Dr. Debes graduated from medical school at Universidad Nacional de Cordoba in Argentina. Following his graduation he completed a postdoctoral research fellowship and Masters in Science-Molecular Biology at the Mayo Clinic. He later pursued residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology both at the University of Minnesota. During his fellowship Dr. Debes was awarded an NIH NRSA-F32 grant to study regulation of gene expression by the hepatitis C virus. Dr. Debes leads international research networks in three continents conducting research on viral hepatitis and liver cancer with on-site activities in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Netherlands, Brazil, Ecuador and Argentina. Through these networks he has defined the epidemiology of liver cancer in South America and Africa and has exposed biomarkers for early detection of liver cancer. His research activities expand from public health implementation and education on viral hepatitis to molecular biology aspects to define the mechanisms of viral-related liver cancer. Dr. Debes serves in editorial boards of multiple research journals and has served as reviewer in a variety of NIH study sections.