wenzel Family Foundation Chair in Hepatology was established in 2010, it created something uniquely transformative. are sustained by investment income from a permanent fund, ensuring a stable source of support for research and innovation year after year.

“The chair funding is used to build programs, support trainees and invest in growth. That flexibility has been key to building something truly special,” explains Swain. With support from the Wenzel family, ��֦��Ƶ’s hepatology program flourished. The funds helped recruit world-class hepatologists, support mid-career and young researchers returning from training, and purchase equipment such as a portable FibroScan — a non-invasive test to assess liver damage — and advanced imaging tools. The team even established a biobank of patient samples, a resource now used to study liver diseases at the molecular level.

Empowering knowledge and community

Beyond research, the chair has also been instrumental in advancing education and professional-development outreach. Swain and his team launched workshops starting in 2018 to help family physicians, nurses and pharmacists update skills in caring for patients with liver disease. “We ran a two-day course on managing hospitalized patients with liver conditions,” he says. “It was funded by the chair and made a real difference in people’s comfort and skill level.”

Another signature achievement is the (Translational Approaches to Inflammatory Liver Injury and Repair), created to showcase ��֦��Ƶ’s expertise while connecting local, national and international experts. “We wanted to create something that put ��֦��Ƶ on the map,” Swain says. The conference has since become a highly regarded province-wide event that continues to grow, which would not have been possible without the support of the Wenzel family’s philanthropy.

The chair has also enabled meaningful community engagement, from public awareness events with the to outreach in local communities starting with ��֦��Ƶ’s Bangladeshi population and expanding to include community engagement events with additional newcomer communities. “It’s been wonderful to connect directly with people, to share knowledge, and to help reduce the stigma around liver disease,” says Swain.

The FLA is a Canadian liver health charity that raises awareness about the disease. “The impact of the Wenzel Chair is a powerful example of what happens when philanthropy fuels vision," says president and founder Michael Betel. "��֦��Ƶ now has one of the strongest hepatology programs in North America. The Fatty Liver Alliance is grateful for the chance to partner in this work and to see how one gift can spark lasting progress for liver health.”  

The heart of philanthropy

Swain says the philanthropic nature of people in southern Alberta is unique. “There’s something special about this city,” he says. “People here are entrepreneurial and open-minded. If you have a good idea, people like Cal and Edith Wenzel will step up to help make it happen.”

In part due to donor support, what started as a two-person team 15 years ago has grown into a thriving group of 13 hepatologists. The ��֦��Ƶ Liver Unit is one of the largest in any non-transplant centre in North America. Together, they’re advancing treatments, training future specialists, and improving care for patients across Alberta and beyond.

“The mission was always to make ,” Swain says. “I think we’ve done that. But, most importantly, we’ve built something that will keep growing.”

Swain departs the role offering heartfelt encouragement to anyone considering supporting medical research.

“When people give, they’re not just funding a project, they’re shaping the future," he says. "They’re helping us recruit bright minds, discover new treatments and care for patients in ways we never could before. That’s the power of philanthropy.”