Press Release

Symposium 244, Vienna (Austria), July 3–4, 2026

Bile Acids in Health and Disease 2026

An Imperial College London researcher has been honored for work that has reshaped the care of pregnant women with intrahepatic cholestasis. The International Adolf Windaus Award 2026 was presented to Prof. Catherine Williamson (London, UK) during the 28th International Bile Acid Meeting, “Bile Acids in Health and Disease 2026,” of the Falk Foundation e.V., held in Vienna, Austria, on July 3–4, 2026. The award was conferred by Prof. Ulrich Beuers (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) on behalf of the Adolf Windaus Prize Committee, in recognition of her contributions to the bile acid field over the past decades.

In presenting the award, Prof. Beuers highlighted contributions that have transformed the management of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and reshaped international guidelines. Using individual patient data meta-analysis, Prof. Williamson defined the serum bile acid thresholds associated with the risk of stillbirth and spontaneous preterm birth, ensuring that the approximately one-quarter of women with severe ICP (serum bile acids above 40 µmol/L) receive appropriate management, while the remaining women can be reassured. 

She demonstrated that non-fasting serum bile acid measurements are needed to reliably identify these high-risk pregnancies and showed that ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) reduces the risk of spontaneous preterm birth in affected women. These findings are now reflected in European and international guidelines. Her work has further shown that whole-genome sequencing identifies pathogenic mutations in bile acid-related genes in at least one in five women with severe ICP, with implications for their future health and that of their relatives.

Catherine Williamson is Professor of Women's Health at Imperial College London and Consultant in Obstetric Medicine at Queen Charlotte's, St Thomas' and King's College Hospitals. A Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, she has chaired the guideline committees of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) for the management of liver disorders in pregnancy. She also directs Tommy's National Research Center for Preterm Birth Research. 

Prof. Williamson continues to lead research into the underlying causes of adverse outcomes in ICP, including the etiology of pruritus (itch), the role of bile acid signaling in gestational diabetes, and the long-term health of women and children affected by ICP and related gestational metabolic disorders. On behalf of the Prize Committee, Prof. Beuers congratulated the laureate and expressed his eagerness to hear her Adolf Windaus Award Lecture.

The Adolf Windaus Award honors the German chemist Adolf Windaus (1876–1959), who received the 1928 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research into the structure of sterols and their connection with vitamins. Windaus was the first to demonstrate the close structural relationship between cholesterol and bile acids, as well as the link between cholesterol and vitamin D3. Presented since 1980 and sponsored by the Falk Foundation e.V., the award is conferred every two years and carries a prize of €15,000. It recognizes scientists whose work has profoundly advanced the understanding of bile acids in health and disease.

Adolf Windaus Prize Committee: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Beuers, Prof. Dr. Michael Trauner, Prof. Paul A. Dawson, and Prof. Dr. Verena Keitel-Anselmino

Source: Event: “XXVIII International Bile Acid Meeting, “Bile Acids in Health and Disease 2026” (Symposium 244), July 3–4, 2026, Vienna, Austria; supported by the Falk Foundation e.V.

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