A new annual lectureship recently was announced honoring the late Michael Sorrell, MD, a famed UNMC physician who was world-renowned for his expertise in liver disease, liver transplantation and gastrointestinal disorders. Dr. Sorrell died May 25, 2024, at the age of 88.
UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, and Bradley Britigan, MD, dean of the UNMC College of Medicine, announced the creation of the “Michael F. Sorrell, MD, Distinguished Lectureship in Hepatology” at a celebratory dinner Feb. 26 at Happy Hollow Country Club.
At the event, Mark Rupp, MD, interim chair of the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, expressed pride and gratitude for the lectureship and for Dr. Sorrell’s significant contributions.
“We are not only launching a new academic tradition but also honoring a legacy of excellence and innovation in hepatology and liver transplantation,” Dr. Rupp said. “Dr. Michael Sorrell was a remarkable man who contributed greatly to the success of the internal medicine department and to the growth of UNMC.”
Fedja Rochling, MBBCh, chief of the UNMC Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, said Dr. Sorrell was “without a doubt, a leader in the field of hepatology.”
“He made a true impact beyond the state borders and that impact lives on in many liver transplantation programs worldwide,” he said. “This lectureship provides the division and department with the resources to invite a preeminent leader in liver disease to educate our learners at all levels on topics of liver disease.”
Andres Duarte-Rojo, MD, professor of medicine (gastroenterology and hepatology) and surgery (organ transplantation) at Northwestern University in Chicago, was selected as the inaugural lecturer. More than 170 people attended in person and via Zoom as he spoke on the topic “Transplant FITness: The Role of Prehabilitation in Expanding the Liver Transplant Pool” at a grand rounds presentation on Feb. 27.
Dr. Rupp said the endowed lectureship is an ongoing commitment to advancing knowledge, fostering discovery and inspiring the next generation of physicians and scientists.
“It ensures that, year after year, we will not only gather to celebrate the career and contributions of Dr. Sorrell, but we’ll also be working with the visiting lectureship honoree in exchanging ideas, challenging assumptions and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in medicine,” he said. “As we begin this tradition, let us remember that the true measure of our success will be found in the knowledge we share and the lives that are improved.”
The endowed lectureship fund is made possible with the generosity of the Sorrell family and other donors. Support the lectureship in Dr. Sorrell’s honor.