Bertus Eksteen

Bertus Eksteen’s journey into the medical field was fueled by a deep curiosity about how the human body combats disease. He was born and raised in South Africa, where he completed his MBChB at the University of Pretoria in 1996. Eager to expand his knowledge, he pursued further studies abroad, earning a membership in the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) in London in 1998. He earned a PhD in immunology at the University of Birmingham. In 2008, Bertus completed his Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in Gastroenterology and Hepatology and was later awarded a Fellowship (FRCP) from the Royal College of Physicians in 2011. His combined clinical and research expertise allowed him to build a career dedicated to improving healthcare for patients with chronic, complex diseases. Currently, Eksteen leads an internationally recognized liver research program at the Aspen Woods Clinic in Calgary, Alberta. Under his leadership, the clinic has become one of the largest centers globally for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) clinical trials. The clinic serves a vast region, including Southern Alberta, eastern British Columbia, and western Saskatchewan, and collaborates with biotech companies to develop novel therapies for PSC. Beyond his work at the clinic, Bertus is involved in organ transplantation at the Southern Alberta Liver Transplant Clinic at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary. He also holds the position of Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Calgary, where he plays an integral role in mentoring and training future specialists in gastroenterology and hepatology. His contributions to science have been significant, especially his early research into how mucosal T-cells are affected in diseases like PSC and IBD. His work has shed new light on how immune cells from the gut damage the liver, a discovery that reshaped understanding of autoimmune diseases.