Erman Aytac

Erman Aytac (Chair and Research Rep)

Erman Aytac

Current position

Associate Professor of Surgery, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey (since 2015). Staff Surgeon, Acibadem Maslak Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey (since 2016).

Medical school

Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey (graduated in 2006)

General surgical and colorectal training

  • Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey (graduated in 2011)
  • Research/clinical research/clinical fellowship, Department of Colorectal Surgery, Digestive Disease Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA (graduated in 2016)

Main clinical and research interests

  • Colorectal cancer
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Pelvic floor and intestinal motility disorders
  • Minimally invasive and complex abdominopelvic surgery

Additional information

  • Primary and co-investigator in numerous national or international research studies. His studies have received awards from the Eczacıbaşı Scientific Research and Medical Award Fund, the Turkish Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery, and the American College of Surgeons.
  • Involved in numerous national and international medical/surgical meetings as a member of organising committee (including chairperson) and as an invited speaker or presenter.
  • Works as an editorial board member or reviewer in many prestigious national/international journals.

Peter Christensen

Peter Christensen (Global Reach Committee Rep)

Peter Christensen

Current position

Professor, Aarhus University, Denmark, and Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, Pelvic Floor Unit, Department of Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark

Medical school

Aarhus University, Denmark (1994)

General surgical and colorectal training

  • 2010: Karolinska Sjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
  • 2010: International certified colorectal surgeon by EBQS/Coloproctology
  • 2008-2012: Staff specialist, Department of Surgery P, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
  • 2002-2008: Registrar/senior registrar, Departments of Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital and Randers Hospital, Denmark
  • 1998-2001: Research Fellow, Department of Surgery P, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark

Main clinical and research interests

  • Patient reported outcomes
  • App development for scientific purpose in health
  • Fecal incontinence
  • Sequelae following cancer treatment
  • Pelvic floor rehabilitation
  • Surgery for functional bowel problems
  • Neurogenic bowel dysfunction

Additional information

  • Author or co-author of 61 scientific papers published in international peer reviewed journals (cit. 1.052, H-index: 20),
  • Doctoral thesis (2009) and , PHD thesis (2002), Aarhus University (2002), Denmark
  • Supervisor of three completed PhD thesis, main supervisor of two ongoing Phd studies
  • Referee for several international scientific journals
  • Member of Advisory Boards for Coloplast and Wellspect

Triantafyllos Doulias profile photo

Triantafyllos Doulias (Guidelines Rep Ass. Guidelines Chair)

Triantafyllos Doulias

Current position

Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals. Since 2017.

Medical school

University of Belgrade School of Medicine, Serbia. Graduated in 2002.

General surgical and colorectal training

  • Georgios Gennimatas University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
  • Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, UK
  • Cambridge Teaching Hospitals, Cambridge, UK
  • Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK

Main clinical and research interests

  • Minimally invasive surgery
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Pelvic floor pathology / management of complex perianal fistula
  • Locally advanced rectal cancer / pelvic exenteration
  • Surgical innovation
  • Surgical sepsis

Additional information

Qualifications:

  • Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS)
  • European Board of Surgical Qualification in coloproctology (EBSQ)
  • Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (FRCS)
  • Chief Residents Leadership and Management Programme, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge University Hospitals

Research:

  • PhD Thesis: Low dose hydrocortisone prolongs survival and reverses endotoxin tolerance in a lethal model of escherichia coli sepsis in adrenalectomized rats Aristoteles University of Thessaloniki, Greece, October 2016
  • MSc Thesis: The effect of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the affected part of the liver on the integrity of the intestinal mucosa barrier. Immunohistochemical expression of nuclear factor kB and oxidative stress Democritus University of Thrace, Greece June 2013

Journal reviewer:

  • British Journal of Surgery (BJS)
  • Colorectal Disease Journal
  • Annals Journal & Bulletin Journal
  • BMJ case reports
  • Archives of International Surgery
  • Annals of Surgery and Transplantation

Zoe Garoufalia

Zoe Garoufalia (Programme Committee Rep & Ass. Y-ESCP Chair)

Zoe Garoufalia

Current position

Colorectal Research Fellow, Cleveland Clinic, Florida, USA (since July 2021)

Medical school

School of Medicine of the Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece (graduated in 2013)

General surgical and colorectal training

  • Transplantation Unit, Laiko University Hospital, Athens, Greece
  • Second Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, Laiko University Hospital, Athens, Greece
  • Colorectal Department, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK

Main clinical and research interests

  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Patients’ outcomes
  • Training and accreditation systems

Additional information

  • PhD Candidate
  • Member of the ESCP's Programme Committee, Young ESCP Committee and Social Media Working Group
  • Member of ASCRS Communications Committee

Sara Gortazar 2023

Sara Gortázar (Y-ESCP Rep)

Sara Gortázar

Current position

  • Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, University Hospital Getafe, Madrid, Spain (since January 2023)
  • Consultant Surgeon, University Hospital Villalba, Madrid, Spain (since January 2023)

Medical school

La Laguna University, Tenerife, Spain (graduated in 2015)

General surgical and colorectal training

  • General Surgery Residency. University Hospital La Paz, Madrid, Spain (2016-2021)
  • Clinical investigation in Deep Endometriosis. Hospital La Paz Clinical Research Institute for Health Research, Madrid, Spain (2021)
  • Fellowship in Colorectal Surgery. University Hospital Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain (2022)
  • International observership for pelvic exenterations at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia (June-July 2022)

Main clinical and research interests

  • Deep endometriosis
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Pelvic exenteration

Member of the Communications Committee since

2023

Additional information

PhD in 2022: Low anterior resection syndrome in patients after deep endometriosis surgery

Debborah Keller

Deborah Keller (ex officio)

Deborah Keller

Current position

  • Assistant Professor, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery
  • Population Sciences Group, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Medical Center
  • New York, NY USA (since 2018)

Medical school

Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, 2007

General surgical and colorectal training

  • Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA
  • UH-Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA (Clinical Research)
  • St Vincent Medical Center, Allegheny General Health System, Erie, PA, USA
  • Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
  • Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA

Main clinical and research interests

Advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgery

Additional information

  • Editorial board of Colorectal Disease, Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, and Techniques in Coloproctology
  • New Technologies Committee, ASCRS
  • Young Surgeons Committee, ASCRS
  • Medical Scientific Advisory Committee, Colorectal Cancer Alliance
  • Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee, ASCRS
  • Safety, Outcomes, and Quality Committee, SAGES (Chair- 2019-2021)
  • Oncology Task Force, SAGES
  • Colon Standards Committee, SAGES
  • Cancer Care Standards Development Committee. American College of Surgeons

 Gianluca Pellino

Gianluca Pellino (Y-ESCP Chair)

Gianluca Pellino

Current position

Consultant Colorectal Surgeon, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy; Advanced Formation and Research, University Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona

Medical school

Graduated in Medicine and Surgery in 2008 at the Second University of Naples, Italy (MD)

General surgical and colorectal training

  • General and Colorectal Surgery, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy
  • ESCP 2016 Colorectal Fellow, Colorectal Surgery, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK
  • Colorectal Clinical Assistant, St. Mark’s Hospital and Academic Institute, Harrow, UK
  • AECP International Colorectal Fellow 2017, Colorectal Unit, Hospital “La Fe” Valencia, Spain
  • Colorectal Unit, University Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain

Main clinical and research interests

  • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Pelvic exenteration
  • Transanal minimally-invasive colorectal surgery (TAMIS, TaTME) and Robotic surgery
  • Applied colorectal anatomy

Additional information

  • Fellow of the European Board of Surgery (FEBS), Coloproctology 2018
  • International Fellow of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (FASCRS), 2018
  • PhD “Doctor Europaeus” in Translational Medicine (2018), Thesis on TaTME and Pelvic exenterations
  • Member of the Young European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (Y-ECCO) Committee
  • Member of the IBD Section and of the Communication and Research Committees of the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (SICCR)
  • Member of the Editorial Board of Techniques in Coloproctology (Social Media Editor)
  • Editor Assistant 2019 British Journal of Surgery
  • Associate Editor of BMC Surgery
  • Editorial Board of World Journal of Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology Research and Practice, Medicine
  • EuroSurg co-chair 2017-2018 and ItSurg vice-chair since 2017

Twitter handle: @GianlucaPellino

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianluca-pellino-b55b9641/

Frederic Ris

Frederic Ris (Membership Committee Chair)

Frederic Ris

Current position

Professor of Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals and medical school, Geneva, Switzerland

Medical school

Geneva University and medical school, Geneva, Switzerland (graduated in 1999)

General surgical and colorectal training

  • Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
  • Lachen Hospital, Lachen, Switzerland
  • St Luc Hospital, Brussels, Belgium
  • Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford, United Kingdom

Main clinical and research interests

  • Colon and rectal cancer
  • Pelvic floor disorders and proctology
  • Fluorescence imaging
  • Teaching surgery

Member of the Communications Committee since

2020

Additional information

  • Swiss ESCP National Representative since 2016
  • Member of editorial board of Techniques in Coloproctology
  • President of the ASRCC, French Swiss Laparoscopic Association
  • Member of the committee of the Swiss Visceral Surgical Society
  • Member of the Swiss Surgical Society, ESA, SALTC, ESSO, among others
  • Supporting any coloproctology activity in Switzerland

 Inés Rubio-Pérez

Inés Rubio-Pérez (Education Rep)

Inés Rubio-Pérez

Current position

Jr Consultant/Attending Surgeon, Colorectal Surgery Unit, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain, 2012 to date.

Medical school

  • Degree in Medicine and Surgery at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 2000-2006
  • Elective Undergraduate Observership in the Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Upper Limb Orthopaedic Firm, University College Hospital, London, UK, July 2005

General surgical and colorectal training

  • Residency training (general surgery): Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Madrid, May 2007-May 2012
  • Postgraduate Teaching Term and Clinical Observership, St Mark's Hospital, Harrow, Middlesex, London, October-December 2011
  • A&E surgeon (on-call, general surgery), Hospital Universitario Severo Ochoa, Leganés, Madrid, August 2012- January 2014
  • Honorary Clinical Fellow/Observer in Oxford University Hospitals (John Radcliffe and Churchill), Oxford, March-May 2017
  • ESCP Observership, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, March-April 2019

Main clinical and research interests

  • Main areas of interest are colorectal cancer and colorectal functional disorders, especially pelvic floor and SNS therapy.
  • Research in the fields of colorectal surgery and infectious diseases, with a special interest in surgical infections and postoperative complications.
  • Actively involved in education and innovation, organising educational events for students and residents and participating as speaker in different congresses and courses.
  • Active member in national and international societies and engaged with scientific social media.
  • Collaborator and advocate for patient support association for faecal incontinence (ASIA) in Spain and hospital coordinator for national patient safety programmes.

Additional information

  • PhD Thesis: Study of clinical profiles and risk factors of multi-resistant Gram- negative infections in General Surgery patients, November, 2015, Distinction 'Cum laude'
  • Recorder and Education Committee Coordinator, European Surgical Infection Society (SIS-E)
  • Community member, WHO GIEESC (Global Initiative for Emergency and Essential Surgical Care)
  • Spanish Surgical Society (AEC): Secretary of the Surgical Infection chapter
  • Clinical Collaborator (Associate Professor), Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
  • Editorial Board Member, Surgical Infections Journal

Baljit Singh

Baljit Singh (Journal Rep)

Baljit Singh 

Current position

Consultant Surgeon and Honorary Senior Lecturer, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, UK (since 2009)

Medical school

Oxford University, UK (Graduated in 1992)

General surgical and colorectal training

  • 2001-2004: Specialist Registrar, Oxford region, UK
  • 2005-2009: Clinical Lecturer and Surgeon Scientist, Nuffield Department of Surgery, Oxford, UK

Main clinical and research interests

  • Colorectal cancer
  • New technologies
  • Biomarkers
  • Anal fistula
  • IBD

Additional information

Posts in professional societies:

  • 2014-today: Member of the ESCP Cohort Studies Group
  • 2014-today: Member of the New Technology Committee American Society of Colorectal Surgeons (ASCRS)
  • 2014-today: Member of the National Bowel Cancer Audit (NBOCA) Clinical Advisory Group
  • 2013-today: Member of Council Coloproctology Section, Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) and Treasurer
  • 2014-2017: Treasurer Association of Coloporctology GB&I (ACPGBI) and Executive member of the ACPGBI
  • 2013: Deputy and now Acting Director of the Scientific Committee of the Association of Surgeon GB&I (ASGBI)
  • 2010-2016: Member of the Research and Audit Committee ACPGBI

Reviewer:

  • British Journal of Surgery
  • World Journal of Surgery
  • Techniques in Coloproctology

PHD Thesis:

Oxford University (UK) in 2004

Antonino Spinelli

Antonino Spinelli (ex officio -  Secretary)

Antonino Spinelli

Current position

Chief, Colon and Rectal Surgery, Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
Associate Professor of Surgery, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy

Medical school

  • Graduation in Medicine and Surgery, 2001, Università Degli Studi di Milan, Italy
  • Specialisation in General Surgery, 2007, Università Degli Studi di Milan, Italy
  • PhD on Enhanced Recovery protocols in colorectal surgery, 2011, Università Degli Studi di Catania, italy

General surgical and colorectal training

  • University of Berlin – Charitè, Germany
  • Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Main clinical and research interests

  • Minimally Invasive Surgery
  • Rectal Cancer
  • IBD Surgery

Additional information

Professor Spinelli serves as Associate Editor for both the two highest impact Journals dedicated to Colorectal Surgery (Colorectal Disease, the Official Journal of the European Society of Coloproctology, and Disease of the Colon and Rectum, the Official Journal of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery), and as well for the Journal of Anus, Rectum and Colon (JARC, Official Organ of the Japanese Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery).

Additionally, he is Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis (Official Journal of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization) and Coloproctology (Journal of the German Society of Colorectal Surgery).

ESCP Affiliates