International Leadership Award

2021 International Leadership Award

 The International Leadership Award is given to an ACG Member in recognition of outstanding and substantial contributions to gastroenterology, to the College and to the international gastroenterology community . Substantial contributions internationally may include, but are not limited to, the training of individuals from other countries who have gone on to become leaders in gastroenterology in their community, leadership in international organizations that has resulted in improvement in the care of patients, and participation in humanitarian efforts . Nominations are solicited and reviewed by the Awards Committee with input from the International Affairs Committee and the Board of Governors . The recipient must be approved by the ACG Board of Trustees . The award will be given when appropriate at the ACG Annual Meeting and may not necessarily be given annually .

Nalini M. Guda MD, FACG

Nalini M . Guda MD, FACG, is currently the President of GI Associates, Wisconsin, the largest single specialty gastroenterology practice in Wisconsin . He is also an adjunct Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health . He is actively involved with endoscopic training and medical education and serves as the program director for the advanced endoscopy fellowship sponsored by GI Associates . He has served as faculty in several live national and international endoscopy workshops . He is involved in collaborative research with investigators from various institutions in the United States and abroad . Dr . Guda has 67 peer-reviewed publications and 12 book chapters . He is one of the Associate Editors of Digestive Endoscopy and regularly serves as peer reviewer for several other journals . He was recently recognized by the Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy of India with a lifetime honorary membership for all of his contributions to gastrointestinal endoscopy in India . He serves on various hospital committees and is actively involved with practice management and patient care issues . He was consistently voted by his peers as “Best Doctor” and “Top Doctor” in the Milwaukee area . He is the co-founder of the Midwest Endoscopy group which conducts an annual meeting to connect regional endoscopists/gastroenterologists for education and research . Dr . Guda is dedicated to the mission of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) in the U .S . and abroad, currently functioning as the ACG Governor for Wisconsin . He also served as a member of the ACG Training Committee from 20172020 . For the last few years, he has been very active in increasing the footprint of ACG among gastroenterologists in India, by encouraging membership in the College . He has advocated for the endorsement by the ACG of various regional and international educational programs in India, thus creating a mutually beneficial relationship . During the pandemic, he has co-directed ACG-endorsed educational activities in India and Southeast Asia to share knowledge regarding management of endoscopy services during COVID-19 . He serves as the co-director for the annually held ‘Best of ACG’ program in India . His active contributions to the field of endoscopy and medical education have been recognized by other organizations as well, notably he recently received the “Honorary Distinguished Educator Award” from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) . “It is very humbling to receive this award from ACG . It is a great honor and a privilege to be recognized, and I am thankful to my peers and mentors who inspire me every day . A lot can be achieved by international collaborations and working collectively on a global scale . The pandemic has certainly posed some challenges but, thanks to technological advances, it has also become easier to connect and collaborate with anyone and anywhere in the world . I am glad that the leadership of ACG is working to increase the membership of the organization globally and bring the world of gastroenterologists together . It is a great time to work together . ”