Carl Anton Ewald Prize for Dr. med. Carlos Oltmanns

With the Carl Anton Ewald Prize, the German Society for Gastroenterology, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS) honors doctoral dissertations of particularly high scientific quality in the field of gastroenterology. The award, endowed with 5,000 euros, is presented for outstanding dissertations.

The award goes to Dr. med. Carlos Oltmanns from Hanover for his doctoral thesis “Evaluation and Identification of New Biomarkers for Individualized Early Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Following Chronic Hepatitis C.” In his work, Oltmanns addresses a key issue in gastroenterological research: the early and, as far as possible, individually tailored detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients who have had a chronic hepatitis C infection.

The Carl Anton Ewald Prize also symbolizes the long-standing scientific tradition of gastroenterology. It is named after the German internist and gastroenterologist Carl Anton Ewald (1845–1915). Ewald became director of the Berlin Women’s Hospital in 1876 and was appointed associate professor in 1882. Beginning in 1888, he headed the Department of Internal Medicine at the Kaiserin-Augusta-Hospital in Berlin.

Ewald played a pivotal role in shaping the development of gastroenterology in the late 19th century. His *Clinical Department on Digestive Diseases* was also published in English translation and became an international standard work. His name is also associated with the introduction of the “soft gastric tube” in 1875—simultaneously with Leopold Oser in Vienna—as well as the so-called Boas-Ewald test breakfast.

With the award named after Carl Anton Ewald, the DGVS supports early-career researchers and recognizes outstanding research achievements even during the doctoral phase. The award presented to Dr. med. Carlos Oltmanns underscores the importance of innovative research approaches for the further development of gastroenterological diagnostics and the early detection of liver diseases.

Source: DGVS (09/2026)