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Sundeep Lakhtakia, MD, F¶¶Òô´ó¹Ï

"It is very humbling to receive the International Service Award for 2024, and I want to express my deepest gratitude to ¶¶Òô´ó¹Ï for this incredible honor. Ever since I started my career, I had the opportunity to interact with expert endoscopists from all over the world at ¶¶Òô´ó¹Ï’s endoscopy workshops and other meetings. The friendship and learning opportunities I had from the members of ¶¶Òô´ó¹Ï has been tremendously instrumental in molding my career. I hold ¶¶Òô´ó¹Ï in high regard for the value it provides to its members and the principles for which it stands in advancing endoscopy, which helps us provide better care for our patients. It is a great honor not just for me but also the many aspiring endoscopists from around the world. This recognition also makes me recommit myself to give back to the global endoscopy community. Together, let us continue to build upon the strong foundation we have established and strive towards a future where gastroenterology truly serves the needs of patients worldwide. I would like to thank my colleagues from AIG Hospitals for their unwavering support and mentorship, and I also acknowledge the members of the Indian GI fraternity for their guidance. My gratitude to my wife, Shivani, and my daughters, Supriya and Sukriti, for their love and support in helping me pursue my career and dreams."

Dr. Lakhtakia is the director of endoscopy & endoscopic ultrasound at the prestigious AIG Hospitals in Hyderabad, India, which is a tertiary care referral center. He serves the vice chair of ¶¶Òô´ó¹Ï’s International Committee. Dr. Lakhtakia has been with AIG Hospitals for more than the two decades, and he is credited with developing its world-class training and interventional EUS program. Dr. Lakhtakia has trained scores of endoscopists, some of whom have morphed into the field’s leading thought leaders and now serve at large training institutions.   

Dr. Lakhtakia has achieved an array of noteworthy academic accomplishments. He has over 200 peer reviewed publications, and he is highly regarded and sought after for his teaching and procedure demonstration skills all over the world. He has served in key leadership roles, including being the secretary and president of the Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy of India. Dr. Lakhtakia was recently appointed to be a visiting professor at Johns Hopkins University. He believes that collaboration and innovation are the keys to providing the best and most cost-efficient care to patients.