The AASLD Distinguished Service Award is given to an individual in honor of his or her sustained service to AASLD or the liver disease community in general. The award recognizes service provided to the community of hepatology researchers and clinicians over an extended period; service that is well above and beyond that provided by many members who serve on the Governing Board and Committees of the AASLD. The awardee need not be a member of the AASLD. Current members of the AASLD Governing Board are not eligible.
Presentation of the 2009 Distinguished Service Award to Joseph R. Bloomer, MD
Joseph Bloomer received his BS degree from MIT, MD from Western Reserve, research training in NIH Metabolism Branch, and hepatology fellowship/faculty appointment under Gerald Klatskin at Yale. He directed the University of Minnesota Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology from 1983-1995. He presently directs the Liver Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
His porphyria research received NIH funding 1976-2007 (MERIT Award 1994-2002). During that period he was elected into ASCI and AAP, chaired a Gordon Conference on Pyrroles, chaired the ABIM Gastroenterology Section, and was Associate Editor of Gastroenterology. He received the Theodore Woodward Award from the American Clinical and Climatological Association 1999.
Dr. Bloomer served on 7 committees of AASLD, chairing the first Research Committee, and chaired the Task Force for CAQ in Transplant Hepatology 1997-2001. He was AASLD President 1998-1999.
Distinguished Service Awardees
1981 Leon Schiff, MD
1983 Hans Popper, MD
1984 Burton Combes, MD
1988 Dame Sheila Sherlock, MD, PhD
1989 Herbert Falk, MD
1990 Kunio Okauda, MD
1991 Carroll M Leevy, MD
1993 Sarah C Kalser, PhD
1997 Steven Schenker, MD
1998 Kamal G Ishak, MD
1999 Michael F Sorrell, MD
2000 Willis C Maddrey, MD
2001 Anthony S Tavill, MD
2002 Esteban Mezey, MD
2003 Paul D Berk, MD
2004 Eugene R Schiff, MD
2005 Leonard B Seeff , MD
2006 Allan W Wolkoff , MD
2007 William F Balistreri , MD
2008 Andres T Blei, MD
2009 Joseph R Bloomer, MD