Dion Morton is Co-Chair of ESCP's Global Reach Committee with Prof. Simon Ng. He is Barling Chair of Surgery, University of Birmingham.
Name: Dion Morton
Current position and hospital: Barling Chair of Surgery, University of Birmingham
ESCP Executive position: Global Reach Committee Co-Chair
Main clinical and research interests: Colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. International clinical research.
Social Media Handles: You are joking, that would be illegal at my age.
What made you want to specialise in colorectal surgery?
There is a great need across the world for elective and emergency care that can be met by colorectal surgery. Seeking to meet this challenge has been a huge privilege and a driving force for the last 30 years.
What is the best part of the job?
Growing collaborations across the world to benefit patients through better care.
How long have you been involved in ESCP and what made you want to become involved?
I have been involved for almost 15 years. ESCP is the only society in the world that leads global research to benefit patients. This was because of the vision of a few surgeons and I have had the pleasure of developing this work throughout that time.
What do you value most about being involved in ESCP?
The global reach of the community that strives to improve patient care through research, training and scientific endeavour.
Tell us your best ESCP conference anecdote?
I have especially worked with Soren Laurberg in developing the research portfolio and the research programme at the ESCP conference. Every year it is a great pleasure to listen to his questions, seek answers to many of them and tell him that we no longer have time for another!
What would your one bit of advice for younger surgeons starting their career in colorectal surgery be?
There is and will be a growing need for colorectal surgerical care across the world. They should seek out that challenge, make collaborations through ESCP and deliver high quality care through collaborative research that transforms the lives of their patients and the patients of their colleagues.