The American Gastroenterological Association announced the recipients of its 2017 annual recognition awards.
Julius Friedenwald Medal
AGA awarded its highest honor to Anil K. Rustgi, MD for his contributions to the gastroenterology field and the AGA over several decades.
Dr. Rustgi is a former AGA Institute president. In a release the AGA said Dr. Rustgi is a "world-class investigator, leader and mentor whose career has spanned over 25 years, during which he has played an instrumental role as an investigation and clinician in GI oncology with a focus on esophageal, pancreatic and colon cancers.
William Beaumont Prize
The AGA awarded David Ahlquist, MD, the William Beaumont Prize for discovering that multitarget DNA testing detects significantly more cancers and premalignant polyps in asymptomatic patients at average risk for colorectal cancer than fecal immunochemical tests.
Distinguished Achievement Award in Basic Science
Juanita Merchant, MD, PhD, received the Distinguished Achievement Award in Basic Science for her work in the field of transcription factors and its application to gastric physiology and pathophysiology.
Distinguished Educator Award
The AGA awarded Hari Conjeevaram, MD, for his entire academic career and his commitment to education, mentorship and empowerment of medical students.
Distinguished Mentor Award
The AGA awarded two distinguished mentor awards to John Carethers, MD, and to Emeran Mayer, MD. The AGA recognized Dr. Carethers for his GI fellow mentorship and Dr. Mayer for his three decades of trainee mentorship.
Distinguished Clinician Award
The AGA presented private practice and clinical academic practice Distinguished Clinical Awards to Steven Burdick, MD, and David Metz, MD, respectively.
The AGA stated Dr. Burdick "dedicated his life to the advancement of the field of interventional gastroenterology." He continues that mission to this day.
Dr. Metz is well-versed in all gastroenterology areas, which the AGA says "has resulted in him being a respected teacher/clinician and a highly sought-after clinician and visiting professor in his areas of expertise."
AGA Research Service Award
The AGA honored Majorie Merrick. Ms. Merrick is an advocate for research, training and education as well as patient support in the inflammatory bowel disease field.