AASLD Honours William F. Balistreri, M.D., With Distinguished Service Award

Main Category: Liver Disease / Hepatitis
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 09 Feb 2008 - 3:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

William F. Balistreri, MD, Editor of The Journal of Pediatrics, has been honored with the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) 2007 Distinguished Service Award, recognizing his sustained commitment and contribution to the AASLD as well as to the liver disease community. He is the first pediatrician to receive this annual award.

"The AASLD was privileged to honor Dr. Balistreri with its distinguished service award in honor of his enormous scientific contributions to the diagnosis and management of children with liver diseases, his tireless advocacy for children with liver diseases, and his life-long engagement in AASLD committees and meetings, and with its governing board, including having served as its president," said Gregory Gores, MD, current president of AASLD and Reuben R. Eisenberg Professor of Medicine and Physiology, and Chair of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Balistreri is Director of the Pediatric Liver Care Center and Medical Director of the Liver Transplantation Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. He is Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and has served as Director of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition for 25 years. Dr. Balistreri has authored over 450 publications, including original articles, editorials, reviews, and chapters. He has edited or co-edited several books, including the first multi-authored text on Pediatric Hepatology and Liver Disease in Children. He has helped to clarify the understanding of many aspects of pediatric hepatology, particularly in the areas of bile acid metabolism, neonatal cholestasis, hepatitis, and liver transplantation. Of significant importance, Dr. Balistreri serves as Editor of The Journal of Pediatrics (1995 - present), and was formerly Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (1991-1995).

In addition to being the first pediatrician to serve as President of the AASLD, Dr. Balistreri is or has been a member of numerous prestigious, scholarly societies, including the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN), (President 1982-1984), Children's Digestive Health and Nutrition Foundation (CDHNF), (President 2005-present), American Board of Pediatrics (Sub-board Chair 1991-1993 and Board of Directors 1991-1997 and 2000-2003), and the American Liver Foundation (Board of Directors 1980-1983). He has also served on various committees and study groups in review of grants with the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, and others.

Dr. Balistreri has received awards from various prestigious societies, including the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of American (1995), the Andrew Sass-Kortsak Memorial Award from the Canadian Liver Foundation and the Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver (1998), the Murray Davidson Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Gastroenterology & Nutrition (1999), the Shwachman Award (1999) from NASPGHAN, the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Buffalo, the Founders Award from the Cincinnati Pediatric Society (1999), the Outstanding Pediatrician of the Year 2001 from the Ohio Chapter of the AAP, and the Daniel Drake Medal from the University of Cincinnati.

----------------------------
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
----------------------------

Source: Monica Helton
Elsevier Health Sciences