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International Faculty

International Faculty

Dr. Anita Afzali

MD, MPH, MHCM, FACG, AGAF Professor of Medicine Interim Chair, Department of Internal Medicine University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, USA

Dr. Anita Afzali

MD, MPH, MHCM, FACG, AGAF Professor of Medicine Interim Chair, Department of Internal Medicine University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, USA

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. Ashwin N Ananthakrishnan

MD, MPH, FACG, AGAF, Associate Professor of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA .

Dr. Ashwin N Ananthakrishnan

MD, MPH, FACG, AGAF, Associate Professor of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA .

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.

Dr. Chengwei Tang

President, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China.

Dr. Chengwei Tang

President, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China.

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,

Dr. Claudia Defilippi

MD, Co-Chair Joint Scientific Program Committee, World Congress of Gastroenterology 2026

Dr. Claudia Defilippi

MD, Co-Chair Joint Scientific Program Committee, World Congress of Gastroenterology 2026

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

Professor Emeritus, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Prof. Dan Lucian Dumitrascu

Professor Emeritus, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

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

Dr. Fabián Juliao-Baños

President of PANCCO, Coordinator IBD Clinic, Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital, Medellín, Colombia.

Dr. Fabián Juliao-Baños

President of PANCCO, Coordinator IBD Clinic, Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital, Medellín, Colombia.

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.

Dr. Francis Farraye

Director, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA

Dr. Francis Farraye

Director, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA

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.

Dr. Guilherme Macedo

Head of the Gastroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário São Joao and Full Professor in University of Porto, Portugal

Dr. Guilherme Macedo

Head of the Gastroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário São Joao and Full Professor in University of Porto, Portugal

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.

Dr. Jessica Widmer

Associate Professor of Medicine, NYU, USA

Dr. Jessica Widmer

Associate Professor of Medicine, NYU, USA

Dr. Jessica Widmer is an Associate Professor of Medicine at NYU Grossman - Long Island School of Medicine. She is the Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition and Program Director of the Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship at NYU Langone – Long Island Hospital. She received her medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, and completed residency training in internal medicine and GI Fellowship at NYU Langone – Long Island. She subsequently completed an Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship at New York Presbyterian - Weill Cornell College of Medicine, New York, New York. Her endoscopic interests include EUS, ERCP, therapeutic EUS, advanced imaging techniques including cholangiopancreatoscopy, confocal endomicroscopy, and the use of artificial intelligence for pancreaticobiliary diseases and GI malignancy. She is actively engaged in fellows’ education as well as advanced endoscopic clinical research. She is a current member of the AGA, ACG, ASGE (Fellow, GOLD Class of 2022), NYSGE, T-EUS, FITE (Chair, ERCP/cholangioscopy committee), WIE and WGO (Artificial Intelligence Task Force).

Dr. Jonathan A. Leighton

Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Arizona, USA.

Dr. Jonathan A. Leighton

Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Arizona, USA.

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

Researcher, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico.

Dr. José María Remes-Troche

Researcher, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico.

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. Kelly W. Burak

MD, FRCPC, MSc(Epid) Professor, Cumming School of Medicine, Departments of Medicine and Oncology, Divisions of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Transplant Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada

Dr. Kelly W. Burak

MD, FRCPC, MSc(Epid) Professor, Cumming School of Medicine, Departments of Medicine and Oncology, Divisions of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Transplant Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada

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.

Dr. Nalini M Guda

MD, AGAF, FJGES,FACG,MASGE Clinical Adjunct Professor of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health President, GI Associates, Milwaukee, WI, USA

Dr. Nalini M Guda

MD, AGAF, FJGES,FACG,MASGE Clinical Adjunct Professor of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health President, GI Associates, Milwaukee, WI, USA

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 Fanous

MD, Consultant gastroenterologist, hepatologist & Endoscopist Police Authority Hospital, Cairo, Egypt.

Dr. Nancy Fanous

MD, Consultant gastroenterologist, hepatologist & Endoscopist Police Authority Hospital, Cairo, Egypt.

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.

Dr. Eddy Choon Jin OOI

Dr Eddy Choon Jin Ooi obtained his MBBS from National University of Singapore and is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians,

Dr. Eddy Choon Jin OOI

Dr Eddy Choon Jin Ooi obtained his MBBS from National University of Singapore and is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians,

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)

Dr. Paolo Angeli

Full Professor, Internal Medicine, University of Padova, Italy.

Dr. Paolo Angeli

Full Professor, Internal Medicine, University of Padova, Italy.

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.

Dr. Patrick S. Kamath

Professor of Medicine and Consultant in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

Dr. Patrick S. Kamath

Professor of Medicine and Consultant in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

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.

Dr. Prateek Sharma

Professor of Medicine and the Elaine Blaylock Endowed Professor, The Kansas University Cancer Center, USA

Dr. Prateek Sharma

Professor of Medicine and the Elaine Blaylock Endowed Professor, The Kansas University Cancer Center, USA

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

Dr. Rajiv Jalan

UCL Medical School, Head, Liver Failure Group, UK

Dr. Rajiv Jalan

UCL Medical School, Head, Liver Failure Group, UK

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. Shaji Sebastian

Consultant Gastroenterologist, IBD Unit in Hull, UK

Dr. Shaji Sebastian

Consultant Gastroenterologist, IBD Unit in Hull, UK

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.

Dr. Shounak Majumder

Associate Professor, Medicine and Consultant, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA

Dr. Shounak Majumder

Associate Professor, Medicine and Consultant, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA

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. Shyam Varadarajulu

President, The Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute, USA

Dr. Shyam Varadarajulu

President, The Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute, USA

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.

Dr. Susana G. Rodrigues

Consultant Hepatologist, University Clinic of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, Hepatology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Switzerland.

Dr. Susana G. Rodrigues

Consultant Hepatologist, University Clinic of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, Hepatology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Switzerland.

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.

Dr. Susana Lopes

MD, PhD Chair of WGO IBD Committee, Co-Director of Porto Training Center, Portugal.

Dr. Susana Lopes

MD, PhD Chair of WGO IBD Committee, Co-Director of Porto Training Center, Portugal.

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

Professor, Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine, USA

Dr. Timothy Gardner

Professor, Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine, USA

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.

Dr. Yeong Yeh LEE

Professor of Medicine , Consultant of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Internal Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains, Malaysia

Dr. Yeong Yeh LEE

Professor of Medicine , Consultant of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Internal Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains, Malaysia

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.

Wojciech Marlicz

MD, PhD, FACG, FRCPE Consultant Gastroenterologist Professor of Medicine Department of Gastroenterology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland

Wojciech Marlicz

MD, PhD, FACG, FRCPE Consultant Gastroenterologist Professor of Medicine Department of Gastroenterology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland

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.

Prof Pradeep Bhandari

MB, MD, FRCP(UK), FJGES(Japan), FESGE(EUR)

Prof Pradeep Bhandari

MB, MD, FRCP(UK), FJGES(Japan), FESGE(EUR)

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.

Dr. Gilaad G. Kaplan

MD MPH FRCPC CAGF AGAF FCAHS Professor of Medicine Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada.

Dr. Gilaad G. Kaplan

MD MPH FRCPC CAGF AGAF FCAHS Professor of Medicine Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada.

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.

Citations: https://publons.com/researcher/4286726/gilaad-g-kaplan/metrics/