Harvey J Alter has been designated a Distinguished NIH Investigator, only one of 23 NIH scientists to hold that distinction. In his long career in clinical research, Dr. Alter has played a key role in the discovery of two hepatitis viruses, namely hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the non-A, non-B virus, later designated the hepatitis C virus (HCV). In long-term prospective studies, Alter helped define the natural history of NANB/HCV infection and proved its frequent progression to chronic hepatitis and its evolution to cirrhosis and liver related mortality. Dr. Alter was the principal investigator in sequential prospective studies of transfusion-associated hepatitis (TAH) that were instrumental in influencing national blood policy and documented the progressive decline of TAH incidence from 33% in the 1960s to near zero in 1997. Millions of cases of TAH have been prevented through interventions documented in these studies. For these studies, Dr. Alter has been awarded the PHS Distinguished Service Medal, the AABB Landsteiner Prize, the First International Medal for Science from France’s INSERM, the American College of Physicians (ACP) Award for Outstanding Work in Science, and the Distinguished Achievement Award of AASLD. For his cumulative research accomplishments, Dr. Alter was elected to fellowship in the American Association of Physicians and received the prestigious Clinical Lasker Award and the Canada Gairdner International Award. He was elected to both the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine and achieved a Master's status in the ACP. In 2020, Alter was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine.

Prof. Amedei graduated (110 cum laude) in Biological Sciences (1996) at the University of Florence (UniFI) in 2003 won the competition for the PhD in "Clinical and Experimental Medicine" (XVIII cycle), interrupted because in 2004 he became a fixed-term researcher in the scientific sector MED / 46 (UniFI). From 2005 to 2015, he was a permanent researcher at the Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine (UniFI), where he is currently an Associate Professor with qualification as a full-time Professor (MED46). His current scientific interest is the study of the microbiota-immunity axis in various diseases related to inflammation, from cancer to neurodegenerative diseases. His scientific production consists of 170 publications (7.693 citations, H-index: 48), 10 scientific chapters and an international patent and communications to scientific congresses (77). He is part of the Editorial Board of 30 scientific journals and acts as a reviewer for another 33 journals. Finally, he works as a scientific reviewer for international research projects, including Latvian Science Council, MS Research Australia, FWF Austrian Science Fund; French National Cancer Institute and European Science Foundation. As scientific director, he has received many ministerial (Prin 2005 and 2009), university (scientific programs for young researchers 2001 and 2002, former 60% every year from 2005 to date), private (Cassa di Risparmio di Pistoia and Pescia) funding. 2009, Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze 2015,2016,2017,2018,2019), Ministry of Health (2017), Regional (2016, 2017), Europeans (2020,2021). Since 2016, he has been on the Scientific Council of "Toscana Life Sciences" (TLS). Finally, according to scival, he is among the top 500 Italian researchers (203 position) most influential in cancer research.

Per M. Hellström, professor and chair of gastroenterology at Uppsala University Sweden. The focus of his research studies concerns the physiological regulation and pharmacological control of gastrointestinal functions. Over my career since the beginning of the 1980s involved the discovery and development of gastrointestinal peptide hormones. Studies of gastrointestinal motility have been of primary interest in relation to food intake and metabolism. Over later days interest is also involving the inflammatory response in various gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases bringing forward the importance of cytokines, chemokines, and nitric oxide under pathological conditions.

My primary research interest is in nutrient transporters and metabolite receptors in health and disease. Obesity and cancer are the two focus areas in my lab, and my efforts are directed towards development of new drugs for treatment of these two diseases. I have cloned and characterized about 60 transporters for various organic solutes, including peptides, amino acids, vitamins, drugs, and metabolites. My contributions in the field of nutrition were recognized by an International Award from the Rank Foundation, UK (The Rank Prize for Nutrition) in 2004, which I shared with two other scientists, one from Augusta University and the other from Harvard. My research has been supported by extramural grants continuously since 1987. To date, I have trained 15 Ph. D. students, and 4 MD/PhD students in my lab. I have taught many aspects of biochemistry and physiology to medical students for over 20 years and have received the Educator of the Year Award from the medical students almost every year since 1998, both in my former institution (Augusta University) and in TTUHSC. The most memorable among these teaching awards are the Buesseler award for outstanding basic science faculty that I received at TTUHSC continuously for the past six years from the medical students all across the four years of their medical school and the Chancellor’s Award for outstanding teaching. I have published 523 full-length research articles and 33 book chapters. My current Google Scholar citation h-index is 108, with more than 43,000 citations. I am listed in the Google Scholar citation index for the most highly cited scientists in the world. For my contributions in the field of medical students education, I have been inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

Dr. Monga is the Chair for Experimental Pathology, Vice-Chair and Chief of Division of Experimental Pathology, Professor of Pathology (Division of Experimental Pathology), Professor of Medicine (Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition), Assistant Dean for Medical Scientist Training Program, Director of Cellular Approaches to Tissue Engineering & Regeneration (CATER) Program and Director of the Pittsburgh Liver Research Center. For around 21 years, His research has focused on understanding the cellular and molecular basis of liver health and disease. Specifically, His lab has a longstanding interest in understanding the role of cellular and molecular signaling in liver development, regeneration, inflammation, injury, fibrosis, and tumorigenesis. Being in the field for around 20 years, They have generated many novels and innovative tools to study the liver. Using GEMM models, AAV systems, lipid nanoparticles, imaging modalities, and others, They have been able to identify the role of pathways such as Wnt, HGF, PDGF, Yap, and others in both hepatic physiology and pathology. The eventual goal of the lab is to gain a better understanding of molecular aberrations for improved therapeutics for various hepatic diseases such as end-stage liver disease (ESLD), liver failure, injury, fibrosis, and cancer. The eventual goal of the lab is to gain a better understanding of molecular aberrations in various hepatic diseases for improved clinical outcomes. One major focus of the lab is to understand subsets of human HCC through better and more representative disease modeling. The starting point of the investigation is human HCC analysis to identify novel combinatorial aberrations in the form of mutations and/or expression changes in specific genes. Such combinations are then expressed through innovative technology in a subset of hepatocytes in mice. The appearance of HCC supports the oncogenic nature of the co-occurrences and concordance between gene expression from human HCC subset with such co-occurrences and HCC in mice generated through an expression of these co-occurrences supports the validity of the model in recapitulating human disease. They use such models to study HCC pathogenesis in that subset to address tumor biology, progression, and therapeutics for translation into patients. This is an interesting approach from bedside to bench and back. Because of the liver's regenerative potential, there are innovative opportunities to develop therapies for ESLD. Ongoing research is focusing on innovations in surgery, stem cell biology, cellular reprogramming, cell therapy, and hepatic tissue engineering, broadly categorized under Hepatic Regenerative Medicine. Our lab has focused on elucidating the role and regulation of complex cell-molecule circuitry of the highly relevant pathways such as Wnt/ β-catenin in liver physiology especially in metabolic zonation and regeneration, which they believe will be prudent for the continued success of hepatic regenerative medicine as a discipline and expected to yield better therapies for patients with chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and ESLD.

Dr Jude A Oben, Fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association, is a Clinician Scientist who holds Consultant appointments in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital; is a Reader in Experimental Hepatology in the Faculty of Life Course Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London and is also an Associate Professor in Hepatology at University College London, Institute for Liver and Digestive Health. Dr Oben has a Ph.D in Pharmacology from UCL and studied medicine at Oxford, with a stint at Stanford University, Palo Alto, USA, as a research fellow in Immunology. After Oxford, initial post-graduate medical training was at the Royal Post-Graduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, after which he commenced initial specialist training in Ophthalmology which he stopped to specialise in Hepatology. During his specialist registrar training in Hepatology and Gastroenterology, he re-orientated his research career with 2 years as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, under the mentorship of Professor Anna Mae Diehl. Dr Oben’s work at Johns Hopkins combined his previous interest in neuroscience with liver medicine and he discovered that the autonomic nervous system regulates liver repair through actions on liver stem cells and liver stellate cells, in the context of obesity-related liver disease (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, NAFLD). On the back of a very productive period at Johns Hopkins he was awarded a Wellcome Trust Fellowship funding stream on returning to London. He leads a productive research group at the UCL Institute for Liver and Digestive Health, Royal Free Hospital and continues clinical and basic science research with clinical practice in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. His research focuses onObesity- Related Liver Disease, including mechanisms of trans-generational transmission of obesity and NAFLD, Liver Regeneration and Mechanism of fibrosis in Crohn’s disease. Special interests: Obesity and Liver Disease; Obesity and Cancer; Metabolic Endoscopy as stand-alone or interval management of Obesity. Advocacy: Dr Oben is a Co-founder and Trustee of Obesity Action launched at the Parliamentary House of Lords, London: the aim being to raise Political and public awareness of Obesity and its deleterious health consequences. He is an invited member of the All Party Parliamentary Advisory Group on Obesity

Prof. Gian Ludovico Rapaccini is an expert in Gastroenterology. It mainly deals with the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, liver cirrhosis and autoimmune diseases. Author of scientific publications, he is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the UOC of Internal Medicine and Digestive System Diseases at the A. Gemelli Polyclinic and works as a freelance professional at M&P Srl and Medicare Srl in Rome.

Peter Laszlo Lakatos is a professor of medicine and director of IBD Centre at McGill University, MUHC since 2017. Formerly, he was head of the gastroenterology/hepatology ward, endoscopy unit and outpatient clinic at the 1st Department of Medicine, Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary. He is one of the founders and leader of the Hungarian IBD Study Group and president-elect of the Colon Section. He is a member of the educational committee in ECCO and IOIBD member. He is regular reviewer in leading international journals in gastroenterology/hepatology, section editor in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, BMC Gastroenterology, and associate editor in J Crohn’s Colitis and World Journal of Gastroenterology. During his career, he published more than 280 original papers and reviews including 26 book chapters. His primary research interest is the epidemiology, outcome, and biomarkers in the prediction of disease progression and response to medical therapy in IBD.

Dr. Anand Srivastava has been associated with leading universities and research institutes in the USA. He held faculty positions at leading universities and research institutes such as the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Medical School, University of California Irvine (UCI) Medical College, Salk Research Institute in San Diego, Burnham Institute for Medical Research in San Diego, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He presently holds positions in scientific advisory boards of several institutions like Hemgen Inc., Celebration Inc. Dr. Srivastava’s expertise and scientific achievements were recognized by many scientific awards/ fellowships and by two consecutive awards of highly prestigious and internationally recognized, JISTEC award from Science and Technology Agency of the government of Japan, Excellent presentation award in the Meeting of Clinical Chemistry and Medicine, Kyoto, Japan, and USA Congressional Recognition awards from USA Congressmen. Presently, he is the chairman of the Global Institute of Stem Cell therapy and Research (GIOSTAR), USA. He received a very prestigious award from the Society of American Asian Scientists in Cancer Research (SAASCR)-2020 for his contribution to the field of cancer research. Under his leadership, GIOSTAR is opening stem cell therapy and research centers globally that are using stem cell therapy to treat ailments like cancer and other degenerative diseases.

Will be updated soon.

Full Professor of Pharmacology at School of Medicine and the postgraduate Schools of General Surgery, Urology, Oncology, Infectious diseases. Director of the Postgraduate School of Clinical Pharmacology at University of Milan; Director of Clinical Pharmacology Unit Niguarda Hospital – Milan Member of the Executive Committee of the International Society of Chemotherapy and Infections. Chairman of ISC-WG: Anti-Infective Pharmacology and BSI; General Secretary of Italian Society of Chemotherapy. His research activity is in the field of clinical pharmacology and includes the immune response to infections, the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics relationship, the clinical efficacy of natural extracts.

László Herszényi is a professor of gastroenterology, internal medicine, clinical oncology, clinical pharmacology, and master of health management at the Semmelweis University Medical School, Budapest, Hungary. He is Head of the biggest Centre of Gastroenterology in Hungary (Department of Gastroenterology at Medical Centre Hungarian Defence Forces, Semmelweis University Teaching Hospital Budapest). He received his MD from the University of Medicine and Pharmacology of Marosvásárhely (Tg. Mures) in 1985. He served his residency in internal medicine, followed by a fellowship in gastroenterology at the Semmelweis University, Budapest. He later completed a Clinical Research Fellowship in Gastroenterology and Clinical Oncology at the European Training Center of Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Italy (1993-1997). He is the Past President of the Hungarian Society of Gastroenterology, Secretary-General of the Hungarian Society of Internal Medicine, and Council member of the Hungarian College of Gastroenterology. He is a member of the Council of EAGEN (European Association for Gastroenterology, Endoscopy, and Nutrition) and of the UEG-General Assembly. László Herszényi has been a Council member of UEG - National Societies Committee (2012-2015) and a member of the UEG-Education Committee (2014-2015). He has been a speaker, chairman, and organizer at several national and international symposia and congresses. His main research interests are gastrointestinal endoscopy, clinical-pharmacology of acid-related disorders, gastrointestinal oncology, and the role of proteolytic enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract. He is fluent in English, Italian, and Romanian.

Dr. Izzo is Director and Chief of the Division of Abdominal Surgical Oncology (Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Unit), within the Department of Surgical Oncology at the National Cancer Institute of Naples. His clinical practice and research focuses on new surgical oncology treatments and he has been a pioneer in designing improved techniques for surgical removal of hepatic tumors and direct tumor injection therapies. Additionally, Dr Izzo is Principal Investigator of a number of national and international protocols in this field and has authored or co-authored more than 220 publications and 18 book chapters relating to the treatment of patients with HPB tumors. He is an active member of numerous professional societies, including the European Society of Surgical Oncology, the World Federation of Surgical Oncology, Society of Surgical Oncology, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Total Impact Factor: 650,003 ; H-INDEX: 40; Sum of the times cited: 8,519; Database utilized: SCOPUS for H-Index and Bibliosan for IF.

Fengzhi Li became a faculty member at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (legal name: Roswell Park Cancer Institute, the first cancer institution in the US history and is the US NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, www.roswellpark.org) in 2001 after finishing his postdoctoral training in Dr. Dario C. Altieri’s laboratory at Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale Medical School where he focused his research on the characterization of the function and expression regulation of a newly discovered antiapoptotic protein named survivin (a novel member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family). In 2006 he has been promoted to Associate Professor of Oncology at Roswell Park. As a chief scientist, he leads his lab using the survivin gene as a target and biomarker for targeted drug discovery. He has transitioned his Roswell Park cancer research lab from basic to translational cancer research over the past decade. His current research interests focus on targeted anticancer drug discovery, development, and mechanism of action (MOA) studies. His research has been supported through federal agencies (NIH/NCI, DOD) as well as other public/private foundations and partnerships. He has published over 90 publications (h-index, 49 and i10-index, 73) with a total citation of over 13,900 times. He is the editorial board member in several academic journals, e.g., J Exp Clin Can Res (2020 IF: 11.161), Am J Transl Res (2020 IF: 4.06), Int J Mol Sci (2020 IF: 5.926), and Curr Pharm Design (2020 IF: 3.116). He is also the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Can get BioTekpharma LLC (www.canget-biotek.com) and helps Can get to develop innovatively targeted anticancer drugs (high efficacy with low toxicity) for benefiting cancer patients.

Dipak Ramji is Professor of Cardiovascular Science at the School of Biosciences in Cardiff University. He is also Deputy Head of the Biomedicine Division and Postgraduate Division Lead for Biomedicine in the School of Biosciences. He received his BSc (Hons) degree (Biochemistry) and his PhD (Molecular Biology) from the University of Leeds. This was followed by post-doctoral research at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Heidelberg) and the Istituto di Ricerche di Biologia Molecolare P. Angeletti (Rome) with fellowships from the Royal Society and the EU. His current research is focused on understanding how natural products regulate cellular processes in heart disease with the goal of attaining deeper mechanistic insight and identifying preventative/therapeutic agents. He has published over 150 research articles (h index 38 and i10 index 73 with over 7250 citations). He is an Editorial Board member of 16 international journals; regular organising committee member, speaker and track/session chair at international conferences on heart disease; involved in grant evaluation for over 20 organisations; and supervised over 25 PhD students.

Prof. Clarisse Dromain graduated from Medical School at the University of Paris VI, France, in 1992. In 2015, she completed a Ph.D. and was nominated full professor of the UNIL in 2018. C Dromainis currently the head of oncologic imaging in CHUV University Hospital of Lausanne. Her major research interests lie in gastrointestinal tumor imaging and assessment of treatment response. Throughout her career, Clarisse has been a significant contributor to research and education in radiology and its application in oncology. These contributions include co-authoring 145 peer-reviewed publications and 70 invited lectures at an international level. In addition, she is a reviewer for renowned journals such as Radiology, European Radiology, Endocrine-Related Cancer

Dr. Tao Zuo is a professor at Sun Yat-Sen University (SYSU) and the Sixth affiliated Hospital of SYSU. His research interests are centered on the gut microbiome in health and disease, with a special interest in microbiome ‘dark matters’ (virome/phageome and mycobiome) to explore their roles, interactions, and mechanisms of actions in disease pathogenesis as well as therapeutics. He leads the Microbiome research Lab at SYSU Research Institute of Gastroenterology (Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology), where he is also appointed as Associate Director. More details can be found at www.zuotaolab.com.

Attila Csendes Juhasz Full Professor and Emeritus Professor, University of Chile, Chairman Dept of Surgery University Hospital for 18 years, Member of 32 International Societies of Surgery and Gastroenterology, Editor of 8 Surgical Books, Author of 572 publications, Honorary Member ACS, Honorary Member American Surgical Association, Master of Surgery, Chile, Official invite speaker in 232 International Congresses or Conferences, Member Editorial Board of 5 Surgical Journals: World J Surg; Brit.J.Surg; J.Gastroint Surg; Surgery; Obes. Surg-, Past President.Chilean Surgical Society and Chilean Chapter, ACS. Member, Chilean Medical Academy

Dr. Giulia Marconi has a MD degree from the Università Degli Studi Gabriele D'Annunzio, Pescara, Italy. Since 2018. She is a fellow in gastroenterology and hepatology at the Ospedali Riuniti di Ancona. Her research works have appeared in academic journals such as the Journal of Hepatology, Digestive and Liver Disease, and the Journal of Clinical Medicine

I am a specialist in general surgery with a hepatobiliopancreatic and transplantologyinterest. My clinical activity is focused on abdominal multiorgan retrieval and post-transplant management of patients.In the field of research, I have developed several works which, over the years, I have published and presented at national and international conferences. I have established working relationships with the Erasmus MC group in Rotterdam (The Netherland), with which I still collaborate for clinical research and basic research studies. The core of my research is the graft assessment through functional liver factors, analyzed before, during or after implantation.

Satu Pekkala currently hold an Academy of Finland Research Fellowship, which is comparable to tenure track position, at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. She is also Docent (Adjunct professor) in Bacteriology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Finland. Satu Pekkala research team focuses on studying host-gut microta interactions related to health and disease. she approach has been in detecting microbiota-related phenomena in human cohorts and then to prove the biological significance and the underlying mechanisms of the phenomena using cellular and animal models. By this way, they have found ways to treat metabolic diseases, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, by using or targeting specific microbes.

RAMON MANGUES holds PharmDand PhD degrees from the Navarra University, Spain. Clinical Pharmacist (FIR) and Researcher of the National Health System (ISCIII), and Research Professor at the IIB-Sant Pau (Hospital Sant Pau, Barcelona), where, he is the Head of the Oncogenesis and Antitumor Drug Group. He did his potdoctoral training at New York University Medical Center. Prof. Mangues is a member of the National Network on Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), and serves at its Board of Directors, being the Coordinator of Clinical Translation. He is also a member of the Internal Scientific Committee of the Research Institute Josep Carreras. He is inventor of nine patents obtained in collaboration with SMEs such as Pharma Mar, Esteve Laboratories, Argon Pharma or Nanoligent. He is the author of more than 155 publications in high impact journals, mainly in Oncology, Nanomedicine and Biotechnology. His main research focus has been the development of cancer models for the mechanistic study of metastases, which has recently shifted towards the preclinical drug development of nanomedicines for targeted drug delivery to metastatic stem cells using these models. He has been PI and Coordinator in more than 31 competitive public projects, including industrial transfer programmes of the European Union or International Programs with involvement of SMEs. His group belongs to the European Infrastructure for Traslational Medicine, European Technology Platform on Nanomedicine and NANBIOSIS, the last being a MINECO Singular Infraestructure for Nanomedicine. He was Founder, and Legal Representative of Argon Pharma, the first Spin-off IIB-Sant Pau. He obtained industrial projects from European, Spanish and Catalan Governments. He has been, or is collaborating, with large and small Pharma, including Merck&Co., Lilly and Esteve and is currently participating in industrial transfer projects leaded by Pharma Mar (Zeltia). In 2017, he was a founder partner of the Biotech Nanoligent, a spin-off of IIB-Sant Pau and Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), which focuses on nanotechnology and targeted drug delivery, recently granted industrial projects. He is External Advisor at the SMEs Nanoligent and SOM Biotech. He is an International Expert Reviewer and/or Panel Member of the Scientific Committee for Clinical on the French Institut National du Cancer, European Science Foundation, Israel Science Foundation, Swiss National Science Foundation, Swedish Research Council, International Union Against Cancer, the Biotechnology Committee of the Spanish State Agency on Research.

Dr. Said Dermime is a highly experienced senior scientist in Cellular Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy with more than 30 years of expertise in the fields of academia and research. He has also over 20 years of experience in establishing research groups and/or departments. The specific areas of his expertise include mechanisms of immune escape in cancer, tumor antigen-specific immune responses, cancer immunomodulation, and the characterization and expansion of tumor specific T cells in cancer patients. Dr. Said obtained his PhD degree in immunology from Salford University, Manchester, UK in 1992. After on, he joined the National Cancer Institute, Milan (Italy) from 1992-1994; then the NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda (USA) from 1995-1997 as postdoctoral fellow. He was a Leader of the Lymphoma-Cancer Vaccine Team at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Manchester (UK) for a period of 5 years; then he was appointed as Senior Scientist to establish and lead the Tumor Immunology Section at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh (KSA)for a period of 6 years. In 2015, Dr. Said joined the National Centre for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) at Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha (Qatar) as a director of the Translational Cancer Research Facility. Dr. Said has in-depth knowledge of designing therapeutic and prophylactic strategies and evaluating them in preclinical and clinical studies where he was able to develop complementary approaches with respect to immunological assays of tumor immunity and cancer vaccines and has been a major contributor to several scientific discoveries. He has published over 77peer-reviewed articles in high impact factor journal such asMolecular Cancer(IF= 27.401), Blood (IF=22.113), Seminars in Cancer Biology (IF= 15.707), Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer (IF= 13.751), Cancer Research (IF=12.701) , Clinical Cancer Research (IF=12.531), , Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research(IF= 11.161), Frontiers in Immunology (IF= 7.561),Cancers (IF= 6.639) andMolecular Oncology(IF= 6.603). Please see his websites for details https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wpJVaR0AAAAJ and https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/489297/overview. In this respect, Dr. Said has accomplished many achievements, such as identifying the cause of resistance to the drug retinoic acid in acute leukemia (Blood 1993; 82:1573), discovering a novel leukemia vaccine against proteinase-3 as a target antigen (Blood 1996; 88:2450) and demonstrating that the lymphoma idiotype is a potential cancer vaccine target (Journal of Immunology 2002; 168:3983). He also demonstrated, for the first time, the expression of the PD-L1 inhibitory molecule in breast cancer patients (Neoplasia; 2006; 8:190), showed a direct evidence of PD-L1 induction in breast cancer cells (Int. J Cancer; 2007; 121:751) and the involvement of both PD-L1 and regulatory T cells in the immune escape of breast cancer (BMC Cancer 2008; 8:57). In addition, he was able to discover an antigen-specific regulatory T cell population in leukemia patients (Cancer Research 2008; 68:6350). Very recently, he was able to demonstrate that the presence of anti-NY-ESO-1 integrated immunity and a specific cytokines/chemokines profile may potentially identify a response to PD-1 blockade in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients (Front. Immunol. | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01769).He was alsoable to show that a patient with metastatic gastric cancer benefiting from combined radio-immunotherapy treatment possesses persistent anti-NY-ESO-1 specific T cells and expresses differential biomarkers (J Immunother Cancer. 2020Sep ; 8(2):e001278. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001278).

Born in Ancona, Italy, on January 1945, Vittorio L. Piloni graduated in Medicine and Surgery at Bologna University in 1969 and specialized in Diagnostic Radiology and Imaging in 1972. In the same year he became Assistant Professor at the Radiology Department of Bologna University and served as tutor at the Specialization School for medical doctors and technicians for a three-year term from 1976 to 1978. Initially, his clinical and scientific experience took place in the field of gastrointestinal, urinary and chest radiology, focusing on both organic and functional disorders. Back to Ancona at the end of 1978 as assistant Chief of Radiology, he worked at the National Research Institute for Ageing (INRCA) and became one of the first doctors in Italy to introduce the use of evacuation proctography (EP) as a routine diagnostic imaging technique in Coloproctology. Ever since, the method has rapidly evolved all over the world until, more recently, it was integrated with the use of transperineal ultrasonography (TPUS) and dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In the period 1999-1998, Vittorio L. Piloni was appointed Temporary Chief of the Radiology Department at the INRCA Institute of Ancona, becoming later Chief of the Territorial Department of Radiology in the Public National Health System, where he remained until 2005. In the meanwhile, from 2004 to 2005, he served as temporary Professor of Radiology at the University of Bari; since 2011 to present days he has been permanent Teacher at the Italian School of Pelvic Floor Ultrasonography in Treviso, and has remained constantly engaged in research activities in the field of Perineology.As such,he is a Member of the Editorial Board of the journal Pelviperineology, Techniques in ColoproctologyandEC Gastroenterology and Digestive System, and has been author or co-author of more than 250 papers in peer-reviewed national and international journals, book chapters, proceedings and monographies . Currently, Vittorio L.Piloni is consultant radiologist for MR imaging in pelvic floor disorders at the Diagnostic Imaging Centre of “Affidea-IniziativaMedica” of Monselice (Padua) and “Diagnostica Marche” OsimoStazione ( Ancona), Italy.

Professor Weiss received his board certification in surgery in 1995 and has since then served as an attending physician at the Department of Visceral, Transplant, and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck (Austria), and the Department of General, Visceral & Transplant Surgery, Tübingen University Hospital (Germany). Since 2008, he has been Chief of the Department of Surgery at Saint John of God Hospital in Salzburg, Austria. He received part of his medical training at the MAYO Clinic in Rochester, MN, U.S.A., and the European College of Transplantation in Oxford (England) and Leiden (Netherlands). At the Medical University of Innsbruck, he established a laparoscopic living kidney donation program and served as senior consultant in the liver, pancreas, kidney and multivisceral transplant program. Professor Weiss pioneered modern metabolic surgery introducing the daVinci® robotic surgical system and the single port S.P.I.D.E.R.® platform. He for the first time performed some of the advanced laparoscopic single port procedures and is highly regarded throughout the world for demonstrating and proctoring new surgical techniques. He received a Master’s Degree in Medical Sciences from UMIT Tirol in Hall (Austria) in 2005 and became a Fellow of the European Board of Surgery in 2012. In 2014 he was among the first to receive an Honorary Professorship at the Medical University of Innsbruck (Austria). During his career he has published more than 150 scientific papers in top-ranked journals and received several grants from Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF) and from surgical and oncologic societies. He is an active member of national and international surgical societies. For the last two decades he has served as a Faculty Member at prestigious international training centers, such as the IRCAD Institute, Strasbourg, the AIMS Academy, Milan, or the Master Class Training in Elancour, Paris, for minimally invasive metabolic surgery, liver and pancreas surgery and colorectal surgery. Currently, he heads the world’s most comprehensive single port minimally invasive surgery program for visceral organs.

Zoran Todorović, MD, PhD Study of Medicine (1983-89), master and PhD thesis at the Univ. of Belgrade, Serbia (Faculty of Medicine, UBFM). Specialization and sub-specialization in Clinical Pharmacology, UBFM. Full Professor of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology (since 2008). Postdoc at the William Harvey Research Institute, London, UK (1999-2001). Visiting Scientist at the Dept. of Hematology, Oncology and Radiation Physics, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden (2016). Visiting Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NYC (2017). Former Chairman of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, UBFM, Serbia (2006-2012). Clinical pharmacologist at the 3rd level hospital (since 2011). Clinical trial experience: > 10 phase III/IV studies (role: clinical pharmacologist). More than 300 publications (>60 CC/SCI in extenso publications), editor of the international monograph and more than 500 citations in CC/SCI journals. Completed research and education support: National Coordinator, European Pharmacology Thematic Network EPHARNET(EU Socrates), directed by Prof. I. Hughes, UK; the Royal Society Grant (2001-2002); Ministry of Science of Montenegro, Project Leader; NIH Project 1 R25 TW008171-01A1, Participant. Ongoing research support: Serbian Republic Fund, Co-Investigator, 1990-present; NIH Fogarty Project 2 R25 TW008171-06A1, Participant; COST Action CA19105, MC Substitute. Former President of the Bioethics Society of Serbia (2009-2020). Among other academic and administrative responsibilities, he currently serves as Council of Europe Expert in professional ethics and higher education reform, and member of the Serbian Royal Medical Board. LANGUAGE SKILLS: Serbo-Croatian (native language), English (C1), French (B1), Swedish (B1).

Dr. Abdelrahim is a gastrointestinal medical oncologist and transplant oncologist where he is taking care of patients with upper and lower GI malignancies in addition to malignancies treated by liver transplantation. He is leading the GI oncology section at Houston Methodist Cancer Center with a focus on clinical trial Phase II/III in GI malignancies. Dr. Abdelrahim serves as a medical Director of Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutics where he is leading Phase I program at Houston Methodist Hospital and cancer center. He is a principal investigator on multiple clinical trials with focus on chemotherapy, targeted therapy and Immunotherapy in solid malignancies. His research was focused on developing new mechanism-based drugs for the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers including liver, bile duct, colon and pancreatic cancers. He has identified for the first time a new structural class of compounds that can target selective transcription factor that are now recognized as targets for the development of new anticancer drugs. The lead compound of this classreached Phase I Clinical Trial to treat patients with GI cancers. Dr Abdelrahim has published more than 100 original research articles, review articles and book chapters in prestigious journals and publishing groups. Dr. Abdelrahim is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association of Cancer Research and International Liver Transplant Society and he is the site Principal Investigator for Southwest Oncology cooperative Group at Houston Methodist Cancer Center. He is associate Editor of Frontiers in Pharmacology journal, Guest Editor for Cancers as well as for Frontiers in oncology Journals and Chief Editor for OA Journal of Cancer & Oncology. Dr. Abdelrahim completed his pharmacy training followed by Doctor of Philosophy and graduate work in the field of pharmacology and toxicology from Texas A &M University, College Station, Texas. He obtained his Medical Degree from Texas A&M University then Residency from Baylor College of Medicine. He then Moved to North Carolina where he finished his Medical Oncology fellowship from Duke University.

The University of Messina, Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmacological and Environmental Sciences, Messina, Italy PhD Doctor in Applied biology and Experimental medicine. Title of thesis: “Modulation of inflammation, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation by a schort chain fatty acid: protective effects of sodium propionate in in vitro and in vivo studies”. Final grade: Graduated with honors. Fulfillment of research and training projects based on the finding of pharmacological targets against inflammatory and neuroinflammatory disorders through in vitro studies, by using different cell lines and in vivo models of inflammation and neuroinflammation. Committing relevant time and effort to the projects. Ensuring all done and written work is of a high standard of elucidation. Presenting seminars in the academic, national, or international scenario.

I received my pre-doctoral training at the food and drug administration (FDA), Bethesda, USA in 1984-1987. My study was funded by pre-doctoral training grant from the Arthritis Foundation of America, VA, USA. I used the Biological Response Modifiers to modulate immune responses in autoimmune disorders, rejection of solid organ transplantation. I worked on cell-mediated immunology, innate immunity, NK and ADCC functions. Also, I worked on oncogenes for early detection of bladder cancer. I received training on making antithymocyte globulin (ATG) rabbit antiserum in the department of surgery, University of Tennessee to treat patients with acute graft rejection and applied my expertise in manufacturing ATG at the renal transplantation center, Mansoura University, Egypt. I was appointed director of Molecular Biology and Immunology lab at Center for Kidney Transplantation, Mansoura University, Egypt in 1987 until 1989. I was awarded my PhD. in Immunology from University of Mansoura, Egypt in 1989 in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bethesda, USA. I had my postdoctoral training (1990-1994) in immunology/parasitology at The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, USA, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology-Hepatology. In 1994, I was appointed a research scientist position at Division of Gastroenterology-Hepatology. I worked on several models of parasitic infections including Schistosoma mansoni granuloma inflammation and H. bakeri discovering cytokine circuitries in mucosal immune compartments. My expertise in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) included my work on human neuro-immuno-modulation of GI inflammation and on inflammation in several mouse models of colitis including IL10 KO and TNBS-induced intestinal and lung inflammation.I established the Rag-1 mouse model of transfer colitis to study effect of GI inflammation on lung response to endotoxins. I have a special interest in recirculating immunocompetent cells in colitis and their effect on development of lung inflammation and asthma upon exposure to environmental allergens and bacterial endotoxin as detailed in my publication “Recirculating immunocompetent cells in colitic mice intensify their lung response to bacterial endotoxin”. I have more than 62 peer-reviewed publications and abstracts in national and international professional journals and presented my work in many peer-reviewed national and international meetings. I participated in teaching several undergraduate and postgraduate courses. I served since 1990 to present my lab includes coworkers from diverse nationalities with work progressing in a friendly and collaborative environment.

Senior physician at the Institute for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Soroka University Medical Center. Senior lecturer at the faculty of Health science, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel. Head of the gastroenterology institute, Assuta Beer-Sheva. Chairman of the Arab Medical Associations in the Negev (AMAN). Committee member, Israeli Gastroenterology Association.

Igor Sukhotnik, MD is an Associate Professor and Pediatric Surgeon-in-Chief, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Dana-Dwek Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. He received his medical degree at the Czernowitz School of Medicine, Ukraine in 1984. He trained in General Surgery at Czernowitz University Hospital (Ukraine, 1986-1989). After his emigration to Israel, he completed his training in Pediatric Surgery at Ha-Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel (1990-1998) and Residency in General Surgery at Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel (2000-2003). Additionally, he completed his fellowship in Pediatric Surgery at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan (1999-2000) and his sabbatical in Division of Pediatric Surgery, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University, California (2009-2010). He received his academic degree as Assistant Professor in 2005 and Associate Professor in 2013 at Technion (Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel). Dr. Sukhotnik is a FACS, member of Education Office of European Pediatric Surgery Association and of International Pediatric Surgery Research Association. Dr. Sukhotnik has 130 publications in international journals, 12 chapters and is an editor in one book.

Dr. Amanda Yucca Chulayo (PhD) as a Scientific Manager responsible for Livestock Development in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. She is based at Dohne Agricultural Development Institute in Stutterheim, Eastern Cape Province. She is a well-groomed and grounded researcher with moral work ethics, knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Her interests include animal welfare, biomarkers of stress, nanostructures of meat and value-addition of healthy food and meat products that will improve livestock and farmer’s livelihoods and the fisheries industry at large. Dr Amanda Chulayo, recently attended the “2019 Seminar on Marine Fishery Economic Development” in Xiamen, China (16 October to 14 November 2019). This was funded by the Minister of Commerce of the Peoples Republic of China in collaboration with DEFF and DRDAR and was hosted by the Fujian Institute of Oceanography (FJIO) in Xiamen, China. The seminar focused on Marine Fishery and Economic Development to equip the developing countries with relevant, current and efficient production systems, and the efficacy of venturing into aquatic species towards food security, poverty alleviation and job creation. Dr Chulayo is an Editorial Board Member and a reviewer for the Food Research International (FRI), South African Journal for Animal Science (SAJAS) and Journal of Medicinal Plants and Economic Development (JOMPED). She is also a member for SASAS and a registered Professional Natural Scientist; South African Council for Animal Science Professions (SACNASP). Dr Chulayo has been nominated as a session chair at 52nd SASAE conference held in ICC, East London, Eastern Cape (5-7 June 2018) and by the South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS) to adjudicate all research articles for the 50th SASAS Congress in 2017. She has attended and presented her research internationally, at ICoMST in Ghent, Belgium (2012), Izmir, Turkey (2013), Punta del Este, Uruguay (2014), in France (2015) and in Bangkok, Thailand (2016) and at local conferences in South Africa since 2009. Dr Chulayo was awarded a Bronze Medal for a meritorious PhD thesis in 2015 during the 48th SASAS congress held in Zululand-Mfolozi, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Till to date, Dr Chulayo has 14 publications in peer-reviewed and accredited journals including Meat Science and the South African Journal of Animal Science. She has successfully supervised 2 PhD`s, 4 MSc and 3 Honours students. Collaboration with established and up-coming researchers to enlarge her horizons in the field of innovative research for continued professional development has been the drive behind her achievements. A very soft-hearted, humble, jovial person yet so inquisitive likes to stay healthy, she enjoys her short distance running. In all that she is, she gives all thanks to God her creator. In her spare time she does a lot of reading and writing and enjoy watching cartoons and medical series, and surprisingly does some of very creative beadwork.

Dr. Tsvetan Trichkov started his medical education in Charité Berlin in 2007. In 2008, he transferred to the Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, graduating in medicine in 2013. He worked briefly in the surgical department at the Pazardzhik Hospital (Bulgaria) in the same year. From the beginning of 2014, he transferred to the HPB and Transplant Surgery Department of the Military Medical Academy in Sofia, where he began specialization. In 2019 he acquired specialization in surgery, and since 2020 he has been a consultant at the same clinic. This year won the competition for the Ph.D. "Vascular resections for carcinoma in the head of the pancreas." He works in HPB, gastrointestinal, liver transplant, laparoscopic, and emergency surgery.

Clinical Professor of Surgery with clinical and laboratory experiences looking to pursue translational/clinically oriented research in the field of liver surgery, living donor transplantation, liver regeneration. A highly-qualified physician-scientist with solid expertise in performing surgery on humans as well as in small and large animal models. Possess excellent fine motor skills for the microsurgery of vasculature and liver segments, with additional expertSemmelise in managing ischemic-reperfusive liver injury. Comprehensive understanding of ischemic- and chemical conditioning procedures, acute conditions of microcirculatory dysfunction, monitoring of liver function, and liver malignancies. Special Skills in surgery and surgical competences: (1) possess excellent skills in endoscopy and gastroenterology: Upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and/or interventions per year; (2) ability to perform percutaneous transhepatic biliary interventional techniques in practice (percutaneous transhepatic biliary cholangiography and -drainaige [PTC and PTD] interventional radiological techniques). • In-depth experience to think analytically, process scientific data as well as the ability to multi-task. Possesses remarkable ability to work carefully, make independent decisions, understand complex problems, and take the initiative in leading projects. Highly cooperative, happy to guide others in their assignments and serve as a mentor for medical and graduate students for numerous years, in particular in medicine in general and in biomedical research (total of 57 medical and graduate students under his tutorage). Extensive experience with oral presentation of data at national and international clinical and research conferences, grant writing, and publishing manuscripts in journals with high scientific impact (multiple first and co-authorships). Fluent in English and Hungarian. Proficiency in MS Office, MS Project, Photoshop CS2, Adobe Acrobat 7.0, Flash 8, MeVis HepaVison – MeVisLab.

Laszlo MADACSY is a professor of gastroenterology, internal medicine, and nuclear medicine at the Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Hungary. He is the elected president of the Endoscopy Session of the Hungarian Society of Gastroenterology; he is a Chief Consultant Physician and Gastroenterologist and specializes in functional and motility diseases, GI endoscopy, gastroscopy, colonoscopy, capsule endoscopy, EUS, and ERCP. In 2011, he became the owner, CEO, and medical director of Endo-Kapszula Endoscopy Center in Székesfehérvár, Hungary. This private outpatient institute specializes in internal medicine, gastroenterology, diagnostic and operative endoscopy, radiology, computer tomography, capsule endoscopy, and an approved training center of the University of Pécs and the University of Budapest for gastroenterology and endoscopy. Endo-Kapszula Medical Center is the Fujifilm Endoscopy Hungary (HUNMED) training center and the Ankon robotic capsule endoscopy systems in Middle Europe. Prof. László Madácsy is leading a Ph.D. school cooperating with the University of Szeged. As a board member of the Education Committee of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE), he made a lot of efforts in the education and teaching of G.I. endoscopy. His scientific activities focus on robotics in gastroenterology, magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy, development, and clinical application of artificial intelligence in endoscopy and capsule endoscopy.

Dr. Francesco Saverio Latteri, born in Catania on September 18, 1980, graduated from the Liceo Classico San Francesco di Sales in Catania with a grade of 60/60. In the A.Y. 1998/1999 he enrolled in the Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery of the University of Catania. He graduated in Medicine and Surgery on 24/07/2004 at the University of Catania, with 110/110 cum laude and proposed for the Barbagallo prize, discussing the experimental thesis in Surgery entitled "Experimental statistical models for quantitative evaluation between traditional and robotic laparoscopic techniques ". From the A.Y. 1999/2000 to 2003/2004 was an internal student at the U.O.D of Hepato-Biliary and Minimally Invasive Surgery of the Cannizzaro Hospital of Catania, directed by Prof. D. Russello. In the second session of the academic year 2004/2005 he qualified as a surgeon at the University of Catania and from 28/04/2005 he was enrolled in the Register of Surgeons of the city of Catania with the number 13049. From 28/07/2004 to March 2005 he worked as a volunteer doctor at the U.O.D of Hepato-Biliary and Minimally Invasive Surgery of the Cannizzaro Hospital of Catania, directed by Prof. D. Russello. In November 2004 he successfully passed the ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support) course organized by the American College of Surgeon. In the A.Y. 2004/2005 he enrolled in the School of Specialization in General Surgery of the University of Catania and during the course of his studies, he attended the U.O. of Hepato-Biliary and Minimally Invasive Surgery of the Cannizzaro Hospital of Catania. In February 2006 he attended the Resuscitation and Intensive Care Unit of the Cannizzaro Hospital, directed by Prof. C. Denaro. On 06/10/2010 he passed the specialist diploma exam in General Surgery with a grade of 70/70 cum laude, discussing the thesis: "Video-laparoscopic right hemicolectomy: technical notes and personal experience". In the A.Y. 2010/2011 he was the winner of the competition for admission to the Research Doctorate in "Advanced Multidisciplinary Research in Transplantation" XXVI cycle at the University of Catania and enrolled and enrolled in the 1st year. During the three years of the PhD course he carried out research on the surgical complications of kidney transplantation. On 17/03/2014 he obtained the title of PhD, discussing the thesis: “The surgical complications of kidney transplantation. Can laparoscopy help? " From 1 December 2011 he took up service as a first level Medical Director for an indefinite period at the U.O.C. of General Surgery of the Cannizzaro Hospital of Catania. From 21 December 2018 he took up service at the University of Catania as RTD-B in the Scientific Disciplinary Sector 06 / C1 Med 18 and has been confirmed his assistance activity at the U.O.C. of General Surgery of the Cannizzaro Emergency Hospital From 19/10/2020 he was given the responsibility of the U.O.S. of Bariatric Surgery, within the U.O.C. of General Surgery of the Cannizzaro Emergency Hospital On 9 September 2021 by Rector's Decree he was appointed Associate Professor in the SSD / Med 18 Placement Delegate of the Department of “Medical-Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies. G.F. Ingrassia". Chief of Bariatric Surgery in Cannizzaro Hospital Catania. Associate Professor of General Surgery in University of Catania.

Dr. KIDA is the professor of the department of gastroenterology and executive consultant of the endoscopy center of Kitasato University in Sagamihara. He also went abroad to study ERCP with professor N. Soehendra of Hamburg university in 1993-1994, and also had taught “Japanese-styled endoscopy” as a guest lecturer at Munich technical university hospital in 1999 with professor M. Classen’s invitation. His current research activities include studies of early diagnosis of biliopancreatic tumors, endoscopic therapy including EUS-guided FNA and ERC such as biliary stenting, stone removal, and peroral cholangio pancreatoscopy, etc., ERCP with enteroscopy in surgically altered patients, molecular analysis of biliary and pancreatic samples, and chemotherapy for biliopancreatic malignancies.

Dr. Byung Hyo Cha, MD, MS graduated from Medical College in Kosin University and has completed his Master’s Degree from Jeju National University, South Korea He is working as an interventional gastroenterologist and serving as the Head of Division of Medicine in Sheik Khalifa Specialty Hospital, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. He has published more than 26 papers in reputed journals.

Adeodatus Yuda Handaya Is Digestive Surgeon in Sardjito Hospital Faculty of Medicine Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta Indonesia.

Eduardo Guimarães Hourneaux de Moura Graduated in Medicine from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (1984), He Completed Master in Medicine from the Brazilian Institute of Studies and Research in Gastroenterology - IBEPEGE (1985), and Doctorate in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of the University de São Paulo - FMUSP (2000). Present He is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (2012) and Director of the Service of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Bronchoscophagoscopy at the Hospital das Clínicas of FMUSP, Advisor of the Graduate Program in Sciences in Gastroenterology at FMUSP, Supervisor of the Medical Residency Program in Endoscopy at COREME-FMUSP

Gustavo Bresky Specialist in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology Associate Professor. Department of Biomedical Sciences. Universidad Católica del Norte. Director of the Digestive Unit. Centro Clínico Mediterráneo. La Serena. Chile

Prof. Wang Shi is a Director of Department of Endoscopy, Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Standing committee member of endoscopy in Anti-Cancer Association of China

Physician (Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas), Gastroenterology specialist (Mayo Clinic / Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición), PhD Degree (Instituto Politécnico Nacional). Ex President-National Academy of Medicine, National Researcher Emeritus (Sistema Nacional de Investigadores), Professor of Gastroenterology, National University of Mexico (UNAM). CEO, Medica Sur Foundation Clinic. Master of Medicine, American College of Physicians, USA, Ex General Coordinator, National Institutes of Health, Secretary of Health, 2001-2003, Chairman of the Board of Médica Sur S.A.B. de C.V., Representative of International Relations of the National Academy of Medicine of México, Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León and Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas Mexico, National Award “Dr. Miguel Otero” (clinic research merits), Consejo de Salubridad General, Presidencia de la República, Mexican Award to the Medical Merits. Presidencia de la República. Consejo de Salubridad General. Member of the Real Academia de Medicina de Salamanca, Real Academia de Medicine de Cataluña and Real Academia de Medicine de Espino. Books edited and written: 32. Chapters in Scientific books: 391. Published Scientific Articles: 440 Index citation:8609 times.

Zeno Adrian Sparchez, MD, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology at Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. He received his MD degree from the University of Medicine, Cluj Napoca Romania in 1990. He was board-certified in Internal Medicine in 1995 and Gastroenterology in 1999. Dr. Sparchez is the Future President of the Romanian Society of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology ( SRUMB). He is a member of the Editorial Board of Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease ( IF 2.31) and Medical Ultrasonography ( IF 1.5). His primary interests are related to chronic liver diseases and neoplasia of the liver, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract especially hepatocellular carcinoma. He is also an experienced physician in diagnostic ( including contrast-enhanced) and interventional sonography especially percutaneous biopsies and ablations of liver tumors. Prof Dr. Zeno Sparchez is a member of EASL since 2000, the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB) since 1999, and the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe since 2005. He had delivered scientific lectures as an invited speaker to numerous national and international courses and workshops in ultrasonography and gastroenterology since 2000. Dr. Sparchez is internationally recognized for his expertise in Contrast-enhanced and Interventional Ultrasound in Hepatogastroenterology. He is the author of more than 100 scientific papers, 2 books, and more than 50 chapters in medical textbooks. He was a member of the European Ultrasound group who published in 2005 the Guidelines for an interventional ultrasound. He carries out his medical activity in a reference clinic in Romania, the Octavian Fodor Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Cluj Napoca, where he is a consultant with outstanding experience in diagnostic and interventional ultrasound in gastroenterology. He actively participates in the work of the academic community, to which he belongs, with theoretical and practical training of medical students of the Faculty of Medicine in Cluj-Napoca and graduated medical residents in Gastroenterology. Until now, he has supervised 22students for doctoral thesis and 6 young doctors for Ph.D. Furthermore, he contributes through the postgraduate courses organized in the field of ultrasound in gastroenterology and pneumology.

Dr. Nikolaos Melas has an MD degree from the University of Medicine and Surgery of Bologna. He is a consultant in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at the Central Hospital of Karlstad in Sweden. He has been the leading researcher of national and international studies in Sweden. His area of interest is autoimmunity in Gastroenterology. He is a member of the Gastroenterology Research Team of the University of Örebro; his research focuses on Inflammatory Bowel Disease. His research work has appeared in academic journals, and he contributes as a reviewer in others.

Chih-Wen Lin studied at China Medical University in Taiwan and graduated in 1998. Dr. Lin completed a clinical fellowship in Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, and is a visiting attending in Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of internal medicine, E-Da hospital/I-Shou University since 2005. Following this, Dr. Lin is a clinical fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and a research scientist at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine in the USA during 2009-2011. Dr. Lin earned his Ph.D. degree fromGraduate Institute of Medicine, School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan from 2012-2016. Now, Dr. Lin is chief of Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at E-Da Dachang Hospital, I-Shou University, and Vice Director of Department of Health Examination Center, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Taiwan. Moreover, Dr. Lin is an associate professor at the Minister of Education since 2020. Dr. Lin has been actively involved in clinical, basic, and translational research in hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatitis B and C virus, NAFLD, alcoholic liver disease, liver regeneration, autophagy. Dr. Linhas published 68 International scientific papers in well-regarded journals including Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Journal of Hepatology, American Journal of Gastroenterology, and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology etc.

Dr. Jun Sun is a tenured Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), U.S.A. She is an elected fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) and the American Physiological Society (APS). She chairs the AGA microbiome section. Her research interests are host-microbiome interactions in inflammation and cancer. Her key achievements include 1) characterization of vitamin D receptor regulation of intestinal barrier and microbiome in inflammation and cancer, 2) identification of dysbiosis and intestinal dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), 3) characterization of bacteria in regulating intestinal stem cells and leading to cancer, and 4) identification and characterization of the Salmonella protein AvrA in host-bacterial interactions. Dr. Sun has published over 190 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Gut, Gastroenterology, Cell Stem Cells, Nature Genetics, JBC, Autophagy, American Journal of Pathology, & American Journal of Physiology-GI. She is the leading editor of 4 books on microbiome, including a Nature/Spring book entitled “Mechanisms underlying host-microbiome interactions in the pathophysiology of human diseases.” This book has shown a novel theme and multiple disciplinary topics of microbiome research for a broad audience. She is the author of the Nature/Spring book “Statistical Analysis of Microbiome Data with R. This timely book addresses the statistical modeling and analysis of microbiome data using cutting-edge R software. Her 2020 Elsevier book “The Microbiome in Health and Disease” further highlights the recent progress of microbiome research in various human diseases. Her book entitled “Inflammation, infection, and microbiome in cancers: evidence, mechanisms, and implications” is in press with Nature/Springer. Series title: Physiology in Health and Disease. APS E-Book, Springer Nature. She serves on the editorial board of more than 10 peer-reviewed international scientific journals. She services study sections for the NIH, DOD, NASA, American Cancer Society, and other national and international research foundations. She has been invited to chair meetings on the microbiome, be a keynote speaker, and write reviews, editorials, and comments on the microbiome in human diseases published for peer-reviewed journals. She is actively involved in advocating microbiome research at the international, national, and institutional levels. Her research is supported by the NIH, DOD, VA, and other research awards. Dr. Sun is a believer in scientific art and artistic science. She enjoys writing her science papers in English and poems in Chinese. She teaches her medical fellows biomedical knowledge and also the way to translate Chinese poems. In addition to her research papers and books, her poetry collection《让时间停留在这一刻 》“Let time stay still at this moment”, is published in 2018 by the Chinese Literature and History Press.

Professor and Medical Director, Neurogastroenterology and Esophageal Program University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville, FL Ron Schey, MD, FACG, is a graduate of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel-Aviv University. He completed his Internal Medicine residency program and Gastroenterology fellowship at Sackler School of Medicine in Tel-Aviv Israel. I completed a Fellowship at the Neuroenteric Clinical Research Group at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System and University of Arizona Health Science Center. In 2009, he joined the Neurogastroenterology & GI Motility unit at the University of Iowa as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and worked with my mentor Dr. Satish Rao and was actively involved in clinical and research of GI motility at the clinical level. In addition to initiating an esophageal center, we developed the Gastric motility & Neurostimulator clinic. In 2010 received the American College of Gastroenterology investigator award ($35,000) to research “The Effects of Cannabinoid on Patients with Non-GERD Related Non-cardiac Chest Pain”. In 2012 I became the director of the Motility Center at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. In 2014 I joined Temple University Physicians/Section of Gastroenterology as the Associate Director of Neurogastroenterology & Esophageal Disorders Program and established the Temple Esophageal Program in collaboration with the Thoracic Surgery Department and Lung Transplant Program. In 2018 I accepted an offer to establish the Neurogastroentrology Program in the Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology at the University of Florida College of Medicine- Jacksonville, FL. Within the last 18 months, we have established the largest Motility center in Florida with daily procedures including Upper Motility Studies, PH impedance, EndoFlip, Lower motility studies, Breath tests, Whole Gut Scintigraphy, in addition to an established research core currently involved in projects on Esophageal disorders and Gastroparesis including the effect of cannabinoids on GI motility.

Dr. Shailendra Singh is Director of Bariatric Endoscopy, Advanced Endoscopist, and Associate Professor of Medicine at West Virginia University, Morgantown. He is a graduate of Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi University, India. Dr. Singh completed an Internal Medicine residency at Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, followed by fellowships in Geriatric Medicine and Gastroenterology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Allegheny Health Network, respectively. He also received special training in Advanced Endoscopic procedures at Allegheny Health Network. Dr. Singh's clinical and teaching interests include EUS, ERCP, pancreatobiliary diseases, and minimally invasive endoscopic procedures focusing on endoscopic treatment of obesity, GERD, and postsurgical complications He is one of the leaders in the country in performing Endoscopic Sleeve gastroplasty procedures for weight loss. He also devotes his time to research focusing on pancreatobiliary diseases, advanced endoscopic procedures, outcomes research using big databases, and innovative bariatric endoscopy procedures and devices. His work has resulted in numerous publications in reputed gastroenterology and bariatric journals and extensive media coverage. He is working on developing innovative endoscopic weight loss methods and devices and has been granted patents. He is the editor and reviewer of several medical journals. He serves on national committees, including the American Society for Gastroenterological Endoscopy, Digestive Disease Week Clinical Symposia Committee, and the American College of Gastroenterology International Committee