
Gianluca Pellino, Chair
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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
Member of the Y-ESCP Committee since
2022
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
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Zoe Garoufalia, Assistant Chair
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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
Member of the Y-ESCP Committee since
2022
Additional information
- PhD Candidate
- Member of the ESCP's Programme and Research Committees and Social Media Working Group
- Member of ASCRS Communications Committee
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Nicolas Avellaneda
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Nicolas Avellaneda
Current position
Staff Surgeon: General, Colorectal Surgery and Proctology, “Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Norberto Quirno” (CEMIC), Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since 2018.
Medical school
University of Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Graduated December 2012.
General surgical and colorectal training
- International Colorectal Fellow, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark (2022-)
- Mastership in Coloproctology, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom (2020-2022)
- Doctor in Medical Sciences (PhD), “Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas “Norberto Quirno” (CEMIC), Buenos Aires, Argentina (2020-2022)
- Colorectal Surgery Fellow, “Nueva Proctología,” Buenos Aires, Argentina (2018-2020)
- Chief of Residents, General Surgery Residence, General Surgery Department, CEMIC University Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina (2017-2018)
- General Surgery Residence, General Surgery Department, CEMIC University Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina (2013-2017)
Main clinical and research interests
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Colorectal cancer
- Complex proctology
- Diverticular disease
- Collaborative studies
Member of the Y-ESCP Committee since
2023
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Rogini Balachandran
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Rogini Balachandran
Current position
Ph.D. student, Department of Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark (since October 2020).
Medical school
Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark (graduated in 2012)
General surgical and colorectal training
- Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Slagelse Hospital, Slagelse, Denmark
- Koege University Hospital, Koege, Denmark
- Herlev University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
Main clinical and research interests
- Colorectal cancer
- Late adverse effects
- Pelvic exenteration
- Cytoreductive surgery + HIPEC
Member of the Y-ESCP Committee since
2022
Additional information
Currently doing a PhD which I will be finishing in a year. My research area is late adverse effects following pelvic exenteration or cytoreductive surgery+HIPEC for colorectal cancer. I have been a member of the ESCP Programme Committee board for the past 2 years.
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Jan Colpaert
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Jan Colpaert
Current position
Consultant colorectal surgeon, ASZ Aalst, Belgium
Medical school
Ghent University (graduated in 2014)
General surgical and colorectal training
General surgical training:
- OLV Hospital Aalst, Belgium
- ASZ Aalst, Belgium
- Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
- AZ Sint-Jan Hospital Bruges, Belgium
Colorectal training:
- ETZ Tilburg, the Netherlands
- Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
- Leuven University Hospital, Belgium
- Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark
Main clinical and research interests
- Colon / Rectal cancer
- IBD
- Proctology and anal fistula
Member of the Y-ESCP Committee since
2022
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Stefanie Devriendt
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Stefanie Devriendt
Current position
General and colorectal surgeon, ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium (since 2022)
Medical school
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium (graduated in 2014)
General surgical and colorectal training
General surgical:
- Ziekenhuis Netwerk Antwerpen (ZNA), Antwerp, Belgium (2years)
- AZ Sint Blasius, Dendermonde, Belgium (2years) - ETZ, Tilburg, The Netherlands (1 year)
- University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium (1 year)
Colorectal fellowships:
- University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium (1 year)
- Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (1 year)
Main clinical and research interests
I am interested in the broad range of colorectal surgery, with a slight preference to IBD and colorectal oncology, but also functional and benign colorectal diseases.
Member of the Y-ESCP Committee since
2022
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Caterina Foppa
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Caterina Foppa
Current position
- Staff surgeon, Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy (since March 2019)
- Assistant Professor, Dept of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy (since May 2022)
Medical school
Florence University, Italy (graduated in Medicine and Surgery)
General surgical and colorectal training
- Florence University Hospital, Italy (residency in General Surgery)
- Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
Main clinical and research interests
- Early onset colorectal cancer
- Early colorectal cancer (stage I)
- Transanal transection and single stapled anastomosis (TTSS)
Member of the Y-ESCP Committee since
2022
Additional information
PhD in Clinical Sciences (Curriculum Anesthesiology and Surgical Sciences) – Thesis: minimally invasive surgery in the treatment of gastrointestinal and endocrine tumors
Editorial experience:
- Junior Editor, Techniques in Coloproctology (2014-2015)
- Junior Editor, Colorectal Disease (2016-2017)
- Junior Editor, Techniques in Coloproctology (2016-2017)
- Junior Editor, Diseases of Colon and rectum (2018-2021)
- Reviewer’s Guild Member of Diseases of the Colon and Rectum (2019-2020)
ESCP guidelines:
- T1 rectal cancer guideline committee
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Sara Gortázar
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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 Y-ESCP Committee since
2023
Additional information
PhD in 2022: Low anterior resection syndrome in patients after deep endometriosis surgery
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Jurij Aleš Košir
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Jurij Aleš Košir
Current position
Resident of abdominal surgery at University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia, since January 2018.
Medical school
Graduated in April 2017 from Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
General surgical and colorectal training
University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Main clinical and research interests
- Fluorescence-guided surgery
- Colorectal robotic assisted surgery
- Surgery for inflammatory bowel disease
Member of the Y-ESCP Committee since
2022
Additional information
I’m a senior resident of abdominal surgery at UMC Ljubljana, enthusiastic about research and education. I have research experience in the areas of fluorescence-guided surgery, colorectal robotic assisted surgery and surgery for inflammatory bowel disease. My PhD-thesis is focused on the treatment of adhesive small bowel obstruction and my clinical experience also includes proctology, oncologic abdominal surgery and emergency abdominal surgery.
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Yegor Tryliskyy
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Yegor Tryliskyy
Current position
Specialty Registrar (ST5) in General and Colorectal Surgery - Great Western Hospital, Severn Deanery, England (since 2022)
Medical school
Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine (graduated in 2012)
General surgical and colorectal training
- Higher Surgical Trainee - Severn Deanery (2020 to present)
- Specialty Registrar - Worthing Hospital, West Sussex, England, UK (2019-20)
- International Fellow - Worthing Hospital, West Sussex, England, UK (2017-19)
- Research Fellow - Shupyk National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Kyiv, Ukraine (2015-17)
- Doctor-Intern- Shupyk National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Kyiv, Ukraine (2012-15)
Main clinical and research interests
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Abdominal wall
- Medical Education
Member of the Y-ESCP Committee since
2022
Additional information
- Tutor of the University of Edinburgh
- Faculty of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
- Ad-hoc systematic reviewer of the Guidelines subcommittee of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery
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Sofia Xenaki
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Sofia Xenaki
Current position
General Surgeon, Department of Surgery. University Hospital of Heraklion Crete - Greece (since 2020)
Medical school
University of Crete - Greece (graduated in 2014)
General surgical and colorectal training
- Department of Surgery. University Hospital of Heraklion Crete - Greece
- University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG) - Switzerland
- VUMedical Center Amsterdam - the Netherlands
- Albert Ludwigs Universität Freiburg Universitätsklinikum Freiburg - Germany
- Karolinska University Hospital HUDDINGE - Gastrozentrum, Stockholm, Sweden
Main clinical and research interests
- Colorectal Surgery
- Fluorescence
- Laparoscopic and minimal invasive surgery
- Trauma surgery
- Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery
Member of the Y-ESCP Committee since
2022
Additional information
Membership of societies:
- European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) (2022 to present)
- International Society of Surgery (ISS-SIC) (2022 to present)
- Society of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery (SLS) (2021 to present)
- World Society of Emergency Medicine (WSES) (2019 to present)
- Hellenic Society of Colorectal Surgery (2017 to present)
- European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP) (2016 to present)
- American College of Surgeons - Resident and Associate Society of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) (2015 to present)
- Hellenic Study Group of Gastointestinal and Hepatobilliary Cancer (2012 to present)
- Hellenic Medical Student Association (2008-14)
- International Federation of Medical Student Association (IFMSA) (2008-14)
- Greek GastroInstestinal Cancer - Study Group (GIC-SG) (2007 to present)
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Yaniv Zager
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Yaniv Zager
Current position
Chief resident of colorectal surgery service, Surgery B department, Sheba medical center, Ramat-Gan, Israel Tel-Aviv university
Medical school
Tel-Aviv university medical school. Tel-Aviv. Israel. Graduated at 2015.
General surgical and colorectal training
General surgery residency at Sheba medical center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
Main clinical and research interests
- Rectal Cancer
- Diverticulitis
- Biomarkers in colorectal surgery
Member of the Y-ESCP Committee since
2022
Additional information
- MD-Thesis: Optimization of Irreversible Electroporation Protocols for In-vivo Myocardial Decellularization.
- Residency basic-science project: Extracellular vesicles in colorectal cancer.
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