image: The recognition prizes honor outstanding contributions and achievements in gastroenterology.
Credit: AGA
Bethesda, MD (April 15, 2026) — The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has announced the recipients of our 2026 recognition prizes, honoring outstanding contributions and achievements in gastroenterology.
“AGA is proud to recognize the outstanding recipients honored with this year’s Recognition Awards,” said AGA chair Maria T. Abreu, MD, AGAF. “Thank you to the nominators for their thoughtful submissions and to the selection committee members for their work identifying these individuals from a pool of highly qualified nominees. Please join us in celebrating this year’s honorees and their significant contributions to our field.”
AGA looks forward to celebrating the recipients during Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2026, May 2-5, in Chicago, IL.
Julius Friedenwald Medal
For 85 years, the Julius Friedenwald Medal has annually recognized a physician for their lifelong contributions to gastroenterology. This year, AGA presents our highest honor to Hashem El-Serag, MD, MPH, AGAF, for his exceptional service to the field and AGA.
Since joining in 1996, Dr. El-Serag has served as a dedicated AGA leader and recently earned the William Beaumont Prize in Gastroenterology for his seminal clinical research contributions. Most notably, he served as AGA’s 114th president from 2019-2020, playing a key role in guiding the organization’s response during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also served as editor-in-chief of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology from 2012-2017, where he helped expand the journal’s global reach and scientific impact.
An internationally recognized physician-scientist, Dr. El-Serag is widely known for pioneering epidemiologic research on hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic liver disease. His work has helped define the changing epidemiology and risk factors of liver cancer, influencing clinical guidelines and prevention strategies worldwide. He has authored more than 700 peer-reviewed publications with over 127,000 citations (H-index 165), placing him among the most highly cited investigators in gastroenterology and hepatology.
At Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. El-Serag currently serves as chair of the department of medicine, director of the NIH-funded digestive disease center, and vice president for the learning health system initiative, where he has led efforts to integrate data science, clinical care, and translational research to improve health care delivery and outcomes.
William Beaumont Prize in Gastroenterology
AGA recognizes Stuart Jon Spechler, MD, AGAF, MACG, FAFS, with the William Beaumont Prize in Gastroenterology, for his major contributions in esophageal disorders. Dr. Spechler was the first to describe the condition now known as short-segment Barrett’s esophagus. He was also among the first investigators to recognize the dramatic rise in frequency of esophageal adenocarcinoma and to provide a meaningful estimate of associated risk in patients with Barrett’s esophagus.
Along with his research partner, Rhonda Souza, MD, AGAF, Dr. Spechler’s team demonstrated that GERD develops not as a caustic chemical injury, as long believed, but as a cytokine-mediated inflammatory response. His team also clarified the complex relationship between GERD and EoE, identifying a mechanism where PPIs can heal EoE through anti-inflammatory effects independent of acid suppression. Most recently, his team has described mechanisms by which EoE might contribute to the development of achalasia and esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction.
Dr. Spechler currently serves as the chief of the division of gastroenterology and co-director of the Center for Esophageal Diseases at Baylor University Medical Center, and co-director of the Center for Esophageal Research at the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute in Dallas, TX.
Distinguished Achievement Award in Basic Science
AGA awards the Distinguished Achievement Award in Basic Science to Klaus H. Kaestner, PhD, MS, for his pioneering contributions to gastroenterology. Dr. Kaestner is the Suor Butterworth Professor of Genetics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
Dr. Kaestner’s principal research interest is the molecular genetic basis of functional defects of the liver and gastrointestinal tract, combining innovative mouse genetic models with state-of-the-art genomic analysis to make discoveries. Among his achievements are the use of genetic and genomic tools to explain sexual dimorphism in liver cancer in mammals and to better understand the intestinal stem cell niche.
Dr. Kaestner is an active member of AGA and AASLD and has served on the editorial board of several journals, including as co-editor-in-chief of Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology (CMGH) from 2019 to 2024.
Distinguished Service Award in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
AGA recognizes Rachel Issaka, MD, MAS, for her commitment to addressing inequities in gastrointestinal health. Dr. Issaka has dedicated her career to combating health inequity and closing the gaps in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and outcomes, particularly in medically underserved populations. Her research focuses on improving equitable access to screening, follow-up of non-invasive screening tests, and surveillance after cancer treatment.
In addition to her research, Dr. Issaka has served on multiple committees that foster inclusive environments and advocate for patients, including the World Endoscopy Organization’s Coalition for Reducing CRC Screening Inequalities and Fight CRC’s Health Equity. She is a co-founder and board member of the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH). To date, she has mentored 28 diverse early-career scientists, many of whom continue to pursue research focused on health equity.
Dr. Issaka has contributed to national medical practice guidelines for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable. She is the Kathryn Surace-Smith Endowed Chair in Health Equity Research and the director of the population health colorectal cancer screening program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and the University of Washington.
Distinguished Clinician Awards
The AGA Distinguished Clinician Awards recognize practitioners who blend the art of medicine with scientific expertise to provide exceptional patient care.
AGA honors Jeffry L. Nestler, MD, with the Distinguished Clinician Award in Private Practice. Dr. Nestler is a gastroenterologist and physician executive based in Hartford, CT.
Dr. Nestler is president of Connecticut GI, one of the largest gastroenterology groups in the region, and serves as the CEO and medical director of the Glastonbury/Bloomfield Endoscopy Center. In these roles, he has been instrumental in advancing patient care through innovative practices and quality improvement initiatives, consistently driving high-quality, cost-effective health care delivery. He also serves as co-physician-in-chief of the Hartford HealthCare Digestive Health Institute, where he focuses on strategic growth, physician integration, adoption of innovative technologies, and development of advanced digestive health programs. He has been an active practicing clinician for the last 35 years, caring for his patients.
Dr. Nestler is a board member of GI Alliance and The Specialty Alliance and serves as the secretary and an executive board member of the Digestive Health Physicians Association. He is also a managing partner of Connecticut GI MSO, LLC. Previously, he served for over two decades as chief of the division of gastroenterology at Hartford Hospital and also served as president of the Hartford Hospital Medical Staff.
Dr. Nestler is currently an associate clinical professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, where he continues to teach fellows and residents. He has received numerous recognitions, including the ACG Governors Award, and has been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor for more than a decade.
AGA recognizes William M. Lee, MD, with the Distinguished Clinician Award in Academic Practice for his contributions to hepatology over his 50-year career. Dr. Lee has served as professor of internal medicine and bioengineering at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas since 1990 and is currently professor emeritus of internal medicine. He was one of the first providers in a research-oriented division to see outpatients on the University side, growing his practice to several thousand patients with liver disease and providing care to a racially and socioeconomically diverse patient population.
In addition to a busy hepatology practice, Dr. Lee has made important contributions to clinical research and has conducted over 40 clinical trials. He initially characterized the Gc protein as an active scavenger in acute liver failure and has delineated many of the clinical features of acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. In 1997, he founded the Acute Liver Failure Study Group, a national network to study this orphan disease, which NIH has funded continuously since its inception.
Dr. Lee was recognized in 2014 with the AASLD Distinguished Clinician Educator/Mentor award and in 2018 with the Alumni Gold Medal from the College of Physicians and Surgeons for Clinical Excellence. He’s mentored over 50 students, residents, and fellows from around the globe, including raising funds to bring four fellows from Uganda for a year of GI and hepatology training, who have gone on to become gastroenterology faculty.
Distinguished Educator Award
AGA presents the Distinguished Educator Award to Steven Itzkowitz, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF, for his dedication and passion for teaching all levels of medical education. Dr. Itzkowitz is a professor of medicine, oncological sciences, and medical education at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where he has received multiple awards, including the Mount Sinai Jacobi Medallion in 2007, the highest honor bestowed by the institution, the Dr. Arthur H. Aufses, Jr., Career achievement Award in Medical Education, and a Master Educator Award in 2020.
Dr. Itzkowitz has taught the GI and liver pathophysiology course to second-year medical students for over 20 years, introducing hundreds of students to the excitement of diagnosing and treating digestive diseases. As one of the longest-serving GI fellowship program directors (1999 to 2022), he trained and mentored scores of GI fellows and junior faculty, many of whom went on to hold prominent leadership positions. He is particularly proud of promoting the careers of women and underrepresented minority trainees.
Dr. Itzkowitz has published many disease management guidelines and book chapters. He has greatly contributed to AGA, which he considers his academic “home” — including serving as Chair of the GI Oncology Council, serving on multiple committees, lecturing at the AGA Postgraduate Course, and authoring several editions of DDSEP®.
Distinguished Mentor Award
The AGA Distinguished Mentor Award recognizes individuals who have dedicated their careers to mentoring the next generation of leaders in gastroenterology. This year, AGA proudly honors Nicholas Davidson, MD, DSc, AGAF, who is the John E. and Adaline Simon Endowed Professor of Medicine and chief of the division of gastroenterology at Washington University School of Medicine (WashU). He also serves as PI and director of the P30 Digestive Disease Research Core Center at WashU, where his role is to oversee, manage, and direct the strategic allocation of resources, and to enable technology to advance studies of digestive and liver diseases and to promote the careers of junior colleagues and trainees.
Over his 28-year tenure at WashU, Dr. Davidson has mentored more than 150 GI fellows, over 50 undergraduate students, and more than 20 medical, graduate, and resident students. Many of them have gone on to pursue academic careers in digestive and liver disease, including several division chiefs, program directors, and department chairs nationally and internationally. Dr. Davidson served as PI on the WashU T-32 for 20 years and now serves as associate director, meeting regularly with trainees and providing guidance, mentorship, and support as they pursue an academic career. Dr. Davidson has also participated in and directed several AGA-AASLD Academic Skills Workshops, extending the reach of his mentorship to the broader digestive disease community.
Young Investigator Awards
The AGA Young Investigator Awards recognize two early career investigators — one in clinical science and one in basic science — for outstanding research achievements. AGA honors Manasi Agrawal, MD, MS, with the Young Investigator Award in Clinical Science.
Dr. Agrawal is an assistant professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, with a focus on IBD. She is also the inaugural director of environmental gastroenterology. In this role, she advances research on exposomics in gastrointestinal diseases and mentors trainees, establishing herself as a leader in environmental gastroenterology and preventative medicine.
Dr. Agrawal’s research focuses on the role of the environment in IBD risk, disease prediction, and prevention. Her work aims to characterize the role of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pesticides, microplastics, metals, and related exposures on intestinal inflammation and IBD. She is also interested in the role of environmental shifts in the Global South in contributing to the rising incidence of IBD.
Dr. Agrawal participates in writing guidelines for IBD care and is involved in committees for AGA, ACG, and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. She serves as the secretary of the New York Crohn’s and Colitis Organization and on the editorial boards of multiple GI journals.
AGA honors Melinda “Mindy” Engevik, PhD, with the Young Investigator Award in Basic Science. Dr. Engevik is an associate professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in the Department of Regenerative Medicine & Cell Biology.
Dr. Engevik started her lab in 2020, and her research focuses on host-microbe interactions in the gastrointestinal tract, with an emphasis on how bacteria and their metabolites regulate the intestinal mucus barrier, epithelial function, and inflammation. Her work integrates advanced approaches, including organoid models, gnotobiotic mice, and multi-omics, to uncover mechanisms driving diseases such as IBD, cystic fibrosis, and colorectal cancer.
In addition to her research, Dr. Engevik has been an active AGA member since 2015 and is highly engaged in mentorship and service. She has trained multiple graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and undergraduates, and she is committed to advancing diversity and supporting women in science.
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AGA Media Contact: Annie Mehl, Communications and Media Relations Manager, media@gastro.org, 301-327-0013
About the AGA Institute
The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, AGA represents members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice, and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research, and educational programs of the organization. www.gastro.org
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