AGA Foundation Honors Joseph B. Kirsner, MD, PhD
Former AGA President and Friedenwald Medal Recipient Turns 100 This Year
Bethesda, MD (May 30, 2009) – The American Gastroenterological Association’s (AGA) Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition (FDHN) is honoring Joseph B. Kirsner, MD, PhD, in anticipation of his 100th birthday on September 21.
“The AGA Foundation is pleased to honor Dr. Kirsner and his outstanding contributions to the field of digestive disease science through clinical education, scholarship, research and patient care,” said Sidney Cohen, MD, AGAF, chairman of the Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition. “We are proud to have such a distinguished leader in our field who is dedicated to advancing GI medicine.”
Currently a Louis Block Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago, IL, Dr. Kirsner previously served as AGA president in 1965. He also received the Julius Friedenwald Medal (1975) and AGA’s Distinguished Educator Award (1999), and is a member of the AGA Legacy Society. The society honors individuals who have chosen to benefit the foundation through a significant gift. Legacy society members share a desire to guarantee long-term support for digestive disease research. Through their foresight and generosity, they help ensure the continued momentum of discovery and patient education that has characterized GI medicine in recent decades.
Dr. Kirsner has authored or co-authored more than 750 scientific papers in leading medical and research journals. In recent years, his scientific writings have dealt principally with inflammatory bowel disease, a field in which Dr. Kirsner is recognized as a world authority.
Dr. Kirsner’s centennial celebration dinner was held during Digestive Disease Week® on Friday, May 29, 2009, at the Chicago Intercontinental Hotel, Seville Ballroom.
About the Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition
The Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition (FDHN) is a foundation of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). The foundation’s ultimate mission mirrors that of the AGA: to improve the human condition through understanding, preventing, diagnosing and curing digestive diseases. The foundation raises funds for research and public education. Donors to the foundation include a significant number of AGA physicians, patients and family members of those who suffer from digestive diseases, and the pharmaceutical industry. To learn more about the AGA Foundation or to make a contribution, please visit www.fdhn.org.
About the American Gastroenterological Association
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 Digestive Disease Week
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.
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