INDIANAPOLIS — An Indiana University School of Medicine professor has been awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash — one of the state's highest honors — for his exemplary service to Hoosiers as a liver transplant surgeon and expert. Two additional faculty members also received Distinguished Hoosier awards, which are likewise conveyed by the governor for stellar community impact.
Surgery professor Shekhar Kubal, MD, received the Sagamore, while Marco A. Lacerda, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine, and Jonathan A. Fridell, MD, professor of surgery and division chief of abdominal transplant surgery, were honored as Distinguished Hoosiers.
IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy presented the awards to the trio at the IU Health Leadership Development Institute, held Nov. 11 at the Indiana Convention Center. In addition to their educational appointments, each recipient is also a provider with IU Health.
These awards are given by the governor of Indiana to Hoosiers who have displayed exemplary community service. Past Sagamore recipients include former President George H. W. Bush, late night host David Letterman, country music legend Willie Nelson and IU President Pamela Whitten.
"I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from Governor Braun," Kubal said. "It is truly humbling to be counted among so many outstanding leaders."
Kubal has performed nearly 1,000 liver transplants over more than a decade as leader of IU Health’s liver transplant team, the only such unit in the state.
"This award reflects the dedication of our entire liver transplant team at IU Health — the hepatologists, the surgeons, nurses, coordinators and staff who work tirelessly to give patients a second chance at life," Kubal said.
Fridell called the award presentation “one of the most joyous moments of his life.”
"This award represents recognition for a career's worth of contributions to Hoosiers," Fridell said. "For me, it reflects my dedication to the transplant program, specifically pancreas transplantation.
"It's more than just one little thing — it represents our collective work and impact on patients, the transplant community, and organ donation, both locally and internationally."
Lacerda pledged to share the honor with his team.
"It is not a state recognition of my work but the work of an entire team of people that includes each one of my colleagues in transplant hepatology and the support group that we have to give the people of Indiana the care they deserve," Lacerda said. "I am proud of what we do as a group."
He encouraged younger physicians in transplant sciences.
"Just dedicate the best in you and devote your entire attention to each patient one at a time," Lacerda said.
IU School of Medicine's Naga P. Chalasani, MD, the David W. Crabb Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and professor of medicine, nominated his three colleagues for the state awards.
On Kubal, Chalasani wrote: "Dr. Kubal has served the state of Indiana over the past 17 years through his clinical practice, innovation and leadership. He has brought national and international recognition to the transplant program at Indiana University."
On Fridell: "He is extremely dedicated to his patients. He has helped countless Hoosiers in need of organ donation, and he has served our donor heroes well."
On Lacerda: "Through his clinical skill, leadership, public health advocacy, educational commitment and dedication to expanding access to hepatology and transplant care, he has improved — and in many cases saved — the lives of thousands of Hoosiers."
About the Indiana University School of Medicine
The IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability. According to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the IU School of Medicine ranks No. 13 in 2024 National Institutes of Health funding among all public medical schools in the country.
Writer: Rory Appleton, rapplet@iu.edu
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