News Release

AGA announces recipients of prestigious recognition awards

Grant and Award Announcement

American Gastroenterological Association

Through its prestigious recognition awards, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) honors several individuals each year for their outstanding contributions and achievements in gastroenterology.

"All of the members recognized through the AGA awards were nominated by their colleagues — a high compliment and illustration of esteem," said Robert S. Sandler, MD, MPH, AGAF, president of the AGA Institute.

The AGA congratulates the 2009 awardees and thanks them for their exemplary service to the field of gastroenterology.

Julius Friedenwald Medal

AGA's highest honor is awarded to Daniel K. Podolsky, MD, AGAF, president of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. The Julius Friedenwald Medal, presented annually since 1941, recognizes a physician for lifelong contributions to the field of gastroenterology. Dr. Podolsky also serves as a professor of medicine and the Doris and Bryan Wildenthal Distinguished Chair in Medical Science at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

William Beaumont Prize in Gastroenterology

The 2009 AGA William Beaumont Prize in Gastroenterology is presented to Warren Strober, MD, chief, section on mucosal immunity, laboratory of host defenses, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD. This award recognizes an individual who has made a major contribution (a single accomplishment or series of accomplishments) that has significantly advanced gastroenterological basic or clinical research.

Research Service Award

The AGA presents Judith M. Podskalny, PhD with the 2009 Research Service Award. The award was established in 2006 to recognize an individual who has significantly advanced gastroenterological science and research. Dr. Podskalny is a program director in the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the NIDDK representative to the NIH Training Advisory Committee.

Distinguished Educator Award

The AGA honors William F. Balistreri, MD, for his achievement as an outstanding educator over a lifelong career. Dr. Balistreri is the Dorothy M.M. Kersten Professor of Pediatrics and associate chair, subspecialty education in the department of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio. He also is the director of the pediatric liver care center, the medical director the liver transplantation and the program director of the fellowship in transplant hepatology in the division of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Distinguished Mentor Award

The AGA presents the Distinguished Mentor Award to Jerry S. Trier, MD, AGAF, which recognizes an individual for his or her achievements as an outstanding mentor over a lifelong career. Dr. Trier is a professor of medicine, emeritus, at Harvard Medical School, Boston, which he has served since 1973.

Distinguished Clinician Awards

The Distinguished Clinician Award acknowledges exemplary leadership and excellence in the practice of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute is proud to be awarding this honor to four deserving individuals.

In addition to his private practice, Damian Augustyn, MD, AGAF, is chief of the medical staff and chair of the Medical Executive Committee of California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. He also is the managing partner of Pacific Internal Medicine Associates and an associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine.

Lin Chang, MD, AGAF, is a professor of medicine-in-residence in the division of digestive diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she is co-director and head of the clinical program for the Center for Neurobiology of Stress in the division of digestive diseases. Additionally, Dr. Chang is the co-director of CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center, Human Studies Core and the associate director of the UCLA General Clinical Research Center.

Robert Craig, MD, is a professor of medicine at Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago and is in private practice.

Dr. Goldfinger is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston, and a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The awardees, announced during Digestive Disease Week® (DDW®), are nominated by their peers and undergo a rigorous review process. Nominations can be made by the AGA Governing Board, Council section chairs, committee chairs, task force chairs and membership-at-large; deans of U.S. medical schools and academic-based chiefs of medicine; chiefs of surgery and pediatrics; GI division chiefs and training directors of major academic institutions; and trainee members of the AGA. Applications are reviewed by the AGA Research Policy Committee and confirmed by the Selection Committee.

###

About the AGA Institute

The AGA is dedicated to the mission of advancing the science and practice of gastroenterology. Founded in 1897, the AGA is one of the oldest medical-specialty societies in the U.S. The AGA's more than 17,000 members include physicians and scientists who research, diagnose and treat disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. For more information, visit www.gastro.org.

About DDW

DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. Jointly sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the AGA Institute, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, DDW takes place May 30 - June 4, 2009, at the McCormick Place Convention Center. The meeting showcases approximately 5,000 abstracts and hundreds of lectures on the latest advances in GI research, medicine and technology. For more information, visit www.ddw.org.


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.