Zoe Garoufalia

Zoe Garoufalia, Chair

 Zoe Garoufalia

Current position

Clinical Fellow in Minimally Invasive Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weston, Florida, USA (since August 2023)

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 (2014-2015)
  • Second Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, Laiko University Hospital, Athens, Greece (2015 -2021)
  • Colorectal Surgery Department, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK (2019 -2020)
  • Colorectal Surgery research fellow in Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weston, Florida, USA (2021- 2023)

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 in Medicine (2023) - Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  • Past member of the ESCP Research Committee (2020 -2023)
  • Member of the ESCP Social Media Working Group since May 2020
  • Member of the ASCRS Social Media Committee since December 2020 - April 2022
  • Vice-Chair of the ASCRS Communications Committee since February 2023
  • Member of the ESCP Programme Committee since October 2021
  • Member of the ASCRS IBD Committee since 2023
  • Chair of the Y- ESCP since 2023
  • Member of the Social Media Committee of the Greek Society of Coloproctologists since July 2023

Nicolas Avellaneda

Nicolas Avellaneda

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

Rogini Balachandran

Rogini Balachandran

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.

Jan Colpaert

Jan Colpaert

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

Stephanie Devriendt

Stefanie Devriendt

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

Caterina Foppa

Caterina Foppa, ex-officio/mentor

Caterina Foppa

Current position

  • Colorectal Surgeon at IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy (since March 2019)
  • Assistant Professor at Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy (since May 2022)

Medical school

  • Florence University, Italy (graduated in Medicine and Surgery)

General surgical and colorectal training

  • Residency in General Surgery at Florence University Florence Italy (end July 2018)
  • PhD in Surgical and Anesthesiology Sciences at Florence University, Florence Italy (end April 2021)
  • Training during the residency at the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Stony Brook University, New York, USA

Main clinical and research interests

  • Early onset colorectal cancer
  • Management of early colorectal cancers, transanal transection and single stapled anastomosis (TTSS)
  • New technologies and techniques in colorectal surgery
  • Treatment and management of rectal cancer

Member of 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

Sara Gortazar 2023

Sara Gortázar

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

Jurij Kosir

Jurij Aleš Košir

Jurij Aleš Košir

Current position

Staff surgeon at Department of Abdominal Surgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Medical school

Graduated in April 2017 from Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

General surgical and colorectal training

  • Residency at University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2018-2024)
  • Surgical fellowship at Meander Medisch Centrum, Amersfoort, Netherlands

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 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.

Tina van Loon

Tina van Loon, UEMS Representative

Tina van Loon

Current position

Fellow of gastrointestinal, colorectal and robotic surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands, since June 2022.

Medical school

University of Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands, graduated in 2013.

General surgical and colorectal training

General surgical training:

  • Elisabeth TweeSteden Hospital, Tilburg, the Netherlands (2014-18)
  • Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands (2018-19)

Colorectal / GI training:

  • Pantein Hospital, Boxmeer, the Netherlands (2019)
  • Elisabeth TweeSteden Hospital, Tilburg, the Netherlands (2020-21)
  • Meander Medical Center, Amersfoort, the Netherlands (robotic colorectal training) (2021)
  • Elisabeth TweeSteden Hospital, Tilburg, the Netherlands (2022)

Main clinical and research interests

Clinical interests:

  • Benign (especially IBD and endometriosis) and malignant colorectal cancer surgery,
  • Robotic colorectal and abdominal wall surgery

Research interests:

  • Use of stomas in colorectal surgery, Improvement using pathways in colorectal surgery, perianal fistula treatment

Member of the Y-ESCP Committee since

2024

Additional information

  • ESCP Education committee member (2017-23)
  • Dutch Society of ColoRectal Surgery board member (2017-22)
  • EBSQ Colorectal Surgery organising committee (2016 to present)
  • Anal fistula course organising committee (2015, 2016, 2023)
  • Member of Diversity Equity and Inclusivity working group (2023 to present)
  • PhD-thesis: STOMA - Challenges in stoma surgery and patient management (2022, University of Maastricht, co-promotor Dr. D.D.E. Zimmerman, promotor prof. dr. L.P.S. Stassen)

Jasper Stijns

Jasper Stijns, UEMS Representative

Jasper Stijns

Current position

MD, Staff Colorectal Surgeon at Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Jette, Belgium (since 2020)

Medical school

KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (2012)

General surgical and colorectal training

General Surgery:

  • Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  • Europaziekenhuis St. Michel, Etterbeek, Belgium

Colorectal surgery training:

  • ETZ Tilburg, The Netherlands
  • Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  • ESCP-JSCP travelling fellowship 2019

Main clinical and research interests

  • Colon and rectal cancer
  • IBD
  • Anal fistula
  • Robotic Colorectal Surgery

Member of the Y-ESCP Committee since

2024

Additional information

  • MD, MSc, FEBS-coloproctology (2019)
  • PhD-candidate at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Anal Fistula)
  • Past ESCP Educom member (2014-23)
  • Y-ESCP committee member (2016-20)
  • Board member: Robotic Surgery Working Group (RBSS)
  • Board member: Belgian Section of ColoRectal Surgery (RBSS)
  • Associate Editor: Acta Chirurgica Belgica
  • Editorial Board Member: Techniques in Coloproctology.

Yegor Tryliskyy

Yegor Tryliskyy

Yegor Tryliskyy

Current position

Specialty Registrar (ST6) in General and Colorectal Surgery - Gloucester Royal Hospital, Severn Deanery, England (since 2023)

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

  • PGCAP in Higher Education (the University of Edinburgh), Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2023)
  • Member of the Royal College of Surgeons (2019)
  • MSc in Surgical Sciences from the University of Edinburgh (2015)
  • Tutor of the University of Edinburgh (since 2020)
  • Faculty of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (since 2019)

Sofia Xenakis

Sofia Xenaki

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)

Yaniv Zager  

Yaniv Zager, ex-officio/mentor

 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.
ESCP Affiliates