EASL recognition awardee 2013: Professor Jesus Prieto.

During the 2013 International Liver Congress in Amsterdam, EASL recognized the career and achievements of Professor Jesus Prieto. Hepatologists from all over the world celebrated the liver scholar, scientist, mentor, academic leader, physician and, for many of us, the friend. We recognize somebody because they have given testimony: Prof. Jesus Prieto showed us how to enjoy the richness of academic life through the interaction with our students, colleagues and patients, and how enthusiasm and curiosity can bring us into a dimension beyond biology and mechanisms. Jesus Prieto is Professor of Medicine at the University of Navarra, and Consultant of Medicine at the University Clinic. He has held leadership roles in several national and international scientific societies and has received a number of international awards and honors. He has published hundreds of peer-reviewed highly quoted papers in the fields of immune-mediated liver disease, biliary diseases, and gene therapy of the liver. Prof. Prieto received his MD degree at the University of Valladolid (Spain), where he specialized in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. In 1972 Jesus, at that time an Assistant Professor, moved to London where he worked as a post-doctoral fellow with Professor Sheila Sherlock at the Royal Free Hospital. Working with Prof. Sherlock, he developed a method to measure serum ferritin and demonstrated its value in estimating liver iron stores and to guide venesection therapy in hemochromatosis. The resulting paper, published in 1975, became the first Gastroenterology paper of Jesus Prieto. Dr. Prieto moved back to Valladolid, in 1977, and he became Professor of Medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Finally, in 1980, he walked the ‘‘Camino the Santiago’’ backward and reached his final destination, the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. He quickly became one of the most influent members of the faculty and the School of Medicine and became Chairman of Medicine. Prof. Prieto is a visionary academic leader! He guided the Hepatology section of the University of Navarra towards international recognition and excellence and then envisioned a research