UC doctor honors 60,000 global colleagues with new international award

Anita Afzali, M.D., represents a global network of 60,000 gastroenterologists as she accepts the American College of Gastroenterology’s 2026 International Leadership Award. The professional honor recognizes members who make substantial contributions to the international gastroenterology community, including training physicians from other countries and leading organizations that improve patient care.

The ACG honored Afzali at the 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting held in Nashville, Tennessee. The college’s Awards Committee reviewed nominations with input from its International Affairs Committee and Board of Governors. The ACG Board of Trustees approved the recipient after that review process.

Afzali serves as a professor of medicine and the James F. Heady Endowed Chair in Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She currently serves as the interim chair of the Department of Internal Medicine. She is also a UC Health physician in gastroenterology and the division’s physician operations executive.

In her international role, Afzali acts as the secretary general of the World Gastroenterology Organisation. That body represents more than 120 member societies. She also sits on the ACG Institute Board of Directors and previously chaired the college’s Educational Affairs Committee. Her work has involved collaboration with physician leaders and academic institutions across six continents.

Afzali’s research focuses on inflammatory bowel disease. She has served as the principal investigator on numerous multicenter clinical trials. Her work includes the Phase 3 guselkumab studies published in The Lancet. She also led a recent five-year analysis of long-term outcomes in Crohn’s disease that appeared in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

“This recognition is especially meaningful to me, both personally and professionally,” Afzali said. “I am deeply grateful for the relationships, shared purpose and opportunities to make a meaningful impact along the way.” She noted that her greatest contributions come through the relationships she builds and the knowledge she shares with others.

The award is shared with David Fleischer, M.D., a former president of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Fleischer leads efforts to reduce esophageal cancer in Africa. Afzali also supports future leaders through nonprofit service. She co-founded the Scrubs & Heels Foundation and serves on the board of directors of Ascend Leadership, which focuses on expanding educational opportunities for women and girls globally.

Before joining UC, Afzali established the first standalone multidisciplinary inflammatory bowel disease center at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. She completed her residency, gastroenterology fellowship, and advanced inflammatory bowel disease fellowship at the University of Washington. She also earned a Master of Public Health at that institution and a Master of Health Care Management from Harvard University.