This year, ISUOG has chosen to honour Prof. Kurt Hecher with the Society’s most prestigious award, the Ian Donald Gold Medal, for his outstanding scientific contribution to the advancement of ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology.
Every year, ISUOG presents the Ian Donald Gold Medal to one prominent researcher for their exceptional contribution within the field. Prof. Hecher has been selected as this year’s winner in consideration of his contributions to the advancement of diagnostic ultrasound in obstetrics and fetal medicine which have helped to improve the outcomes for high-risk pregnancies.
Prof Hecher said: “I feel extremely honoured, and I am very happy to have been nominated by my peers, and colleagues of the Ian Donald Gold Medal Sub-Committee, for the most prestigious award bestowed by ISUOG. It is the crowning highlight of my research career which is continuing in its fourth decade.”
With over 45 years of experience and an impressive 286 scientific publications, Prof. Hecher is recognised as a leading expert in ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology. He currently works at the Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine at the University Medical Centre Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany, where he gained his professorship in 2003. Beyond medicine, Prof. Hecher has a passion for Asian cultures. His interests have led him to study Sanskrit and Indian culture and mountaineer through the Himalayas.
Over the course of his career, Prof. Hecher has participated in several landmark research projects, such as Eurofoetus. He has played a leading role in comparing Doppler and cardiotocography in early-onset fetal growth restriction (FGR), which laid the foundation for the TRUFFLE study. Due to his internationally renowned expertise, Prof Hecher has been involved in the development of recommendations and guidelines, at ISUOG and other societies, on the management of twin pregnancies, fetal growth restriction and fetal heart examination.
Prof. Hecher has demonstrated dedication to the Society through his work as President (2006-2008) and has fulfilled an editorial role within UOG since 2003. He also was Chair of the 19th and 29th ISUOG World Congress, in 2009 and 2019, in Hamburg and Berlin, respectively.
In an expression of gratitude towards the colleagues Prof. Hecher has worked with over the course of his career, he said: “Nowadays innovations are always a result of teamwork and need exchange of ideas and cooperations with other research groups, to whom I am extremely grateful. I hope that this will continue to help improve the outcome of high-risk pregnancies with fetal growth restriction or monochorionic twins, for both mothers and fetuses. Giving babies a better start in life is the ultimate goal of all research in our field.”
At this year’s ISUOG World Congress in Cancun, Prof. Hecher will deliver the Ian Donald Gold Medal lecture. Alongside this, the December issue of UOG will feature an article on his career and life achievements that led him to be honoured with the award.
Prof. Katia Bilardo, who will present Prof. Hecher with his award said: “Through his numerous publications and lectures, he has played a vital role in improving women's health. Prof. Hecher has been engaged with ISUOG ever since its inception and he is known for his honesty and sincerity.”
Prof. Ulrich Gembruch, another Ian Donald Gold medallist, said: “Kurt Hecher can look back on more than 30 years of experience in academic maternofetal medicine. He has been a pioneer in many areas of fetal medicine.”
Read the press release in full.