Education

Prizes and Awards

Brompton Prize

The Brompton Prize is offered for the best Thoracic presentation by an ESTS member at the Brompton Session, and comes courtesy of the Trustees of the Fund chaired by Mr Peter Goldstraw. It is an annual Prize instituted at the 8th European Conference on General Thoracic Surgery held in London in November 2000.

Candidates for the Prize must:

Be the first author of the paper
Present unpublished work not previously presented at a major (national or international)
scientific meeting
Be a member of ESTS

Past Brompton Prize winners:

2000: Dirk Van Raemdonck, Leuven (Belgium)
2001: Bernward Passlick, Freiburg (Germany)
2002: Thorsten Kruger, Lausanne (Switzerland)
2003: Didier Lardinois, Zurich (Switzerland)
2004: Federico Venuta, Rome (Italy)
2005: Masahiro Tsuboi, Tokyo (Japan)
2006: Tamas Szoke, Szeged (Hungary)
2007: Isabelle Opitz, Zurich (Switzerland)
2008: Elena Fernandez, Madrid (Spain)
2009: Xavier D’Journo, Marseille (France)
2010: Nuria Novoa, Salamanca (Spain)
2011: Michele Salati, Ancona (Italy)
2012; Alessandro Brunelli, Ancona (Italy)
2013: Philippe Nafteux, Leuven (Belgium)
2014: Hiroshi Date, Kyoto (Japan)
2015: Janet Edwards, Calgary (Canada)
2016: Wolfram Karenovics, Geneva (Switzerland)
2017: Sai Yendamuri, Buffalo (US)
2018: Meinoshin Okumura, Osaka, (Japan)
2019: Toyofumi Chen-Yoshikawa, Kyoto (Japan)
2020: Ilies Bouabdallah, Marseille (France)
2021: Ilhan Inci, Zurich (Switzerland)
2022: Piotr Gabryel, Tuczno (Poland)
2023: Giovanni Bocchialini (Parma, Italy)
2024: Satoshi Shiono (Yamagata, Japan)
2025: Thaer S. A. Abdalla, (Germany)

Young Investigator's Award

To stimulate research, ESTS has instituted a Prize for the best presentation on topics of clinical or experimental research in the field of Thoracic Surgery presented by young investigators at the Annual Meeting of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

Candidates for the Prize must:

Be the first author of the paper
Be under 35 years of age in the year of annual meeting
Submit a covering letter to the Executive Secretariat in Exeter, (email) from the Director of Service or Laboratory in the European Institution at which the research programme has been undertaken, indicating the originality of the investigation and the proportion of the work performed by the candidate.
Present unpublished work not previously presented at a major scientific meeting.

Past Young Investigator's Award winners:

2007: Juan J Fibla, Barcelona (Spain)
2008: Kai Nowak, Heidelberg (Germany)
2009: Tomasz Marjanski, Gdansk (Poland)
2010: Caroline Rivera, Paris (France)
2011: Stephane Collaud, Zurich (Switzerland)
2012: Cecilia Pompili, Ancona (Italy)
2013: Maria Teresa Gomez-Hernandez, Salamanca (Spain)
2014: Hans Van Veer, Leuven (Belgium)
2015: Raffaele Rocco, Rome (Italy)
2016: Francesco Guerrera, Torino (Italy)
2017: Samina Park, Seoul (Korea)
2018: Alex Fourdrain, Amiens (France)
2019: Marcin Ostrowski, Gdansk (Poland)
2020: Michael Gooseman, Leeds (UK)
2021: Aina Pons, London (UK)
2022: Jeremy Tricard, Limoges (France)
2023: Raphael S Werner, Zurich (Switzerland)
2024: Filippo Tommaso Gallina, Rome (Italy)
2025: Marton Csaba (Hungary)

Grillo Prize

This Prize is offered for the Best Innovative/Experimental Abstract and is named after our deceased Honorary Member Hermes Grillo (Boston).

Past Grillo Prize winners:

2009: Johannes Merk, Berlin (Germany).
2010: Nikolaos Tsirikos-Karapanos, Rochester (USA).
2011: Wolfgang Jungraithmayr, Zurich (Switzerland)
2012: Alfonso Fiorelli, Naples (Italy)
2013: Guiseppe Marulli, Padua (Italy)
2014: Shinya Tane, Kobe (Japan)
2015: Hyun Koo Kim, Seoul (South Korea)
2016: Zalan Szanto, Pecs (Hungary)
2017: Pier Luigi Filosso, Torino (Italy)
2018: Luca Bertolaccini, Bologna (Italy)
2019: Sabrina Cavin, Lausanne (Switzerland)
2022: Thomas Galetin, Cologne (Germany)
2023: Andrea Imperatori, Varese (Italy)
2024: Aljaz Hojski, Basel (Switzerland)
2025: Pascal Thomas, (France)

Greek Pioneers' Prize

This Prize is offered annually for the best poster display and comes courtesy of a fund chaired by Dr Kalliopi Athanassiadi in the name of the first 3 Greek Thoracic Surgeons. It was instituted at the 3rd Spring Meeting in Cluj-Napoca in May 2006.

Past Greek Pioneers' Prize winners:

2006: Goksel Kalayci †, Istanbul (Turkey)
2007: Xavier D’Journo, Marseille (France)
2008: Douglas West, Edinburgh (UK)
2009: Marco Anile, Rome (Italy)
2010: Guiseppe Marulli, Padua (Italy)
2011: Yabo Wang, Lausanne (Switzerland)
2012: Corinna Ludwig, Cologne (Germany)
2013: Ricardo Guijarro, Valencia (Spain)
2014: Vladimir Bobek, Prague (Czech Republic)
2015: Khaled Al'Kattan, Ridyadh (Saudi Arabia)
2016: Alan Sihoe, Hong Kong (China)
2017: Ricardo Terra, Sao Paulo (Brazil)
2018: Jozsef Furak, Szeged (Hungary)
2019: Luis Tapias, Boston (US)

ACECP Travelling Fellowship

The ACECP was established in 2006 by Dr Laureano Molins, Dr Ramon Rami-Porta and Dr Enriqueta Felip with the priority goal of offering to young surgeons grants to broaden their training and increase international contacts. The Fellowship provides thoracic surgeons with a unique opportunity to visit medical institutions and learn valuable skills and techniques from some of the European leading thoracic surgeons.

Past ACECP Travelling Fellowship winners:

2009: Clemens Aigner, Vienna (Austria)
2010: Tevfik Kaplan, Hatay (Turkey)
2011: Gor Melikyan, Yerevan (Armenia)
2011: Francesco Carleo, Rome (Italy)
2012: Amaia Ojanguren, Barcelona (Spain)
2013: Masaoki Ito, Hiroshima (Japan)
2014: Carme Obiols, Terrassa (Spain)
2024: Gizem Ozçibik Isik, Istanbul (Turkey)

Dutch Society of Lung Surgery Travel Grant

This Award is offered by the Dutch Society of Lung Society to support a young abstract presenter from a low income country. The winner is selected by the Annual Meeting Programme Committee.

Past Dutch Society of Lung Surgery Travel Grant winners:

2010: Ilker Iskender, Sirnak (Turkey)
2011: Levent Alpay, Istanbul (Turkey)
2012: Andrey Akopov, St. Petersburg (Russia)
2013: Vitaliy Barmin, Moscow (Russia)
2014: Juan Braga Menendez, Pilar (Argentina)
2015: Ioan Petrache, Timisoara (Romania)
2016: Kongjia Luo, Guangzhou (China)
2017: Aleksandr Obornev, St Petersburg (Russia)
2018: Jian Chen, Shanghai (China)
2019: Carlson Aruldas, St Petersburg (Russia)
2022: Fabio Minamoto, Sao Paulo (Brazil)
2023: Xing Wei, Chengdu (China)
2024: Zhiming Chen, Guangzhou (China)
2025: Paula Duarte Dambrosio (Brazil)

DGT Travel Grant

This grant is offered by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Thoraxchirurgie and was created to support a member from a low income country.

Past DGT Travel Grant winners:

2011: Mohammadbehgam Shadmehr, Tehran (Iran)
2012: Guven Olgac, Istanbul (Turkey)
2013: Artjoms Spaks, Riga (Latvia)
2014: Oleksandr Vynnychenko, Sumy (Ukraine)
2015: Souheil Boubia, Casablanca (Morocco)
2016: Yong Yuan, Chengdu (China)
2017: Yang Yang, Shanghai (China)
2018: Necati Citak, Istanbul (Turkey)
2019: Maria Teresa Tsukazan, Porto Alegre (Brazil)
2022: Mete Manici, Istanbul (Turkey)
2023: Paula Duarte, Sao Paulo, (Brazil)
2024: Xing Wei, Chengdu (China)
2025: Eserval Rocha Junior (Brazil)

FSTCVS Travel Grant

This grant is offered by the French Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. It is offered to the best oral presentation of clinical work by an author below the age of 35 from a low-middle income country.

Past FSTCVS Travel Grant winners:

2011: Adnan Sayar, Istanbul (Turkey)
2012: Ali Amiraliev, Moscow (Russia)
2013: Farahnaz Sadegh Beigee, Tehran (Iran)
2014: Hao Wang, Shanghai (China)
2015: Tevfik Ilker Akcam, Izmir (Turkey)
2016: Xiao Li, Beijing (China)
2017: Bin Zheng, Fuzhou (China)
2018: Zhe Shi, Shanghai (China)
2019: Mariana Soares, Sao Paulo (Brazil)
2022: Wenwu He, Chengdu (China)
2023: Wenqiang Zhang (China)
2024: Jialiang Wen, Shanghai (China)
2025: Lin Huang (China)

JACS Award

This prize is awarded to the best abstract by an ESTS member from an Asian institute.

Past JACS Award winners:

2014: Takashi Nojiri, Suita (Japan)
2015: Takekazu Iwata, Chiba (Japan)
2016: Zhitao Gu, Shanghai (China)
2017: Shunsuke Endo, Jichi (Japan)
2018: Meinoshin Okumura, Osaka (Japan)
2019: Jian Chen, Shanghai (China)
2022: Shinya Tane, Akashi (Japan)
2023: Qiuyuan Li, Shanghai (China)
2024: Satoshi Shiono, Yamagata (Japan)
2025: Wenwu He (China)

Medela Poiseuille Award for Drainology

This prize is awarded to the best abstract/presentation in the Field of Drainology

2023: Karel Pfeuty, Saint-Brieuc (France)

Medtronic Prize

This Prize is offered to the most interesting case presentation and comes courtesy to a donation by Covidien Medtronic Healthcare. The winner is offered free participation to a skill track course.

Past Covidien Medtronic Prize winners:

2007: Antigone Koliopoulo, Athens (Greece)
2008: Cliff Choong, Cambridge (UK)
2009: Attila Vagvolgyi, Budapest (Hungary)
2010: Federico Raveglia, Milan (Italy)
2011: Bastien Orsini, Marseille (France)
2012: Kostas Kostopanagiotou, Leeds (UK)
2013: Hans Van Veer, Leuven (Belgium)
2014: Arthur Kostron, Zurich (Switzerland)
2015: Mohammed Hawari, Leicester (UK)
2016: Roman Vereshchako, Kiev (Ukraine)
2017: Thomas Schweiger, Vienna (Austria)
2017: Matthew Eguyd, Boston (US). Free registration to ESTS 2018
2018: Ricardo Terra, Sao Paulo (Brazil)
2019: Yoshifumi Sano, Toon City (Japan)
2019: Andrea Imperatori, Varese (Italy)

ESTS/Women in General Thoracic Surgery (WGTS) Scanlan Family Travelling Scholarship

Through this initiative, Scanlan International will provide funding to support the participation of two women surgeons at the ESTS 34th Annual Meeting, which will be held in Athens, Greece, 7–9 June 2026.

Eligibility is limited to candidates from Low- or Middle-Income Countries, as defined by the World Bank classification.

This scholarship is designed to:

Provide direct financial support for travel and participation at ESTS 2026.
Highlight and encourage the contribution of women surgeons within the field of thoracic surgery.
Strengthen professional networks and foster global collaboration