Professor Hannes Hagström

A Tribute to AASLD Member Professor Hannes Hagström

With sadness, AASLD acknowledges the passing of Professor Hannes Hagström. 

”Genom sorgens mörker lyser minnenas ljus,” or, “through grief’s darkness, the light of memory shines.”

Professor Hannes Hagström was an outstanding hepatologist, researcher, and friend whose passing is a devastating loss. Hannes combined scientific excellence with an extraordinary generosity towards colleagues and collaborators. As Professor and Consultant Hepatologist at Karolinska University Hospital, he made important and lasting contributions to the understanding of steatotic liver disease. 

One of Hannes Hagström’s many landmark contributions appeared more than a decade ago in HEPATOLOGY, one of AASLD’s leading scientific journals. That study was the first in a string of seminal articles that established a principle that now underpins the field: fibrosis stage as the key determinant of morbidity and mortality in NAFLD, independent of hepatic steatosis or inflammatory activity. Today, this work continues to direct drug development and preventive hepatology towards fibrosis stage as the central culprit of clinical outcomes in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Hannes Hagström’s ability to combine epidemiological data and study cohorts to answer clinically relevant questions became one of his defining scientific strengths. That same ability also shaped his later work, which moved from describing disease trajectories to changing them. He helped pioneer the use of non-invasive tests to identify people at risk of progressive fibrosis, contributing to pragmatic approaches for earlier fibrosis detection in primary care.

Beyond the studies themselves, Hannes was an exceptionally collaborative scientist, as he shaped research far beyond his hometown of Stockholm, building bridges across the Nordic countries, Europe, Asia and America.

For many, Hannes will be remembered not only as a dedicated clinical researcher, but also for the person he was. His generosity and collaborative spirit were instrumental in building and strengthening the Scandinavian hepatology community, where he encouraged colleagues and friends alike to join forces, share ideas openly, and support one another. Hannes helped create not only important scientific networks, but also a strong sense of friendship and collegiality.

His easy-going nature, warmth, humour, and quiet charm made every meeting, discussion, and collaboration enjoyable. He had a way of making people feel included and appreciated, whether speaking with leaders in the field, longstanding collaborators or younger colleagues at the beginning of their careers. He encouraged others to follow their research dreams with curiosity, courage and beliefs, offering steady support as they took their own steps forward. Despite his many accomplishments and international recognition, he remained approachable and deeply kind.

His passing leaves an enormous void in the community. Hannes Hagström leaves behind an exceptional professional legacy, but above all he leaves the memory of a deeply respected and much-loved colleague and friend. He will be profoundly missed by all those who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside him.

Written on behalf of all Hannes’ colleagues, collaborators and friends in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland by:

Mattias Ekstedt
Lise Lotte Gluud
Espen Melum
Patrik Nasr
Ying Shang
Per Stål
Maja Thiele
Frederik Åberg