Dr. Anahita Sadeghi is an Associate Professor of Medicine and a consultant Gastroenterologist at the Digestive Diseases Research Institute (DDRI), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). She earned her subspecialty degree in Gastroenterology in 2017 and holds a Master’s degree in Medical Education from TUMS. Currently, Dr. Sadeghi serves as the Chair of the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) Climate Change Committee, where she leads global initiatives on environmental sustainability in digestive health. She is also the Chair of the Iranian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Committee and the IAGH Climate Change Committee. Her research interests focus on Neurogastroenterology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and the intersection of climate change and healthcare. A prolific researcher and educator, she has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and is a frequent speaker at international medical forums, dedicated to advancing both clinical excellence and professional medical education.

• Professor of Medicine
• Secretary General, World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO)
• Interim Chair of Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• International leader in inflammatory bowel disease and translational research
• Global scientific advisor and Principal Investigator on over 25 landmark IBD clinical trials
• Founder, one of the largest Multidisciplinary IBD Centers in the U.S. (Columbus, Ohio, USA)
• Former Chair, American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Educational Affairs
• ACG Institute, Board Member
• Over 300+ scholarly works shaping national and global GI and IBD practice

Dr. Ashok Saluja is an internationally recognized researcher in pancreatic diseases. He has held faculty positions at Harvard Medical School, University of Massachusetts Medical School, and University of Minnesota Medical School, where he received the McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair. In 2016, he joined University of Miami as Professor and Vice Chair of Surgery and Director of the Sylvester Pancreatic Cancer Research Institute. His research focuses on pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, and his team developed Minnelide, a promising drug currently in clinical trials. Dr. Saluja has published over 200 papers, received numerous international awards, served as President of the American Pancreatic Association, and is currently its Secretary-Treasurer and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Pancreas.

Dr. Ashwin Ananthakrishnan is the Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Crohn’s and Colitis Center and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. At Massachusetts General Hospital where he is involved in clinical care of complex patients with IBD, research, and teaching. He has been involved in NIH-funded investigations to define the role of environment on IBD, and in personalizing IBD. He has published over 300 manuscripts and has co-authored two textbooks in IBD in addition to serving on editorial boards of multiple journals. He is a member of the International Organization for the Study of IBD (IOIBD) and current serves as the Chair of the IMIBD section of the AGA.

Atsushi Masamune, MD, PhD, is Professor and Chairperson of the Division of Gastroenterology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. He also serves as President of the Japan Pancreas Society and Vice Director General of the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology. His research focuses on gastrointestinal diseases, particularly the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of pancreatobiliary disorders, including pancreatic cancer, chronic pancreatitis, autoimmune pancreatitis, and hereditary pancreatic diseases. His work encompasses translational and clinical research, ranging from intracellular signaling and molecular mechanisms to genetic studies and large-scale epidemiological investigations. Professor Masamune has played a leading role in numerous national and international collaborative studies and has contributed significantly to advancing the understanding and management of pancreatic diseases. He has authored more than 600 peer-reviewed original and review articles in leading journals, including Cell, Nature Genetics, Gastroenterology, and Gut.

Dr Carolina Olano, MD, MSc (Ed), is Professor of Gastroenterology at the Universidad de la República in Montevideo, Uruguay, and currently serves as President of the World Gastroenterology Organisation. She holds a master’s degree in education, reflecting her longstanding commitment to university teaching and innovation in gastroenterology education. She was awarded Fellowship status by the American Gastroenterological Association in 2016 and by the Rome Foundation in 2022, in recognition of her professional achievements and contributions to the field. Dr Olano served for ten years as Co-Editor of Endoscopy International Open and is a member of the Advisory Committee of Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology. She also serves on the editorial boards and advisory committees of several prestigious international journals. She has authored multiple scientific publications in her field of expertise. Her principal clinical and academic interests include medical education, small bowel disorders, and disorders of gut-brain interaction, with particular expertise in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Chengwei Tang, MD, Ph D, Prof. President, China Society of Gastroenterology. Council Member, APAGE. Committee Member, WGO. 2025 Masters of WGO Academic Chief of Dept. Gastroenterology & Hepatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China. She has devoted herself to the fields of acute pancreatitis and liver cirrhosis,

Claudia Defilippi, MD, is a Chilean gastroenterologist with a particular focus on neurogastroenterology and gastrointestinal motility disorders. She obtained her medical degree in 1994 from the University of Chile. She subsequently completed her residency in Internal Medicine (1994–1997) and her fellowship in Gastroenterology (1998–2000) at the University Hospital of the University of Chile in Santiago.

Her clinical and academic work focuses on digestive motility and functional gastrointestinal disorders. Dr. Defilippi currently serves as Head of the Esophageal and Anorectal Motility Laboratory at the University Hospital of the University of Chile and is also affiliated with Clínica Las Condes.

She is an Associate Professor at the University of Chile. She is the Past President of the Chilean Gastroenterology Society, currently serves as Vice President of the Latin American Society of Neurogastroenterology, and is Co-Chair of the Scientific Program Committee for the World Gastroenterology Congress 2026.

Prof. Dan Lucian Dumitrascu MD, PhD, AGAF, RFF, EAPMF Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy 2nd Medical dept., Cluj County Cliunical Emergency Hospital, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Director at large of the executive committee of WGO Past-chairman of the National Societies Committee of UEG Past-president EAGEN

David S. Weinberg, MD, MSC, is the Vice President for Cancer Prevention at Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. In addition, he holds the Weg Chair in Medical Science at Fox Chase. IN addition to administrative and clinical responsibilities, he directs an active research program that centers on gastrointestinal cancer prevention and early detection, with a current focus on pancreatic disease. Since 2022, he has served as the co-editor-in-chief of Gastroenterology.

Dr Eddy Choon Jin Ooi obtained his MBBS from National University of Singapore and is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh and Academy of Medicine Singapore. From 1998 to 2000, he trained at the Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Present appointments: President of the Asian Pacific Association of Gastroenterology (APAGE) and Chair for APAGE Inflammatory Bowel Disease Committee President for Asian Education Network in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (AEN-IBD) Advisory Board Member, Asian Organization of Crohn’s and Colitis Associate Professor (Adjunct), Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore Past appointments: Associate Professor, Duke-NUS Medical School Clinical Associate Professor of Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore Chairman of the Chapter of Gastroenterologists, Academy of Medicine Singapore President of the Gastroenterological Society of Singapore Co-President of APDW 2011 in Singapore Director of the Asian Pacific Digestive Week Federation (APDWF)

Internal Medicine Physician, graduated from the National University of Colombia, specializing in Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy at Javeriana University in Bogotá. He currently coordinates the Center of Excellence for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital in Medellín, Colombia, which serves more than 1,200 patients with IBD. He has participated in numerous clinical studies related to IBD and is the author of many publications on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of IBD in our region. He has also presented at numerous national and international conferences and has served as coordinator of national and international IBD management guidelines. He is a founding member of the Pan American Crohn's and Colitis Organization (PANCCO). I am currently chairing PANCCO for the period 2025-2027, I am a member of the ECCO Global Working Group for the period 2026-2029 and of the WGO IBD committee for the period 2026-2028.

Francis A. Farraye, MD, MSc is Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. Dr. Farraye has authored or co-authored over 600 original scientific manuscripts, chapters, reviews, and abstracts. He co-wrote the text, Curbside Consultation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Gastrointestinal Emergencies. His newest book for patients is Mayo Clinic on Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. He is the Editor in Chief for IBD Journal Scan published weekly by the ASGE. Dr. Farraye is a Fellow in the ASGE, AGA, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and a Master of the ACG. He has served on numerous national and international committees and is presently Vice Chair of the IBD committee for the WGO. The New England Crohn's and Colitis Foundation named Dr. Farraye Humanitarian of the Year in 2003 and in 2020 was a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New England Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. He is the 2026 Florida Crohns and Colitis Foundation Health Care Professional Honoree.

GEOFFREY METZ underwent medical training in Melbourne, Australia then gastroenterology training at Central Middlesex Hospital, London before returning to clinical, teaching and research appointments in Melbourne where he is Professor of Medicine at both The University of Melbourne and Monash University. Geoffrey has a very keen interest in medical education. He was Chairman of Continuing Education at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians for several years before becoming President of the College.
Geoffrey negotiated with the three Melbourne medical schools to develop the first Medical Clinical School in a private hospital group in Australia, where he was appointed the inaugural Dean of Medicine. Geoffrey was deeply involved in development of medical education internationally through the World Gastroenterology Organisation for over twenty years, before becoming WGO President. In 2001, Geoffrey was awarded Member of the Order of Australia for services to medicine and in 2021 was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia for further services to medicine and for International and National educational activities.

Dr. Kaplan is a Professor in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. Dr. Kaplan is a gastroenterologist who is internationally renowned for studying the global epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). As the corresponding author, he has published in prestigious journals such as Nature, The Lancet and JAMA. He is an Associate Editor of Gastroenterology and an Academic Editor of PLOS Med. Between 2020 and 2025 Clarivate, Web of Science named Dr. Kaplan a Highly Cited Researcher in recognition of being in the top one percent of cited researchers. Dr. Kaplan is a member of the International Organization for the study of IBD (IOIBD). Dr. Kaplan received Canadian Association of Gastroenterology’s Research Leader Award and was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He is a Killam Laureate, receiving the Killam Annual Professor Award. His research has been widely cited in the news media including Time Magazine, BBC, The New York Times, and Scientific American.

Former President of the World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO), is currently the Chair of WGO Artificial Intelligence Task Force, Head of the Gastroenterology Department in Centro Hospitalar Universitário São Joao and Full Professor in University of Porto, Portugal. He is the Director of the Gastroenterology and Hepatology WGO Training Center in Porto and was honored with the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) International Leadership Award in Gastroenterology in 2015 and in 2022 nominated as Master of ACG after serving as President in the Portuguese Societies of Gastroenterology, Endoscopy and Association of Liver Diseases along with the Portuguese Pancreas Club. He has authored over 500 peer reviewed papers, mainly in Digestive Endoscopy concerning Capsule and Liver and Biliopancreatic conditions.

Professor Jan Tack is currently Chairman of the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division in Leuven University Hospitals, a Professor in Internal Medicine, former Chairman of the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine at the University of Leuven, Belgium, a founding researcher of TARGID (the Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders) at the University of Leuven and President of the Rome Foundation. Professor Tack’s scientific interest focuses on Neurogastroenterology and Motility and Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction. With an h-index of 127, he has published more than 1100 peer-reviewed articles in the international literature, with over 75000 citations. Professor Tack was the promotor of more than 50 Ph.D. fellows. Professor Tack has won several awards for basic and clinical research in gastrointestinal science, including the Research Prize of United European Gastroenterology in 2015, the International Falk Foundation Gastroenterology Research prize and the UEG lifetime achievement award in 2023.

Prof. Jingnan Li, M.D., Ph.D. is Professor and Chief Physician, Deputy Director of the Department of Gastroenterology, and Ph.D. Supervisor at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China. He received his medical degree from Shandong Medical University and his doctoral degree from Peking Union Medical College. He was also a Visiting Scholar at the Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Prof. Li serves as Vice Chairman of the Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Chinese Medical Association. His research interests include gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, intestinal microbiota and intestinal diseases, and colorectal cancer screening and prevention. He has led extensive basic and clinical research and contributed to multiple national and Asia-Pacific guidelines and consensus statements in gastroenterology.

Jonathan A. Leighton, MD, is Emeritus Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He is past Chair of the Division of Gastroenterology and past Medical Director of the IBD Clinic in Arizona. Dr. Leighton was also the past Medical Director of the Office of Joy and Wellbeing at the Mayo Clinic. He is the immediate past Chair of the WGO Scientific Programs Committee. During his tenure as President of the American College of Gastroenterology in 2024, he promoted the importance of global health learning and collaboration. His research interests include inflammatory bowel disease, small bowel bleeding and small bowel imaging modalities.

Dr. José María Remes-Troche is a full-time researcher at Universidad Veracruzana and a leading Mexican gastroenterologist. He is a former President of the Mexican Association of Gastroenterology (AMG) and a member of the National Academy of Medicine of Mexico. His clinical and research interests focus on neurogastroenterology and motility disorders, functional gastrointestinal disorders, celiac disease, and Helicobacter pylori infection. Dr. Remes-Troche has authored more than 300 scientific publications and actively collaborates in international consensus groups, including the Rome Foundation and the Lower Gastrointestinal International Consortium (LoGIC). He is widely recognized for his contributions to medical education and for strengthening international academic collaborations in gastroenterology.

Dr. Burak completed medical training in Canada followed by a Hepatology fellowship (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota), a Masters in Epidemiology (University of Calgary) and a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Education (Flinders University, Australia). He is a Professor of Medicine and Oncology at the Cumming School of Medicine in Calgary, Alberta where he served as the Director of the Southern Alberta Liver Transplant Clinic for two decades. He has clinical, research and policy interests in liver transplant allocation and management of hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic liver diseases. He is an award-winning Medical Educator and served as Associate Dean of Continuing Medical Education & Professional Development and Assistant Dean of Physician Learning Program in Calgary, where he has championed changing physician behaviour through facilitated audit and group feedback. After serving as the Chair of the Train The Trainers (TTT) Committee, he is now the inaugural Chair of the Education Committee for the World Gastroenterology Organisation.

A/Prof Kewin T.H. Siah is a Senior Consultant Gastroenterologist at the National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore, Adjunct Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and Senior Principal Scientist II at A*STAR. He serves as Secretary-General of the Asian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association (ANMA), Chair of the ANMA–APAGE DGBI Education Taskforce, Deputy Editor of the Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, Co-Chair of the Rome Foundation Complementary and Integrative Medicine Section, and Asian Ambassador for the Rome Foundation ROBOT Project. He leads the Gastro-Motility Laboratory and Disorders of Gut–Brain Interaction (DGBI) Clinic at NUH. His research focuses on irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, chronic constipation, gastrointestinal dysautonomia, and small fiber neuropathy, with particular interests in precision medicine, neuroimmune mechanisms, and Asian epidemiology. A/Prof Siah has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and contributes to regional and international consensus initiatives. Through his leadership in ANMA, APAGE, and the Rome Foundation, he actively promotes research, education, and collaboration in neurogastroenterology across Asia and globally.

Dr. Kyoichi Takaori is a pancreatic surgeon who has extensive experiences in open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery. His academic career includes Professor of Surgery at Asahi University, Associate Professor of Surgery at Kyoto University and Assistant Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Thorough his career, he has struggled to improve the prognosis of pancreatic cancer. First, he has focused on early detection of pancreatic cancer, created the international classification system of PanIN and IPMN along with international experts, and founded Japanese Familial Pancreatic Cancer Registry. Second, he has developed novel techniques for pancreatic surgery; e.g., artery-first pancreatoduodenectomy by “Tiger’s Den” approach, artery-first distal pancreatectomy with celiac artery resection, etc. Third, as the Head of Pancreatic Cancer Unit at Kyoto University Hospital, he has practiced multidisciplinary treatments of pancreatic cancer and conducted international collaborative studies to further promote multidisciplinary approaches to the treatment of pancreatic cancer. He also has served patient’s advocacy on the Medical Advisory Board for PanCAN Japan and Scientific Advisory Board for Pancreatic Cancer UK. He has served as the Founding Editor of Surgery Gastroenterology and Oncology, Consultant Editor of Digestive Surgery, and Vice Editor-in-Chief of Pancreatology. In 2022, Dr. Takaori has organized the Joint Meeting of International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) and Japan Pancreas Society (JPS) in Kyoto as the JPS Congress President. Currently, he is the Secretary of IAP and the Secretary General of International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists (IASGO). Furthermore, Dr. Takaori serves community healthcare as the C.E.O. of Nagahama City Hospital Enterprise and President of Nagahama City Hospital.

Chairman of the Training Centers of the World Gastroenterology Organization. Director of the World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) Bogota Training Center. President of the University Council of the Sanitas University Foundation. Past President of the Pan-American Gastroenterology Organization (OPGE). Past President of the Colombian Association for Gastroenterology. Past President of the Colombian Association for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Dr. Grover is the director of the GI motility group at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. As a physician-scientist, Madhu heads the Gut Barrier Function Laboratory housed within the Enteric NeuroScience Program. His NIH-funded laboratory is interested in pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome and gastroparesis. He is the chair of the Rome Foundation Biomarker core, member of the Rome Foundation global board of directors, serves on the steering and executive committees of the NIH gastroparesis clinical research consortium. Madhu was also recently appointed as editor-in-chief of Nature family journal Npj Gut and Liver as well as inducted as a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

Prof. Dr. Miguel Mascarenhas is Director of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, Professor at the University of South Alabama, and a gastroenterologist and coloproctologist with a PhD focused on the application of artificial intelligence in digestive healthcare. He is widely recognized as a pioneer in the integration of AI into gastroenterology and digital endoscopy and is the creator of 18 innovative patented technologies in the field of artificial intelligence and digestive health, with applications spanning capsule endoscopy, cholangioscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, and precision diagnostics. Prof. Mascarenhas has authored more than 300 scientific communications, including publications, oral presentations, and award-winning studies presented across major international congresses. He was distinguished with the prestigious ACG International Award in both 2022 and 2024, alongside multiple recognitions from international societies including American Gastroenterological Association, European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation, European Association for the Study of the Liver, and European Society of Coloproctology. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the World Gastroenterology Organisation AI Taskforce, leading international initiatives focused on artificial intelligence, precision endoscopy, and the digital transformation of healthcare.

Dr. Nalini M. Guda currently serves as President of GI Associates LLC, Wisconsin's largest gastroenterology practice. He holds academic appointments at multiple institutions: Clinical Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, Professor of Medicine at Wake Forest University, Clinical Adjunct Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and International Professor at Gleneagles Apollo Hospital, Kolkata. Dr. Guda has served as Councilor of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), representing 15,000 members globally, President of the American Association of Gastroenterologists of Indian Origin, and Governor of the American College of Gastroenterology Wisconsin Chapter. His dedication to advancing Indian gastroenterology is demonstrated through sustained contributions as Associate Editor of the Journal of Digestive Endoscopy (official journal of SGEI) and International Advisory Board member of the Indian Journal of Gastroenterology. Dr. Guda has directed the Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship program since 2011, training over 55 gastroenterologists. He regularly conducts educational workshops across India, serving as Course Director for Best of ACG India programs and as faculty at ENDOCON, ISG conferences, and live endoscopy demonstrations in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Dr. Guda's scholarly contributions include 75+ peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, multiple textbook chapters, and co-authorship of international guidelines including the World Gastroenterology Organization's pancreatic cyst guidelines. His achievements have earned numerous honors, including the Global Excellence Award from the Indian Society of Gastroenterology (2024), GAPIO IA Modi Commendation Award (2024), Master Endoscopist Award from ASGE (2023), International Leadership Award from ACG (2021), and Distinguished Educator Award from ASGE (2021). Through dedicated mentorship and collaboration, Dr. Guda continues strengthening ties between the Indian and American medical communities while elevating India's standing in global gastroenterology.

Dr. Nancy Nagy Fanous is a consultant gastroenterologist, hepatologist, and endoscopist with over 20 years of clinical experience. She directs the Endoscopy Unit at New Giza University Hospital and practices at leading Egyptian institutions including the Police Authority Hospitals, Misr International Hospital, and Roeya Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Center, alongside her private clinic. Holding a post-doctorate degree in Hepatogastroenterology & Tropical Medicine from Ain Shams University, her expertise includes metabolic liver disease (MASLD, MASH), inflammatory bowel disease, GI endoscopy and training. She is Vice Chair of the Train the Trainers Committee and Co-Editor of e-WGN at WGO, and trainer at WGO and WEO centers of excellence, mentoring physicians from across Africa. She is a frequent faculty member in national and regional workshops and international programs. Her professional activities further include cancer screening programs, public awareness initiatives, and advocacy for women in gastroenterology, promoting diversity and equity in healthcare.

Prof. Paolo Angeli is Full Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Padova (Italy). He leads a research group working on the pathophysiology and treatment of acute, chronic and acute on chronic liver failure and on liver transplantation. He was the secretary of the International Club of Ascites from 2010 up to April 2018. From January 2018 he is the Chair of the EASL-Clif Consortium. From 2010 he was an Associate Editor of the Journal of Hepatology and from July 2019 to December 2024 he was the Editor in Chief of the Journal. He is author of more than 350 papers on international journals with peer review, cited by JCR. He has contributed to the guidelines and/or positional papers on the management of ascites, bacterial infections and acute renal injury (AKI) and Acute on Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF) in patients with cirrhosis for the European Association for the Study of the Liver.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Michl has specialised in Gastroenterology and serves as Full Professor and Director of the Dept. of Internal Medicine IV (Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Infectious Diseases) at the University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany. In addition, he is council member and designated Secretary General of the European Pankreatic Club (EPC) as well as member of the Public Affairs Group of the United European Gastroenterology Association. His basic research interests include molecular mechanisms of tumor initiation and progression in pancreatic cancer and neuroendocrine neoplasms as well as the crosstalk between the tumor cell compartment and inflammatory stroma cells. His clinical research focusses on screening / surveillance strategies of high-risk cohorts of pancreatic cancer. He led and/or participated in numerous clinical trials and research consortia in pancreatic malignancies and other gastrointestinal diseases and authored > 200 peer-reviewed publications including articles in Cancer Cell, Gastroenterology, Gut and Oncogene.

Patrick S. Kamath is Professor of Medicine and Consultant in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota. Professor Kamath’s academic research is mainly on complications of chronic liver disease and has appeared in top-ranking journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Genetics, JAMA, Nature Medicine, the Lancet, British Medical Journal, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and the Journal of Hepatology. He has served as Associate Editor at different times for Hepatology, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Journal of Hepatology, and currently Gastroenterology. Dr. Kamath is most widely known for his work in the development of the MELD score. He has received the Distinguished Educator/Mentor award from the American Gastroenterology Association, American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, and the Mayo Foundation. He has been honored with the EASL International Recognition Award, and has received th Lifetime Achievement Award in Education at the Mayo Clinic.

Prof Pradeep Bhandari MB, MD, FRCP(UK), FJGES(Japan), FESGE(EUR) Trained in India, UK and Japan as a Gastroenterologist with a special interest in Advanced Endoscopy. Have been working at Portsmouth University Hospital as a Consultant Gastroenterologist since 2004 and was recently appointed as a Consulting Gastroenterologists at both Mayo Clinic (London) and Cleveland clinic (London). I am one of the pioneers of advanced endoscopic resection and introduced the ESD service in UK back in 2006 and have been running an advanced endoscopy service in UK, which receives National and International referrals. My main interests are advanced endoscopic diagnosis and resections(EMR, ESD, FTRD) third space endoscopy, Bariatric endoscopy, Artificial Intelligence in Endoscopy and endoscopic innovations. I have been an advisor to National Institute of Clinical excellence (NICE), NHS Health Education (England) and NHS-X (Digital health).

Posts held:

Vice President British Society of Gastroenterology Councillor for European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Ex-Chair of ESGE research committee

Awards

• Best Innovation of the year award by ESGE (2022) for innovative development of WISE VISION for AI based detection of Barrett’s neoplasia.
• ASGE Crystal award for best International research. DDW 2016; San Diego.
• Barbour Freeland Award from Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh) for significant contribution to Endoscopy. RCP (Edinburgh) 2015
• Hopkins Endoscopy award by British Society of Gastroenterology for significant contribution to UK Endoscopy. BSG 2012
• ASGE Crystal award for Best International endoscopy research. DDW 2013
• ASGE Crystal award for Best International Patient friendly research. DDW 2011
• Clinical Excellence awards (8)

Phd / M D supervisor for advanced research degrees

Supervised 14 Research fellows to completion of Endoscopy Research based MD / Phd

Publications

Widely published on all aspects of endoscopy (>200 peer reviewed full publications) Contributed to various British, NICE and European Guidelines on a range of Endoscopy related topics. Have authored multiple Book chapters.

Prateek Sharma, MD, FASGE, FACP, FACG is Professor of Medicine and the Elaine Blaylock Endowed Professor at the Kansas University Cancer Center. He has been at the forefront in improving diagnosis and management of GI diseases and cancer, specifically esophageal diseases, GERD, Barrett’s esophagus, imaging, artificial intelligence, digital health, sustainable healthcare and endoscopic treatments. Dr. Sharma has been interviewed by CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek. He has over 600 publications, including guidelines and book chapters, and has published several important textbooks in medicine. Dr. Sharma continues to publish in several high-profile international journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, American Journal of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Dr. Sharma is the President of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). He has recently been named as the chair of the Artificial Intelligence Institute for Gastroenterology and a member of the United Nations' Internet Governance Forum (Coalition on Digital Health). He is also the recipient of the Padma Shri and VAIBHAV Awards from the Government of India

Professor of Hepatology, Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, UCL Medical School. Hon Consultant, Royal Free Hospital and University College London Hospitals. Head: Liver Failure Group. Past Editor in Chief: Journal of Hepatology, Background I am a clinician with a strong focus on translational research. I graduated in India, trained in Edinburgh and studied for my PhD in Maastricht. I moved to UCL as a Senior lecturer/Hon Consultant in 2000 and was awarded a personal chair in 2009. I spend about 50% of my time providing patient care as a Hepatologist at the secondary and tertiary level at the Royal Free Hospital where I also run a translational and basic science laboratory. Research Focus and Output My work focused on liver failure. The most important observation we made was the discovery that systemic inflammation played a crucial role in the progression of liver injury and cirrhosis culminating in liver failure leading up to current hypotheses and the seminal observation that acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) was a distinct clinical syndrome with defined clinical, prognostic and pathophysiological characteristics. ACLF is associated with high mortality rates, consumes huge healthcare resources and its treatment is a huge unmet need. In the past 15 years since I described this syndrome first, more than 800 papers have been published on this subject and many research groups and industry are focussed on this subject to better define, prognosticate, understand its pathogenesis and develop new treatments. I have developed a vibrant clinical practice and laboratory with many novel therapies and established extensive collaborations with key investigators, Foundations and Industry around the world to study the pathophysiological basis of ACLF. I was the Founder member of the EASL CLIF Consortium (100 European hospitals), which now stands independently funded with the aim of developing new treatments for cirrhosis and liver failure.

Dr Robert (Bob) Anderson is a clinical gastroenterologist, scientist, commercial drug and diagnostics developer and from 2022-2026 served as President of International Society for the Study of Coeliac Disease. Bob’s research is focused on immune mechanisms led by T cells that are responsible for coeliac disease. Bob has designed and led preclinical and clinical development of immunotherapy and T-cell diagnostics in academic and commercial roles. Bob is currently based in Brisbane, Australia but has worked in clinical, academic and commercial roles in New Zealand, Australia, UK and USA.

Dr. Sahil Khanna is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. He completed Medical School at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi; Post Doctoral Research at University of California San Diego, CA; Residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN before joining the Faculty. He also completed Masters in Clinical and Translational Sciences at Mayo Clinic. His interests include Epidemiology, Outcomes and Emerging Therapeutics for Clostridioides difficile infection and the interaction between C difficile and Inflammatory bowel diseases.

He has an extensive publication record with over 200 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. He has presented all over the world in the field of C difficile infection. He has a passion for education and mentorship and serves as an associate program director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. He directs the C. difficile Clinic, Microbiota Therapeitcs program and the Gastroenterology inpatient servces. He has won numerous awards including the Miles and Shirley Fiterman Award, Mayo Brothers Distinguished Fellowship Award, Donald C. Balfour Mayo Clinic Alumni Association Research Award, amongst others.

Dr. Sahil Khanna, MBBS, MS, FACG, AGAF, is a Professor of Medicine and Consultant in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He earned his medical degree from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, completed post-doctoral research at the University of California San Diego, and finished both his internal-medicine residency and GI fellowship at Mayo Clinic, where he also received a master’s degree in Clinical & Translational Science. At Mayo Clinic, Dr. Khanna founded and directs the C. difficile Clinic and Microbiota Therapeutics Program, providing cutting-edge care and leading pivotal trials that helped FDA-approved microbiome-based therapies. He also serves as Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency and holds multiple institutional leadership posts. Dr. Khanna’s research focuses on the epidemiology, outcomes, and emerging treatments for Clostridioides difficile infection, the gut microbiome, and inflammatory bowel diseases. He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, sits on the editorial boards of several leading journals, and is an invited lecturer on five continents. His work has been honored with the Miles & Shirley Fiterman Award, the Mayo Brothers Distinguished Fellowship Award, and the American Gastroenterological Association’s Early Career Investigator recognition, among many others.

SAHIL KHANNA, MBBS, MS, FACG, AGAF, is Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic and an internationally recognized expert on C. difficile infection and the gut microbiome. Director of Mayo Clinic’s C. difficile Clinic, he has published more than 200 scientific papers and leads groundbreaking trials of microbiota-based therapies. He also serves as Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency and holds multiple institutional leadership posts.

Dr. Seth A. Gross is an advanced endoscopist and gastroenterologist specializing in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of gastrointestinal precancerous conditions and cancers, including esophageal, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer. His research focuses on gastrointestinal malignancies, quality improvement in endoscopy, innovation, and the application of artificial intelligence in digestive health
Dr. Gross is Deputy Director of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at NYU Langone Health and Professor of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. He serves as a Trustee of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and is a former member of the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer. He is also a member of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) AI Institute, a reimbursement advisor to the American Medical Association’s RUC for ASGE, a past President of the New York Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and a former Associate Editor of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. He hosts a monthly nationally broadcast radio program on Dr. Radio

Professor Sebastian (Seb) is a Consultant Gastroenterologist at the IBD Unit in Hull, UK where he leads an integrated clinical-research team of multidisciplinary IBD professionals. He has a large clinical research portfolio in IBD with several prestigious multicentre national and international studies as chief or principal investigator. He has authored or co-authored over 350 publications in high impact peer reviewed journals (H-Index 60, i10 index 137). He is associated with European Crohn`s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) since its inception and has held many positions currently one of the ECCO governing board members. He is also currently leading the Lancet Commission on Global IBD. He places strong emphasis on promoting multidisciplinary research, cross cutting themes with emphasis on global collaborations. He has co-authored international guidelines including ECCO guidelines and led on scientific workshops. He was past chair of the British Society Gastroenterology (BSG) research committee, IBD section Committee member and was the past chair of the Adolescent and young person’s section. He is founder member of the patient -clinician partnership SIAA (South Asian IBD Alliance) , YOGI IBD and the Green Endoscopy network.

Shounak Majumder, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Consultant in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. He serves as Chair of Innovation for the GI Division and Program Director for the Pancreas Fellowship Program. Shounak is a board-certified gastroenterologist and fellowship-trained in medical pancreatology. He is a clinical expert in the management of pancreatic diseases and a nationally and internationally recognized key opinion leader in the field of pancreatology. Shounak is a NIH-funded physician scientist and leads the Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Research Program at Mayo Clinic. His research program focuses primarily on developing novel molecular approaches and digital tools for early detection of pancreatic cancer. Significant scientific contributions of his program include discovery and validation of methylated DNA biomarkers in pancreatic juice, cyst fluid and blood for detecting pancreatic cancer and advanced precancer. His ongoing research studies include estimating pancreatic cancer risk in patients with chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cysts and pancreatic steatosis, prospective validation of biomarkers for early detection of pancreatic cancer in high-risk individuals and developing artificial intelligence-based applications for pancreatic cancer screening. Shounak has published extensively in the field of pancreatology including high-impact journals such as Lancet, JAMA Oncology and Gastroenterology. He also serves as the Vice Chair for the Pancreatic Disorders (PAN) section of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute Council.

Dr. Varadarajulu serves as President of the Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute and is internationally known for his procedural expertise and clinical research in pancreatic and biliary disorders. Dr. Varadarajulu earned his medical degree from Madras Medical College in India, completed his residency at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, New York, gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Connecticut Heath Center, and interventional endoscopy fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He was a former Chief of Endoscopy and Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has been the principal investigator of more than 25 randomized trials related to interventional endoscopy, authored 70 chapters in reference textbooks, published more than 350 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and performed live demonstrations in more than 50 countries. He is the editor of the textbook ENDOSONOGRAPHY, former section editor for Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Deputy editor-in-chief of Digestive Endoscopy.

Susana G. Rodrigues, MD, PhD, is a Consultant Hepatologist at the University Clinic of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, Hepatology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Switzerland, and researcher at the Department of Biomedical Research, University of Bern. Her clinical and research expertise centers on portal hypertension, complications of liver cirrhosis, and, steatotic liver disease, namely, alcohol-related liver disease.

Susana Lopes is the Co-Director of the Gastroenterology and Hepatology WGO Training Center in Porto in Centro Hospitalar Universitário São Joao- Porto, Portugal She has received her medical degree and PhD from the University of Porto, in 1996 and 2018 respectively. Her PhD research was focused on endoscopy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and at the present time she is Associate Professor of Gastroenterology in the Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto. Her Clinical and Research interests include Inflammatory Bowel Disease (in particular clinical trials and drug development) and Interventional Endoscopy, with particular interest in advanced endoscopic ultrasound. She has published more than 60 articles in peer-reviewed journals and received 12 national honors and awards in the field of Gastroenterology, Endoscopy and Hepatology. She served as the President of the Portuguese Ultrasound Group and of the Portuguese Society of Endoscopy. She has continuously been working since 2011 in different WGO Committees and Interest Groups, with emphasis in the Outreach Group, Hepatology Interest Group, and Train the Trainers Committee serving as faculty in multiple Courses. At the present time she is the Chair of the IBD Committee and Co-Director of Porto Training Center.

Dr. Timothy Gardner graduated from Dartmouth College and the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine, chief medical residency and gastroenterology fellowship training at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and a subspecialty fellowship in clinical pancreatology at Mayo Clinic Rochester. He has a Masters in Clinical Research from the Dartmouth Institute. He is professor of medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine. He is currently the director of pancreatic disorders, co-director of the advanced therapeutic endoscopy fellowship and medical director of the Dartmouth islet cell transplant program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. He is the inaugural Dean of Medical Student Research at Geisel. He has published widely in the areas of medical pancreatology and therapeutic endoscopy with over 200 peer-reviewed publications, three books, and has received numerous grants from the NIH, National Pancreas Foundation and the American College of Gastroenterology to develop treatments for patients with pancreatic disease.

Vincent Wong holds the position of professor of medicine and serves as the Head (Academic) of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research primarily revolves around steatotic liver disease and liver fibrosis, with a particular focus on the development and application of non-invasive tests for screening, diagnosis and prognostication. Notably, he contributed to the writing committee responsible for formulating the guidelines of the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver, American Gastroenterological Association and the European Association for the Study of the Liver. He has authored more than 700 publications in international medical journals. His h-index is 148 as of May 2026 by Google Scholar. He holds the position of associate editor for the Journal of Hepatology and serves as an editorial board member for renowned medical journals such as Gastroenterology, JHEP Reports, and Clinical and Molecular Hepatology. He was the president of the Hong Kong Association for the Study of Liver Diseases from 2015 to 2017 and the Chairman of the Specialty Board of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Hong Kong College of Physicians from 2022 to 2025. He has been honoured with research awards from esteemed organizations such as the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver, Asian Pacific Digestive Week Federation, British Society of Gastroenterology, Hong Kong College of Physicians, the Health Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government, and the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education of China.

Dr. Vipul Jairath is a Gastroenterologist and Professor of Medicine in the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry and holds the John and Susan McDonald Endowed Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Clinical Research at Western University, Canada. Dr Jairath leads the IBD Center at University Hospital (London Health Sciences Center) and is Director of the IBD Clinical Trials Unit, Director of the IBD Fellowship program and Research Chair for the Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. His research interests are centered around design, conduct and execution of clinical trials, outcome measures and index development and validation for use in clinical trials, including patient reported outcome measures, as well as methodological research in the design and analysis of clinical trials. He has over 500 peer reviewed publications. He has supervised multiple students and research fellows at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Dr. Jairath is principal investigator for multiple randomized controlled trials in IBD including investigator-initiated trials, collaborative trials and industry sponsored trials. He has served on multiple clinical trial steering committees, data monitoring committees and trial management groups.

Dr Vivek Kaul is Professor of Medicine in the Gastroenterology & Hepatology Division at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, NY, USA. After graduating medical school from Delhi University in 1993, he completed Internal Medicine residency, Gastroenterology and Advanced Endoscopy fellowship training in the USA. He has been in academic Gastroenterology practice for nearly 25 years. Dr Kaul’s clinical, research and medical education efforts are focused on Therapeutic Endoscopy (EUS, ERCP, Pancreaticobiliary disease & Barretts/Esophageal cancer). He is a PI and/or co-PI on several national and international trials in endoscopy, pancreatic and esophageal disease, including several NIH sponsored trials. Dr Kaul serves in several leadership roles in national and international GI societies. He currently serves as President-Elect of the World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO), and is on the WGO Governing Council, Executive & Finance Committees. Dr Kaul is also the incoming Chair of the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA) Council section of Endoscopy, Technology & Imaging (ETI). He is a long-standing member (and past Chair) of the ASGE Reimbursement committee and a member of the ACG International Relations committee. Dr Kaul also serves on several national and international task forces, including the WGO Climate Change-Green Endoscopy task Force and the ACG Ergonomics task force. In addition, he currently serves on the EUS, Research & Industry relations subcommittees of the GI-Quic national consortium. Dr Kaul is a reviewer and editorial board member for several national and international journals, is an Associate Editor for ASGE’s innovation journal iGIE and the international editorial board Chair for the ACG journal Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology (CTG). He has published extensively in the field of interventional endoscopy & several other aspects of Gastroenterology, with more than 125 peer reviewed publications in top tier journals. Dr Kaul has been a Castle Connolly “top doc” for 10 years in a row. He is a sought-after speaker and regularly lectures and shares his endoscopy expertise at centers in the USA and around the world.

Prof. Marlicz is a professor in gastroenterology, internal medicine and GI endoscopy at the Department of Gastroenterology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland. He has been involved in diagnostic and therapeutic gastrointestinal endoscopy, diagnosing and treating patients with disorders of gut-brain interactions (DGBIs), inflammatory bowel disorders (IBD) and gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. His research interest has been directed towards innate mucosal immunity and host-microbe interaction. He has gained professional experience working in the Blackburn Royal Infirmary Hospital (UK), University of Pennsylvania (USA) and University of New South Wales (Australia). He is the co-author of more than 200 papers on Pubmed related to topics of somatic stem cells, microbiota, probiotics, DGBIs and gastrointestinal endoscopy. Other areas of interest include disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBIs), human microbiome, probiotics as well as colonoscopy quality, colorectal cancer screening and capsule endoscopy. Prof. Marlicz holds active positions in editorial boards of specialty journals and is involved in academic teaching. Prof. Marlicz is the current President of the Polish Society of Gastroenterology (PTG-E), European Lifestyle Medicine Organization (ELMO - Country Representative for Poland), Hp-EUReg (registry representative in Poland), Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology (FACG), Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh (FRCPE), member of European Microscopic Colitis Group (EMCG), European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) and Honorary Member of the Polish Celiac Society. He has been collaborating and serving for World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) since 2014 and currenty holds the positions of Chair of TTT committee and member of Finance and Nomination Committees.

Yeong Yeh LEE, MD, Ph.D., FACP, FRCP, FACG, FAMM, AGAF, FASc is Professor of Medicine and Consultant of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Internal Medicine at Universiti Sains Malaysia. He is currently the Adjunct Professor at Universitas Airlangga. He has authored more than 340 papers in high-impact journals including Gastroenterology and Gut, several book chapters and textbooks, and listed in the Stanford’s Top 2% in the World in their respective field (citation impact in a single year). JCI Malaysia awarded him the Outstanding Young Malaysian Award in 2015 and the Top Research Scientist of Malaysia by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia in 2018. He is senior editor of a number of journals including the Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences. He is Past President of the Malaysian Society of Gastroenterology & Hepatology (MSGH), Past Scientific Chair of Asia Pacific Digestive Week (APDW) 2021 and committee member of numerous international societies including the World Gastroenterology Organization.