Dr. Stephen Hanauer Elected President of the American College of Gastroenterology

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Stephen B. Hanauer, MD, FACG, a recognized international expert on the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, was elected by the membership as the 2014-2015 president of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), a national specialty association representing more than 13,000 clinical gastroenterologists and other specialists in digestive diseases.  Dr. Hanauer officially took his position as president during the College's Annual Scientific Meeting, held this week in Philadelphia.  In this position, Dr. Hanauer will direct ACG's programs which include continuing medical education in the clinical, scientific and patient-related skills of gastroenterology, activities involving national and state medical affairs, health policy issues and clinical investigation.

After earning his medical degree from the University of Illinois, Dr. Hanauer completed his internship and residency in internal medicine followed by a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Chicago.  There Dr. Hanauer was mentored by one of the great clinicians in American gastroenterology, the legendary Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner.  Dr. Hanauer held a Professorship in Medicine at Chicago named for Dr. Kirsner.  He served as Chief of the section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the University of Chicago Medical Center from 2000 to 2013.  He also directed the Logan Center for Gastrointestinal Clinical Research. 

In January 2014 Dr. Hanauer was recruited to the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine as the Clifford Joseph Barborka Professor of Medicine and as Medical Director of the Digestive Health Center at Northwestern Medicine.

A member of the ACG Board of Trustees since 2006, Dr. Hanauer has served as an officer of the College since 2010.  He edited Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology and chaired the ACG Finance Committee from 2011 to 2012.  Dr. Hanauer has contributed as a member of the following College committees: Research (1989-1991); Educational Affairs (2004 to 2007); Publications (2006 to 2012); Credentials (2010 to 2011).  He gave the David B. Sun Memorial Lecture in 1999, "New Therapies for the Treatment of IBD."

Dr. Hanauer has also held leadership positions in the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) as chair of the Sections on Infection, Immunology and Inflammatory Bowel Disease as well as Clinical Practice, and served on the AGA Governing Board as a Counselor for Clinical Research. 

He was awarded the AGA Fiterman Foundation Joseph B. Kirsner Award in Gastroenterology in 2001 and the AGA Janssen Award for Clinical Excellence GI in 2004. He is currently an Associate Editor for Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.  In addition, Dr. Hanauer has worked with the American Board of Internal Medicine serving on the Gastroenterology sub-specialty board and with the FDA as a member and Chair of the GI advisory panel.  He has represented the College at the FDA related to development of end-points for IBD in a series of "GREAT" meetings.  He has also held leadership positions within the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of American and in 2011 received CCFA's Scientific Achievement Award for Clinical Research.  On an international basis, he is a member of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organization (ECCO) and as a member of the International Organization for IBD (IOIBD).

"I believe our challenges are great as health care, in general, is going through immense changes that impact on the practice of medicine, our practices in gastroenterology and, academic gastroenterology and its impact on training and research," commented Dr. Hanauer.

"My primary goal is to position the College to shape the future of gastroenterology including the evolution of clinical practice, advances in clinical training and the structure and implementation of clinical research, " said Dr. Hanauer.

Dr. Hanauer and his wife, Jayne, reside in Chicago and have three sons and four grandsons.

About the American College of Gastroenterology
Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is an organization with an international membership of more than 12,000 individuals from 80 countries. The College's vision is to be the pre-eminent professional organization that champions the evolving needs of clinicians in the delivery of high quality, evidence-based, and compassionate health care to gastroenterology patients. The mission of the College is to advance world-class care for patients with gastrointestinal disorders through excellence, innovation and advocacy in the areas of scientific investigation, education, prevention and treatment. www.gi.org

View media releases and news from the ACG Annual Scientific Meeting at http://acgblog.org/

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SOURCE American College of Gastroenterology

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