Taiwanese hepatologist honored by U.S. liver organization

2011/10/26  Taipei, Oct. 26 (CNA) Academia Sinica member Chen Ding-shinn has been selected as the recipient of the 2011 Distinguished Clinician Educator/Mentor Award by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) in recognition of his contributions to hepatology, Taiwan's top academic institute said Wednesday. The award presentation is scheduled to take place Nov. 6 at the 62nd annual meeting of the AASLD in San Francisco. According to an AASLD statement, Chen, a distinguished chair professor of medicine at National Taiwan University College of Medicine, has devoted his life to teaching and research at the National Taiwan University Hospital since 1975. "He has trained over 90 gastroenterologists and hepatologists, many of whom now hold key positions in major teaching hospitals in Taiwan," the statement read. He was also instrumental in creating a public health program that has immunized most newborns in Taiwan against hepatitis B, it added. Academia Sinica said Chen has specialized in the natural history of hepatitis B infection, the early detection and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and the prevention of hepatitis B infection. His team also developed the combination therapy of interferon and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C, which has since become a standard treatment worldwide, the institute said.