On 28 September, the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA) announced that Chen Xiaoping, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, also Director of the Department of Surgery at Tongji Hospital, has been awarded the IHPBA Distinguished Service Award and the Gold Medal for the year 2023. He is also the only recipient of the Award for the year 2023.

Since the establishment of the award by IHPBA in 2004, there have been only 19 recipients worldwide and Chen Xiaoping is currently the only recipient from China. The award citation states that Academician Chen Xiaoping has devoted his life to the field and made outstanding contributions to the development of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery worldwide.

Chen Xiaoping has been engaged in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery for more than 40 years and has made innovative achievements in the surgical treatment of liver cancer and liver transplantation. He proposed a new classification method for liver cancer and put forward the theory of safe resection of large liver cancer. He also established three techniques for controlling bleeding in hepatectomy and one liver transplantation technique. In addition, he proposed the concept of small-scope hepatectomy for hepatic hilar cholangiocarcinoma. These theories and techniques have been applied in more than 100 hospitals in 31 provincial administrative regions in Chinese mainland with remarkable results.

Chen Xiaoping has won many provincial and national awards. Professor Renzo, Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, UK, and former Rector of University of Insubria, Italy, published a signed article in Nature calling Chen Xiaoping "a leader in the improvement and innovation of international hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgical technology".

IHPBA is the world's largest non-profit academic organization in the field of hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases. Its goal is to find effective treatment for liver disease and promote development in the field. Founded in 1978, with more than 3,250 expert members and 52 chapters from 105 countries and territories, IHPBA is the global body for hepatobiliary and pancreatic specialists.

Written by: Fang Siyuan

Edited by: Yu Shiyun, Chang Wen, Peng Yumeng