2025 Bounce Back, Give Back
Winner - Liver Recipient and Neurologist Dr. Ahmad Anouti
The Chris Klug Foundation is proud to announce Dr. Ahmad Anouti as the recipient of the 2025 Bounce Back, Give Back Award, celebrating his extraordinary resilience as a liver transplant recipient, and his unwavering commitment to advancing transplant care through research, advocacy, and clinical service.
Presented annually, the Bounce Back, Give Back Award honors transplant recipients who overcome significant medical challenges and dedicate themselves to giving back to the transplant community in meaningful and impactful ways. Dr. Anouti embodies the true spirit of this award through his strength in recovery, and tireless efforts to improve the lives of others navigating similar journeys.
Born with biliary atresia in Beirut, Lebanon, Dr. Anouti became the first child in his region to undergo a Kasai procedure at just 77 days old. Despite a childhood filled with medical complications, his resilience never wavered. At age 16, he faced his most critical challenge yet—developing hepatopulmonary syndrome and requiring a liver transplant. With no transplant programs available in Lebanon, Ahmad and his father traveled abroad, overcoming immense financial, cultural, and language barriers to receive the life-saving operation.
His post-transplant journey was anything but easy. Within months, he experienced acute rejection, life-threatening viral infections (CMV/EBV), and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), which led to drastic weight loss and required a year of intensive treatment. But instead of slowing down, Ahmad powered forward with a new mission: to turn his pain into purpose.
Dr. Anouti went on to complete his undergraduate degree in Biology with a minor in Biomedical Sciences, earn his medical degree, and pursue a two-year post-doctoral liver disease research fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Today, he is a first-year pediatrics resident and the first-ever Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP) candidate in Pediatric Gastroenterology at UTSW, continuing groundbreaking research in pediatric liver disease—the very condition that once defined his childhood.
Dr. Anouti's contributions to the transplant and liver health community are extraordinary. In just two years, he has published 14 manuscripts—with four more currently under revision—and delivered over 30 research presentations at major conferences such as AASLD, DDW, ILTS, and ATC. He has led advocacy teams to Capitol Hill in both 2023 and 2024 to champion policies supporting liver health, and delivered the 2024 AASLD Patient Keynote, where he shared his vision for effective, patient-centered liver care. Beyond his clinical and research efforts, Dr. Anouti has served in leadership roles with the Global Liver Institute and the American Liver Foundation, contributing to the launch of educational resources like Bili the Brave and a pediatric liver disease infographic. He was also selected to serve on the Biliary Atresia Newborn Screening Task Force, helping shape early detection efforts for the very condition that once threatened his own life.
“Against all odds, Dr. Anouti has emerged stronger,” said nominator Dr. Thomas Cotter of UT Southwestern.
In addition to his professional achievements, Dr. Anouti maintains a thriving personal life. Recently married, he balances the demands of residency and research with community engagement and advocacy, continually lifting others through his story and actions.
This year’s award recognizes not only his survival, but the transformative impact he continues to make in liver health and transplantation—a living testament to resilience, purpose, and compassion.
