Professor Lars Aabakken: A Visionary in GI Endoscopy and Medical Education

The recipient of this year’s 2025 UEG Lifetime Achievement Award, Professor Lars Aabakken, stands as one of the most influential figures in European and global gastrointestinal endoscopy. To be asked to write in brief why Lars merits such a prize is of course an honor but also a challenge, as being my friend, the words may seem exaggerated. On the other hand, I am sure many other reasons can be found to describe why this summary is also incomplete. With a distinguished career spanning nearly four decades, Prof. Aabakken has combined clinical excellence, scientific innovation, and tireless organizational leadership to shape the landscape of digestive endoscopy. Prof. Aabakken earned his medical degree and completed his PhD at the University of Oslo, where he later became Professor of Medicine. He has served as Chief of GI Endoscopy at Rikshospitalet, Oslo University Hospital, since 2002. His early research on NSAID-induced gastrointestinal injury using pioneering methods to evaluate permeability and mucosal damage laid the foundation for a career characterized by methodological precision and clinical relevance. A central theme of Prof. Aabakken's work has been the standardization and modernization of endoscopy practice. As Chair of the WEO Standardization Committee, he led the development of the Minimal Standard Terminology (MST 3.0) and played a crucial role in initiatives such as the ASGE lexicon for adverse events and structured reporting systems. His dedication to quality assurance has had an enduring impact, particularly through the creation of data registries that inspired national systems, such as Norway's ERCP registry, or the development of the Quality in Endoscopy Symposia series, together with the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and UEG. In academia, Prof. Aabakken is recognized not only as a prolific author—with over 260 PubMed-indexed publications—but also as a dedicated mentor and educator. He has guided numerous PhD students and edited foundational textbooks, including Norway's first internal medicine textbook in two volumes. His early adoption of digital pedagogical tools underscored a lifelong commitment to education and accessibility. Prof. Aabakken's organizational contributions are equally remarkable. He has held key positions in all major endoscopy societies: President of the Scandinavian Association for Digestive Endoscopy (SADE) and the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE). At UEG, he has been active as Secretary for the Scientific Committee of the 3rd UEG meeting in Oslo 1994, as Member of the Education Committee 2002–2011 and as Endoscopy Representative in the Council 2016–2019. He is currently the President of the World Endoscopy Organization (WEO), and I have the honor to be his secretary general and second him in the vision for the outreach mission to specific geographies and underserved themes in healthcare. Beyond his titles, Prof. Aabakken is esteemed for his integrity, collegial spirit, and ability to inspire generations of gastroenterologists. His enduring contributions to endoscopy terminology, quality standards, and international cooperation have profoundly advanced our field. At a personal level, I feel Lars is a true and loyal friend, so I confess to feeling personally honored to write this summary on why Professor Lars Aabakken is the recipient of the UEG 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award. The author declares no conflicts of interest. The author has nothing to report.