Meet the 2023 Honorary Fellows
Each year the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) recognizes up to six Honorary Fellows. Honorary Fellowship is designed to honor individuals, regardless of specialty, in recognition of their outstanding achievements and contributions to the field of colon and rectal surgery and allied fields. Nominees for Honorary Fellow should have made significant contributions to the peer reviewed literature, advancement and/or fostering of innovation, and education in the specialty of colon and rectal surgery or allied fields; demonstrated significant and/or sustained leadership within their country, national or regional society; developed and promulgated significant advances (clinical, research and/or technological) in the field of colon and rectal surgery and allied fields.
The Executive Council and members of the Honorary Fellowship Committee are pleased to present the 2023 Honorary Fellows.
Professor Sebastiano Biondo, Spain
Professor of Surgery, University of Barcelona
PhD, University of Barcelona
Chief of General and Digestive Surgery at Bellvitge University Hospital
Interests-colorectal cancer, diverticular disease, wound closure and surgical site infections
Collaborator of ORALEV, Turnbull-BCN, and DIVER trials and co-PI or investigator of multiple other trials
Past President of Spanish Society of Coloproctology and Catalan Surgical Society
Editor of Spanish Journal of Surgery and editorial board of British Journal of Surgery
Dr. Cesar Decanini, Mexico
Chair of Surgery at American British Hospital, Mexico City
Program director of oldest MIS fellowship
Clinical interests in MIS, robotic surgery and surgical staplers
Opened first colorectal clinic in the Army Hospital in Mexico City
Trained hundreds of surgeons and seen as the surgeon who advanced the specialty of colon and rectal surgery in Mexico and other countries in Central and Latin America
Widely regarded as “El Maestro”/Master Surgeon in Mexico and key opinion leader in colon and rectal surgery
Under his guidance over a dozen Mexican surgeons completed colon and rectal residencies in the US
Translated Essentials of Anorectal Surgery (Goldberg, Gordon, Nivatvongs) into Spanish
Professor Jin Gu, China
Professor of Surgical Oncology
Chief of Colorectal Surgery, Peking University Cancer Hospital
President of Peking University SG Hospital
Editorial board of Chinese Journal of General Surgery
Past President of Chinese Anti-cancer Society, Colorectal Cancer Association and Chinese Society of Oncology
Vice President of Beijing Medical Association
Clinical and research interests in radioimmunoguided surgery in colorectal cancer, TME, pelvic autonomic nerve preservation
Led trial of Intermediate Fraction neoadjuvant radiotherapy for rectal cancer (DCR 2013)
Professor Gabriela Moeslein (MD), Germany
Professor of Surgery, University of Dusseldorf
Director of the Center for Hereditary Tumors Evanglisches Krankenhaus Bethesda zum Duisburg Academic Hospital of University of Dusseldorf
Research and clinical interests - hereditary colorectal cancer, colorectal cancer
Chair of research committee, European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP)
Director of European Hereditary Tumor Group
On the Board of several patient advocacy groups for Lynch syndrome and Hereditary cancer
Secretary of ESCP
Program chair of ESCP
2022 ISUCRS Angelita Habr Gama Award
Willem Rudolf Schouten MD, PhD, Netherlands
Prior Chief of Colorectal Surgery, University of Rotterdam
PhD in 1990 for research on internal anal sphincter specifically the effects of sphincterotomy on perianal fistula and fissure
Pioneering force in establishment of colorectal surgery as a legitimate specialty for the Netherlands and Europe
Director, Rotterdam Colorectal Research group and served as mentor for many researchers who wrote their PhD thesis
Key opinion leader in Dutch and European surgery
Authored first Dutch colorectal surgery guideline (2003) on hemorrhoids
Research and clinical interests-pelvic floor, basic colorectal physiology, perianal fistula, pouchitis, nitric oxide role in anal sphincter hypertonia and fissure, rectal cancer
TME proctor for the Dutch randomized TME trial
Mr. Baljit Singh, UK
Consultant, University of Leicester
Associate Professor of Surgery
Clinical and research interests-colorectal cancer, screening FIT, TATME, IBE
Chair of Education Committee, European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP)
Vice Chair of NICE Technology Appraisal Committee
Involved in national introduction of new technologies including colon capsule and FIT
Chair of NHS Specialized Colorectal Service Clinical References Group
Chair of the East Midlands Cancer Alliance Group
Executive Board ASGBI and ACPGI
Recipient of RCOS Louis Alexander fellowship, ACS International guest Scholar, ESCP Japanese Traveling Fellow, ASCRS travel scholarship
Developed NICE colorectal cancer guidelines and quality standards for colorectal cancer (2022)
PI of BIOPEX, BIOPEX-2 and ACCURE trial
We hope you will join us in Seattle June 3-6, 2023 to meet our honorees.
ASCRS Announces Premier Sponsorship from Takeda
.png?width=250&height=185 "Dark-Blue-And-Yellow-Modern-Business-Tips-Carousel-Instagram-Post-(1).png")
Takeda, a global biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan with a global hub in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has joined The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) as one of its inaugural Premier Sponsors, a program that represents the highest-level opportunity for companies to differentiate themselves and support their strategic interest to ASCRS members and audiences. Premier Sponsors receive year-round recognition and premium positioning as part of the exclusive sponsorship.
“Through the newly launched Premier Sponsors program, ASCRS is reaching new heights in collaboration with our industry partners. We’re thrilled to have Takeda as a charter member and look forward to the next several years of exciting work,” said Conor Delaney, MD, PhD, ASCRS President.
ASCRS Executive Director David Westman, CPA, CAE stated, “ASCRS is thrilled to collaborate with Takeda as we launch our Premier Sponsor program. Our Premier Sponsors work with our Society and membership to strategically move the colon and rectal surgical specialty forward. We look forward to many successful years together.”
“Takeda is excited to support ASCRS and its members in their important work of advancing the understanding, prevention and treatment of colon and rectal disorders,” said Vijay Yajnik, MD, PhD, vice president, head of U.S. Medical for Gastroenterology at Takeda. “Patient care is best enhanced when we work together to address the most complex and significant unmet needs with solutions extending beyond medicine alone.”
Takeda’s work in gastroenterology focuses on GI inflammation, short bowel syndrome, liver disease and motility disorders.
“For more than 30 years, Takeda and our collaborative partners have worked to improve the lives of people with gastrointestinal diseases,” said Gamze Yüceland, senior vice president, Gastroenterology Business Unit at Takeda. “Through partnerships like this, we can deepen connections among the community and work together to ensure patients living with colon and rectal disorders can achieve their best possible quality of life.”
Learn more about the Premier Sponsorship here.
For further information about Premier Sponsorships, contact Jason Keith, Sr. Director, Corporate Relations | Marketing and Communications at [email protected].
About The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons is a professional society for healthcare providers specializing in colorectal surgery. ASCRS is dedicated to ensuring high-quality patient care by advancing the science, prevention and management of disorders and diseases of the colon, rectum and anus.
Meet the ASCRS AMA Representatives Who Serve ASCRS in Key Roles
House of Delegates (HOD)
In 2022, based on a census of ASCRS members who are also members of the AMA, ASCRS was awarded a second Delegate and Alternate Delegate to the AMA House of Delegates. Delegate and Alternate Delegate Drs. Harry Papaconstantinou and Ronald Gagliano announced their intention to resign effective EOY 2022, after 10 years of service to ASCRS and after offering to participate in orientation for the new Delegates and Alternate Delegates. A subcommittee of the Healthcare Economics Committee (HEC) received interest in the delegate positions from several members. Ultimately Drs. Anne Mongiu and Juan (Lucas) Poggio were selected as delegates, and Drs. Paul Johnson and Sachin Vaid were selected as alternates. The delegates will serve for three years.
Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)
In September 2022, Dr. William Harb, who served as Advisor to the AMA CPT Advisory Committee, offered his resignation. The HEC followed a similar process for a replacement, naming Dr. Eric Weiss as Advisor and Dr. Joshua Eberhardt as Alternate Advisor. Dr. Weiss has served ASCRS in the role in the past.
RVS Update Committee (RUC)
In May 2022, Dr. Guy Orangio, ASCRS Past President and RUC Advisor, indicated his interest in stepping down after many years of service. As with the HOD and CPT reps, the HEC invited applicants, and selected Dr. Kelly Tyler to replace Dr. Orangio as RUC Advisor. Dr. Tyler joins Dr. Stephen Sentovich, Alternate Advisor, on the RUC.
While in their roles, AMA Delegates and Advisors and their alternates serve as members of the
ASCRS Healthcare Economics Committee.
ACS and ASCRS Brandeis Leadership in Health Policy Scholarship
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) are supporting the annual health policy scholarship to attend the Executive Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management. The scholarship is a unique opportunity to learn more about health care delivery, policy and reform.
Open to members of ASCRS and ACS residing in the United States, the scholarship supports attendance to the Executive Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management at Brandeis University, June 3-8, 2024. The recipient will receive $8,000 to be used toward the cost of tuition, travel, housing, and subsistence during the program.
Applicants must be members in good standing of both organizations and be between 30 and 60 years of age. Specific requirements for the Health Policy Scholarship are available on the ACS website. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is March 15, 2024. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the selection process in May 2024.
Applications should be submitted online here.
Questions may be directed to the ACS Scholarships Administrator at 312-202-5281 or [email protected].