Beatrice Dionigi, MD, FACS, FASCRS

Marco B. Zoccali is a minimally invasive surgeon with extensive expertise in the treatment of the broad range of colorectal diseases including IBD, colon and rectal cancers, and benign colorectal diseases. He received his medical degree at the Catholic University in Rome, Italy where he also completed his surgical training. He then came to the USA where he did a Minimally Invasive Gastrointestinal Surgery Fellowship at the University of Chicago followed by a surgical residency at Weill Cornell Medical Center. He then completed his Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship at the University of Chicago. Although committed to managing the entire spectrum of pathologies that can affect the lower intestinal tract, his personal interest lies mostly in minimally invasive approaches to colorectal conditions – including the robotic platform – and the management of inflammatory bowel diseases. Beyond his clinical practice, Dr. Zoccali is also a prolific researcher. He has published more than 50 articles in major surgical journals including The Journal of The American College of Surgeons, The British Journal of Surgery and Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and has contributed to several book chapters.

Alex Johnson Addo, MD MPH is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He is a board-certified general surgeon who is fellowship trained in minimally invasive and robotic surgery. He graduated from Tufts University School of Medicine and completed his residency in general surgery at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. He also completed a research fellowship at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Maryland focusing on patient-driven-outcomes of minimally invasive benign foregut and complex abdominal wall reconstruction surgery. He has published his research in peer-reviewed journals and presented at professional conferences both nationally and internationally. He continues to be actively engaged in hernia related research. After graduating from general surgery residency, Dr. Addo underwent fellowship training in minimally invasive foregut and complex abdominal wall surgery at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland.Dr. Addo employs advanced minimally invasive techniques in repairing inguinal, ventral, incisional and complex abdominal wall hernias. He is passionate about delivering exceptional care and tailored surgical solutions to his patients.

James Church, MD is a colorectal surgeon who cares for all aspects of colorectal disease, with a particular focus on hereditary colorectal cancers and polyposis. Born and raised in New Zealand, Dr. Church did his medical school, postgraduate research and general surgical training in Auckland before training in colorectal surgery at the Cleveland Clinic and eventually joining the faculty there. Over the 34 years that followed, he played an instrumental role in developing what was widely considered the finest Department of Colorectal Surgery in the world. Dr. Church has been co-Investigator of the Collaborative Colorectal Cancer Family Registry, funded by a research grant from the National Cancer Institute. In addition, he has served as the Chairman of the Leeds Castle Polyposis Group and the International Collaborative Group on Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer and President of the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer. These international societies are dedicated to the care of patients with inherited colorectal cancer and research into their disease. Dr. Church’s other areas of interests include colonoscopy, functional colorectal and anal problems including constipation and incontinence, perianal and perineal infections and inflammatory bowel disease. As head of the Section of Endoscopy at Cleveland Clinic, he helped develop several advances in the art of colonoscopy for the benefit of patients. He is also deeply commitment to education and is currently a Fellow of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, Costa Rican Society of Surgery, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, American College of Gastroenterology, American Surgical Association and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow.