SPEAKER BIOS
Patrick Michael Chiasson, MD, CM, MA, FRCSC, FACS
Patrick Chiasson, MD, MA, FACS is a Canadian trained Minimally Invasive Bariatric and Foregut Surgeon. He received his medical education at McGill University in Montreal, PQ, a Master’s degree from the Institute for the History of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, and his general surgical training at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS. Upon completion of his residency, he practiced surgery in the Yukon Territory and Northern British Columbia awaiting an opportunity to continue his training. He then completed his sub-specialty training in advanced laparoscopic surgery at the University of Toronto’s Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery. Following this, he moved to a position at the University of Arizona. He has numerous publications that address such issues as MIS techniques and outcomes, Health Policy, Medical Ethics and Health Law. His present surgical practice consists of Therapeutic Endoscopy, Bariatric & Foregut Surgery at Northwest Medical Center in Tucson, AZ, where he serves as the Chief of Surgery and the Director of Bariatric Surgery.
Eric M. Pauli, MD FACS FASGE FEBSAWS (Hon.)
Eric M Pauli, MD FACS FASGE is the David L Nahrwold Professor of Surgery and the Chief of the Division of Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at the Penn State Health Milton S Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a fellowship trained surgical endoscopist and abdominal wall reconstruction expert. He is the author of more than 150 peer reviewed publications and invited manuscripts, more than 30 book chapters and he has edited 3 textbooks of surgery with a 4th ongoing.
Alessandro Gronchi, MD
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Alessandro Gronchi MD received his MD degree from Milan University in 1992, completed his residency training in General Surgery in 1997 and a fellowship in Surgical Oncology in 1998. He holds the National Scientific qualification for full professor of General Surgery. He is chief of the Sarcoma Service since 2001 and chair of the department of Surgery since 2022 at the National Cancer Institute – Milan – Italy.
He is involved in all institutional research activities on sarcoma, which include prognostic models for soft tissue sarcomas (STS) and desmoid tumor (DT), neoadjuvant therapies in extremity and retroperitoneal sarcomas, new targets for specific STS types, genomic characterization of DF and its impact in tumor progression, mechanisms of resistance to therapy in GIST. He is the Principal Investigator of several Italian and International trials on STS, DF and GIST.
He serves as member of the board of directors of the Italian Sarcoma Group and of the Sarcoma Task Force of the European Society for Medical Oncology. He was member of the board of directors of the European Society of Surgical Oncology 2020-2024; international representative on the executive council of the SSO 2021-2024; chair of the EORTC Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group (2015-2017), president of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (2016); president of the Italian Society of Surgical Oncology (2019-2021). He is member of the European Surgical Association, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and honorary member of the Polish Society of Surgical Oncology. He is one of the initiators of a global collaborative effort on retroperitoneal sarcoma (Trans-atlantic Australasian RetroPeritoneal Sarcoma Working Group, TARPSWG), which involves over 200 institutions worldwide. Dr. Gronchi has authored more than 540 scientific publications (Scopus HIndex 105), serves as Associate Editor of Annals of Surgical Oncology, Journal of Surgical Oncology, ESMO Reare Cancers, Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology, Therapeutics Advances in Medical Oncology; Updates in Surgery.
Giovanni Marchegiani, MD, PhD
Giovanni Marchegiani is an internationally renowned Italian pancreatic surgeon and prolific academic researcher. After earning his medical degree with highest honors from the University of Bologna in 2008, he completed surgical residency at the University of Verona in 2015.
Marchegiani then obtained his Research Fellowhip in Pancreas Neoplasms at Harvard University in 2014 and his PhD in Inflammation, Immunity and Cancer at Verona University in 2018.
In 2021, he achieved the distinction of becoming certified as eligible for Full Professor in Surgical Oncology by the Italian Minister of Education. His clinical positions include attending surgeon roles at Verona University Hospital (2016-2023) and currently as Attending Surgeon and Assistant Professor at the prestigious HPB and Liver Transplant Surgery unit at the University of Padova Hospital since 2023.
Marchegiani has an extensive academic portfolio, serving as Vice President, Course Mentor, and project manager for the renowned Pancreas 2000 educational program at European Pancreas Club since 2018. His is secretary of the International Study Group for Pancreas Surgery (ISGPS). His research focuses on pancreatology, with special interests in IPMNs, postoperative pancreatic fistulas, pancreatic cancer treatment, and developing novel surgical techniques.
He has authored over 350 peer-reviewed publications and has been an invited faculty speaker at well over 100 international conferences. Marchegiani's work has been recognized with prestigious honors such as the 2021 UEG Rising Star Award. He serves on the editorial boards of multiple leading surgical journals including the British Journal of Surgery and editor for HPB of the BJS Open.
An active member of top surgical societies worldwide, Marchegiani has participated in expert consensus meetings that have shaped pancreatic surgery guidelines. He has trained surgeons globally and is widely considered one of the foremost emerging authorities in the field of pancreatic surgery.
I have through design, hard work, and good fortune held significant health care leadership positions over a 40-year period in Universities, Cancer Systems, and Hospital Systems, in Ontario and Quebec, the Canadian Medical Liability System (CMPA), and most recently in Biotechnology start-up companies. I have forged strong relationships with governments in most provinces but most significantly in Quebec while CEO of the Jewish General Hospital and with Provincial Ministries of Health and Regulators to improve the safety and quality of care in most Canadian jurisdictions whilst CEO of the CMPA.
I have driven major improvements in quality and safety using (but not limited to): compelling articulation of vision and strategy; major refinements in data acquisition and analysis; and innovative partnerships. I stood up a new subsidiary for the CMPA (Saegis) which has allowed greater diversity of products and services to Canada’s 100,000 physicians. I contributed to improvements in the safety of Obstetrical care in Canada through an investment in Salus Global, partnering with HIROC and the Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Canada. More recently I helped Equinoxe Virtual Care of Montreal achieve a successful acquisition by Telus Health. Currently I serve on the Board of Surgical Safety Technologies, originally from Toronto, and now in New York in their pursuit of transforming the safety and efficiency of operating rooms.
I have also led major capital fundraising initiatives and capital development projects including a $150 million new Cancer centre in Ottawa, I led the development and implementation of a $400M hospital critical care tower in Montreal, completed on budget, predominantly funded by the Quebec Government. I managed $5B in assets and a $700M operating budget at the CMPA .
In addition to my long -term commitments to assisting the Jewish community of Ottawa and Cancer fundraising in Ottawa, I am excited to have recently joined the Board of the Canadian Paralympic Committee Foundation to assist with its important fundraising mission. In February 2021 I was appointed to the Board of Canadian Personalized Healthcare Innovation Network (CPHIN) which will clearly enhance access to novel and expensive therapeutics to Canadian Cancer patients. I am also honoured to have just joined in June 2021 the Board of the University of Ottawa.
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CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
The opportunity to work with Gerry Pulvermacher one of Canada’s elite consultants in Business Strategy and Implementation, Succession planning and Operational improvements was a timely event just as COVID disrupted the world. I have recently joined MfIQ as a Senior Advisor, and provide strategic advice to Family Offices in Ottawa and Montreal on Biotechnology investments.
Hartley S. Stern, MD, FRCS, FACS, ICD.D
Adnan Alseidi, MD, MEd, MBA, FACS
Dr. Adnan Alseidi is a surgical oncologist who specializes in conditions involving the liver, bile ducts, pancreas and other parts of the endocrine system. He has particular interests in minimally invasive surgical techniques, spleen preservation techniques, immunology studies and surgery for patients with locally advanced pancreas cancer. He serves as UCSF's associate dean of assessment, improvement and accreditation.
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Alseidi's research focuses on surgical education, minimally invasive surgical techniques, and methods to improve outcomes for patients with liver, pancreas and biliary cancers. He has received grants to create registries for minimally invasive pancreas and liver surgeries as part of an international collaboration to support studies leading to better patient outcomes. He specifically studies the use of deep learning networks and other types of artificial intelligence to enhance patient care during surgery and minimize postoperative complications.
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Alseidi earned his medical degree from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. He completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Illinois Chicago. He completed a fellowship in hepatobiliary, pancreatic and advanced gastrointestinal surgery at Washington University in St. Louis. He has a master's degree in surgical education from Southern Illinois University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, as well as a master of business administration degree from Brandeis University.
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Alseidi served as a surgeon in the U.S. Navy and as co-director of the surgery department at the U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, Japan. During his time in the Navy, he learned the importance of demonstrating principles through his work. He believes in respecting others unconditionally and that giving oneself over to serving others is the ultimate honor.
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Before coming to UCSF, Alseidi was a hepatobiliary and endocrine surgeon at Virginia Mason Medical Center. He also served as associate director of its general surgery residency program, directed its hepatobiliary clinical fellowship, and directed surgical simulation training at the facility.
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Alseidi is a former president of both the Association for Surgical Education and the Fellowship Council. He is chair for hepatobiliary surgery in the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons and chair of education and training for both the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association and the International Laparoscopic Liver Society. He is an active committee member for the American College of Surgeons.
Jeffrey E. Janis,
MD, F.A.C.S
Jeffrey E. Janis, M.D., F.A.C.S. is full-time faculty as a Professor in the Department of Plastic Surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. He is also Chief of Plastic Surgery at University Hospital and holds adjunct appointments as a Professor of Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Surgery.
Education, Training, and Employment
Dr. Janis completed his undergraduate education at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where he graduated magna cum laude from the Olin School of Business with Honors in Management and Marketing. He was also awarded membership into Beta Gamma Sigma, the business honor society. He received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, where he was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical honor society. He was also the recipient of the William D. Holden Award in Surgery, given to the most outstanding student going into a surgical career. He completed his integrated plastic surgery residency at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, receiving two awards for Outstanding Accomplishment in Surgical Education, the Excellence in Teaching Award as well as Best Research Paper at the 2003 National Senior Resident’s Conference. He joined the faculty in the Department of Plastic Surgery at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center where he remained from 2003-2013, appointed to the level of Associate Professor and Program Director for the largest plastic surgery residency training program in the country, and also served as Co-Director of the Wound Healing Fellowship at the same location. In 2013, he was recruited to join the Ohio State University Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as a Professor and Executive Vice Chairman.
Honors and Involvement
Dr. Janis is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) since 2004 (recertified in 2013) and an active member multiple organizations, including the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery/The Aesthetic Society (ASAPS), American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons (ACAPS), American Association of Plastic Surgeons (AAPS) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
He has served on hundreds of committees, both as a member and Chair, including chairing the ASPS Annual Scientific meeting for several years and was the co-architect of the national Resident Education Curriculum Committee for ASPS and ACAPS. He served for 3 years as the Board Vice President of Education for ASPS, overseeing all education for the largest plastic surgery organization in the world.
He is a Past President of ASPS (youngest in the history of the Society), Past President of ACAPS (youngest in the history of the Society), Past President of the Columbus Medical Association (CMA), Past President of the Migraine Surgery Society (Inaugural Founding President), and Past President of the American Hernia Society (AHS) (first plastic surgeon). He is the Past Chair of the Board of Trustees for ASPS.
He currently serves as a Governor on the Board of Governors for the American College of Surgeons (ACS), sits on the Plastic Surgery Residency Review Committee (RRC) for the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), is on the Executive Committee for the Surgical Pain Congress (SPC), is on the Executive Committee for the Ohio Valley Society of Plastic Surgeons, and serves as Chair of the Advisory Council for Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery for the ACS.
Upon being recruited to Ohio State, he recently relinquished his roles as President-Elect of the Dallas County Medical Society, the 2nd largest medical society in the country with 7,500 members, President-Elect of the Medical Staff/Medical Executive Committee at Parkland Health and Hospital System, with 1,400 physicians, Chairman of the OR Committee, and Secretary/Treasurer of the Dallas Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Dr. Janis was named “Clinician of the Year” in 2004 from the Department of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern, “Teacher of the Year” in 2008 and 2013, and received Special Achievement Awards in 2007 and 2013 for “Outstanding Contributions and Dedication to Advances in Plastic Surgery Resident Education”. He was also recognized with the “Distinguished Physician of the Year Award” by Parkland Health and Hospital System in 2009, where he was Chief of Plastic Surgery and Chief of Wound Care since 2006, as well as received an Excellence Award from Parkland in 2011 and an Outstanding Leadership Award in 2013. He was named as a “Distinguished Teaching Professor” by the University of Texas Academy of Health Sciences Education in 2012 and was inducted into the prestigious Southwest Academy of Teachers the same year.
While at the Ohio State University Medical Center, he has been awarded “Teacher of the Year’ by the Ohio State University Department of Plastic Surgery in 2017, was named to the “Dean’s List” in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and most recently was named to the inaugural class of the Dean’s Academy of Educators in 2025, celebrating those who have become experts in medical education.
In 2017, he was awarded the “Distinguished Alumni Award” by the Bexley High School Alumni Association, awarded for outstanding accomplishments and meritorious work in their chosen fields of endeavor or on behalf of their communities.In 2018, he was awarded the “Young at Heart” Award by the Young Plastic Surgeons section of ASPS (awarded to one person per year) for his role in mentorship. The same year, he received the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) Distinguished Alumni Award, presented in recognition of an outstanding alumnus whose work has made a significant mark in the field of medicine and whose efforts have brought about distinction for the CWRU School of Medicine.
In 2021, he was awarded the “Outstanding Faculty Teacher of the Year” by the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons (ACAPS), which is given annually to one individual who is actively involved in surgical education and who is considered by his/her chair, peers, residents, and/or students to be an outstanding teacher.
Also in 2021, he was appointed as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open, the largest plastic surgery open access journal in the world. He has also served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and is on the Editorial Board for Scientific Reports (a Springer Nature journal).
From 2021-2024, he won several annual awards from Doximity, including - “Most Cited”, awarded to Top 10% Most Cited Clinicians on Doximity, “Most Published”, awarded to Top 10% Most Published Clinicians on Doximity, and “Most Press Mentions”, awarded to Top 10% Most Mentioned Clinicians in Press on Doximity.
In 2023, he was inducted into the Frank McDowell Fellowship for his service as a peer reviewer to the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, with over 1000 reviews for that journal alone. He also serves as a peer reviewer for 87 other scientific journals, as well. He has been awarded “Top 1% Peer Review Award” by Publons.
Also in 2023, he was awarded the “Level 5 Leader Award” by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons/The Plastic Surgery Foundation, which is awarded in recognition of contributions to the professional and leadership development of ASPS/PSF members, with unwavering resolve towards the enduring excellence of the organization.
In 2024, he was ranked #1 Most Highly Ranked Scholar in both Abdominal Wall Reconstruction as well as in all of Plastic Surgery in the Prior Five Years by ScholarGPS (awarded in recognition of exceptional productivity, noteworthy impact and quality of scholarly work in the top 0.05% of scholars in the Specialty worldwide).
He has been repeatedly named to the U.S. News and World Report “Top Doctors” and also has received similar recognition by Best Doctors in America, America’s Top Plastic Surgeons, Best Doctors in Dallas, Best Doctors in Columbus, and Who’s Who in America and the World.
He received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who.He was also part of the team that performed the first full U.S. face transplant at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
To date, he has served as a Visiting Professor at 65 major national and international institutions, published 302 peer-reviewed articles, 114 book chapters, and 9 books, with 2 more books and an app pending publication, and has delivered over 1,150 lectures. His publications have been cited over 17,100 times, with an h-index of 60 and i10-index of 199.
Dr. Janis is the Editor of “Essentials of Plastic Surgery” – a worldwide, internationally renowned best-selling handbook of plastic surgery used by countless students, residents, fellows, and surgeons. The original edition came out in 2006 with a second edition released in 2014, and the 3rd released in October 2022, already selling over 15,000 copies across the world.
Christopher Booth
MD F.R.C.P.C
​Christopher Booth MD FRCPC is a Medical Oncologist and Health Services Researcher at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada. He is a Professor of Oncology and Public Health Sciences Director of the Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology at Queen’s Cancer Research Institute. During 2014-2024 he held the Canada Research Chair in Population Cancer Care. In his clinical practice he provides care to patients with GI cancer. Dr. Booth’s research program explores access, quality, and value of cancer care. He serves as policy advisor to the World Health Organization and across health systems of Canada and many other countries. In 2016 Dr. Booth spent a sabbatical at the Regional Cancer Centre in Trivandrum, India. Dr. Booth has published more than 400 peer-reviewed manuscripts and served as research supervisor for dozens of trainees from around the world. He was Study Co-Chair of the Canadian Cancer Trials Group CO.21 CHALLENGE trial of “adjuvant exercise” in colon cancer which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2025. In 2022 he received the Exceptional Healer Award at Kingston Health Sciences Centre for embodying compassion, respect, and clinical excellence. He was inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2022. Dr. Booth is one of the founding leaders of the Common Sense Oncology initiative.
Melanie A. Edwards, MD, FACS
Melanie A. Edwards, MD, FACS is the Site Medical Director of Thoracic Surgery at Trinity Health IHA Medical Group and Trinity Health Ann Arbor. A board-certified thoracic surgeon, Dr. Edwards specializes in minimally invasive thoracic surgery with expertise in lung cancer, esophageal cancer, benign esophageal disease, mediastinal pathology, and hyperhidrosis.
Dr. Edwards earned her medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine and completed her general surgery residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center through Harvard Medical School. She went on to complete fellowships in cardiothoracic surgery at Saint Louis University and minimally invasive thoracic surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
An active leader in national surgical organizations, Dr. Edwards currently serves as President of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association and Chair of the Mission and Membership Subcommittee of the American College of Surgeons Women in Surgery Committee. She also serves on the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Finance Committee and the Thoracic Surgery Foundation Board of Directors.
She remains committed to advancing excellence in clinical care, professional collaboration, and mentorship within the surgical community.