Turkish gastroenterologist gets top award from international professional group

By Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) – A Turkish gastroenterologist has received a top honor from an international professional group for her contributions to the field – the first Turkish physician from the European region to do so.

The World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) presented the Master of WGO award to Dr. Ayse Nurdan Tozun, the vice rector of Istanbul’s Acibadem University, “for her original scientific research in the field of gastroenterology, support for education and admirable community services,” the university said in a statement.

The WGO aims to promote an awareness of the worldwide prevalence and optimal care of gastrointestinal and liver disorders, and to improve the care of these disorders through providing high-quality, accessible, and independent education and training.

The Master of the WGO Award is the highest honor the WGO can bestow on a member biennially and is granted only to those individuals who have provided outstanding dedication to the mission of the WGO and achieved distinction in such areas as scholarly research, teaching, and service to WGO and the community at large, according to the group’s website.

Tozun is the first Turkish physician to receive the Master of WGO award in representation of the group’s European region

The award was presented to Tozun by Dr. Naima Amrani, the group’s former president, at the opening ceremony of the World Gastroenterology Congress held in Dubai last month.

"I am very proud on behalf of my country to receive this award as a woman," the statement cited Tozun as saying.