October 6, 2018, during the NANETS Annual Meeting and Recognition Luncheon, Chair Emeritus David Metz, MD, presented the NANETS Lifetime Achievement Award to Robert Jensen, MD.  Dr. Jensen was honored for his lifetime of work dedicated to NET diseases. He is currently the Gastrointestinal Cell Biology Section Chief of the Digestive Disease Branch at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Jensen earned his undergraduate degree from Washington State University in 1960 and his MD from the University of Chicago in 1964.  

Robert Jensen's current research involves studying the cellular basis of action of gastrointestinal (GI) hormones (primarily bombesin-related peptides, gastrin-releasing peptide, neuromedin B, CCK-related peptides, and VIP secretin-related peptides) and clinical and laboratory studies on human gastric acid hypersecretory states, such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Dr. Jensen's studies of patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome involve clinical studies of the diagnosis, localization, and treatment of the gastrinoma and of multiple endocrine neoplasia-type 1, which occurs in a portion of the patients.  Laboratory studies involve the characterization of the molecular pathogenesis of gastrinomas and identification of useful prognostic factors.

In addition to his research, Dr. Jensen has been a member of the ENETS Advisory Board and a major contributor to NANETS' consensus guideline development.  Along with his involvement with NANETS and ENETS, he is a member of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) where he has held various roles including International Committee, Research Committee, and Chair of the Hormones and Receptors section. Lastly, he is a member of the Internal Peptides Society.  

During his lengthy career, Dr. Jensen has written numerous articles and received honors from many organizations. This year, NANETS was honored to present its Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Robert Jensen.