Michael Sorrell, M.D., honored by Nebraskans for Research

Nebraskans for Research (NFR) honored Michael Sorrell, M.D., professor

and section chief of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University

of Nebraska Medical Center, at its Tribute to Research luncheon on Monday,

April 26. Almost 300 community leaders attended the event.

Dr. Sorrell is known nationally and internationally for his expertise

in liver disease and transplantation and gastrointestinal disorders. As

a researcher, he has spent his career advancing the understanding of liver

disease and contributing what are considered landmark findings. His work

— along with that of colleagues, many of whom he inspired to pursue that

research — has helped in the detection, treatment and prevention of alcoholic

liver disease.

Dr. Sorrell truly embodies all of the qualities that I admire and that

our group, Nebraskans for Research, stands for, said Carol Russell, president

of NFR. He is a tremendously talented, yet deeply compassionate physician

who has touched so many lives over his medical career. At the same time,

he is an equally brilliant researcher who has helped Nebraska stand out

internationally in the area of liver disease research. Finally, he is personally

involved in the community and has given his support both in time and financial

resources to causes that make this community and this state a better place

to live.

A 1957 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dr. Sorrell received

his medical degree in 1959 from the UNMC College of Medicine. A native

of Syracuse, Neb., Dr. Sorrell was a general practitioner in Tecumseh,

Neb., from 1960 to 1966. He left to do a residency in internal medicine

followed by a fellowship in gastroenterology, both at UNMC.

Following his residency training, Dr. Sorrell completed a one-year traineeship

in cardiovascular medicine with the National Institutes of Health and a

two-year NIH traineeship in hepatic disease and nutrition at the New Jersey

College of Medicine and Dentistry, Newark. He joined the UNMC faculty in

1971 as an assistant professor in internal medicine and was elevated to

associate professor in 1973 and professor in 1976.

He held several key leadership positions at both UNMC and the Veterans

Administration Medical Center. For the VA, he served as chief of the section

of gastroenterology-liver disease from 1973 to 1976 and as associate chief

of staff/research from 1974 to 1982. In 1981, he was named chairman of

the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, a post that he held for 10 years.

When he decided to step down from the chairmans position, he became medical

director for the liver transplant program and chief of the section of gastroenterology/hepatology.

 

Dr. Sorrell received the University of Nebraska Award for Outstanding

Research and Creative Activity (1980) and the American Association for

the Study of Liver Diseases Distinguished Service Award (1999). He has

been funded continuously for the past 30 years by the National Institutes

of Health and by Veterans Affairs.

As a physician, Dr. Sorrell is sought after by people from around the

world for his expertise in gastroenterology. He has been selected as one

of Americas Top Doctors and Best Doctors in America by those national

guides and was listed in Town and Country Magazines listing of outstanding

medical specialists in the United States.

Dr. Sorrells patients provide the real testament to his success as

a physician, Russell said. They have sought not only his medical expertise,

but his warm and compassionate care and concern for them and their families.

As an educator, Dr. Sorrell is both teacher and mentor. He is truly

committed to helping young people who want to have a career in science,

Russell said. A number of his students residents, fellows, graduate

students and undergraduate students have gone on to publish and have

successful careers in research and medicine.

Dr. Sorrell has received numerous teaching honors throughout his career

including being voted Outstanding Teaching Resident at UNMC (1967-68),

the Academic Career Development Award from the National Institute of Arthritis,

Metabolism and Digestive Disease (1972-1976), the Deans Award for Outstanding

Contributions to the UNMC College of Medicine (1997), and Distinguished

Professor of the Centennial (2003).

He served as president of the American Association for the Study of

Liver Diseases (1990-91) and as president of the International Liver Transplant

Society (2002). Locally, he was inducted into the Ak-Sar-Ben Court of Honor

in 2002.

During his career, Dr. Sorrell served as a consultant for numerous organizations

including the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institute of Alcohol

Abuse and Alcoholism, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. He has been

a visiting professor and invited lecturer at nearly 200 national and international

universities, organizations, institutes, symposia and conferences. He has

published more than 200 articles in peer reviewed journals and book chapters

in a majority of the major medical text books in his specialty. In addition,

he has co-authored five medical textbooks.

Dr. Sorrell embodies those qualities and characteristics that exemplify

medical practice as a calling and medical research as a requirement for

the best in health care delivery and education, said Harold M. Maurer,

M.D., UNMC chancellor. His impact has been and will continue to be enormous

and everlasting.

Dr. Sorrell and his wife, Shirley, have four sons and 10 grandchildren.

Shirley also has been dedicated to UNMC, serving as president of the UNMC

Faculty Womens Club and as a member of the University Hospital Auxiliary.

She also served on the Hattie B. Munroe board of directors for nine years

and has been a UNMC docent for more than 15 years.