Speakers
Efthymios (Makis) Avgerinos, MD
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dr. Efthymios (Makis) Avgerinos is an Associate Professor of Surgery and has been a faculty of the University of Pittsburgh since 2011. He is certified by the European Board of Vascular Surgery (FEBVS). He completed his residency in the Department of Vascular Surgery, University of Athens, Greece, as well as a clinical fellowship at King’s Hospital, London, UK and later at Stadtische Kliniken, Frankfurt, Germany before moving to US. Dr. Avgerinos has authored or co-authored more than 200 peer reviewed publications and chapters on vascular surgery and his work has been widely cited and recognized with international awards.
He has extensive outcomes’ research in the fields of venous thromboembolic and peripheral vascular diseases serving as principal or sub- investigator in multiple national trials. He has served on the Executive Councils of the European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS), European Union of Medical Specialties (UEMS), and International Society for Vascular Surgery (ISVS). He is currently serving in the Clinical Research and Guidelines Committees of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) and the Eastern Vascular Society (EVS).
Joseph A. Caprini, MD, MS, FACS, RVT, FACCWS
Chicago Pritzker School of medicine - Northbrook, Illinois
Dr. Caprini recently retired from clinical practice and is an emeritus attending surgeon, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL and Senior Clinical Educator, Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL. Dr. Caprini’s main interest lies in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of venous thromboembolism. He received his medical degree at Hahnemann Medical College (Drexel University College of Medicine) in Philadelphia and his postgraduate and coagulation fellowship training at Northwestern University. He is a prolific author and lecturer, with more than 430 articles, abstracts and book chapters and 1740 lectures listed in his curriculum vitae.
He initiated the Vascular and Coagulation Laboratories at Evanston and Glenbrook Hospitals and was Chief of Surgery for a decade at Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview, IL. He maintained an active practice in the area of VTE and wound therapy until his retirement jan 31, 2017.He continues his educational and research activities.
Dr. Caprini’s interest in the area of risk assessment for DVT has led to having his risk assessment model validated in 300,000 patients in over 110 peer reviewed studies in surgical, medical and subspecialty patients (Plastic, ENT, Gyn ONC, Vasc,Ortho, and LE injuries) and it is now available as a free App for IPads, and Android IPhones (accessed as Caprini DVT). It also may be accessed at www.venousdisease.com by any device that can connect to the internet.
Anthony J. Comerota, MD, FACS, FACC
Director - Jobst Vascular Institute, The Toledo Hospital - Alexandria, Virginia
Anthony J. Comerota, MD, FACS, FACC, received his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Phila., PA, and completed his general surgery residency at Temple University Hospital and vascular surgery fellowship at Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati, OH.
Dr. Comerota returned toTemple University as a faculty member where he became Chief of Vascular Surgery, Professor of Surgery, Program Director in General and Vascular Surgery, President of the Medical Staff and President of the Medical Alumni Association. In 2002, Dr. Comerota accepted the appointment to direct the Jobst Vascular Institute, Toledo Ohio, which he held for 15 years. He is now the Medical Director of the Eastern Region of the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, Alexandria Hospital, Alexandria, VA, in May of this year.
Dr. Comerota has major contributed to the development of some of the newest treatments for vascular disease and has been the principal investigator of seven major national trials and a co-investigator of numerous others. His research interests span a broad range of arterial and venous disorders, including the management of acute DVT, therapeutic angiogenesis, noninvasive diagnosis of vascular disease, development of new devices, new drug development, and the effects of platelet-inhibiting drugs. He has received over $5 million in research funding, including support from NIH, the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association.
Dr. Comerota is a member of 20 professional societies and has served as president of four major societies. He sits on the editorial board of VASCULAR AND ENDOVASCULAR SURGERY and ANNALS OF VASCULAR SURGERY, is a reviewer for 17 other journals, including THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE. Dr. Comerota has written or edited 7 textbooks and authored more than 450 publications.
Dr. Comerota is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honorary Society, Honorary Fellow of the Royal Australasian College.
Alun H. Davies, MA,DM, DSc, FRCS,FEBVS, FACPh
Institution Imperial College - London, England - United Kingdom
Professor Alun H Davies MA,DM,DSc,FRCS, FHEA,FEBVS, FACPh. He is Professor of Vascular Surgery at Imperial College London and a Consultant Surgeon whose NHS practice is based at Charing Cross and St Mary’s Hospital, London. Professor Davies trained in Cambridge, Oxford, Plymouth, Boston (USA) and Bristol, prior to taking up a Consultant appointment in Charing Cross in 1994. Professor Davies is regarded as a world expert in the management of venous disorder. He is the Editor in Chief of Phlebology ( the only worldwide English language journal dealing with venous disease), past President of the European Venous Forum & The Venous Forum at The Royal Society of Medicine . He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Venous Forum, the American College of Phlebology, Vascular Surgical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, European Society of Vascular Surgery. He has been a Hunterian Professor at the RCS, England and is an Emeritius Fellow of the Australasian College of Phlebology. He was the Chairman of the Varicose Vein Guideline Group for the NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) and a member of the Quality Standards Group and Member of NHS Policy Panel.. He is a director of the European College of Phlebology and has co-chaired the ESVS guidelines group on the management of varicose veins. He has also written extensively on many aspects of venous disease, writing over 450 peer reviewed manuscripts and runs a large research group.
Kush R. Desai, MD
Northwestern University - Chicago, Illinois
Kush R Desai, MD is an Interventional Radiologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology at Northwestern University. His primary research and clinical interests are in venous thromboembolic disease, including IVC filter management/complex IVC filter retrieval, deep venous thrombolysis, reconstruction of chronic venous occlusions, and interventional pulmonary
embolism management. He has additional clinical and research interest in hepatobiliary disease, including liver directed therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma, management of portal hypertension, and biliary disease.
Ellen D. Dillavou, MD, FACS
Duke University Medical Center - Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Ellen D. Dillavou, MD, FACS, is an associate professor of surgery in the division of vascular surgery at the Duke Univeristy Medical Center. She is also chief of vascular surgery at the Duke Regional Hospital in Durham, NC. Ellen completed her medical degreee at the University of Arizona, Tucson, surgical residency at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and vascular surgery fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She was at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for ten years prior to joining the Duke faculty in 2015. Her research interests include perforator closure for venous ulceration, streamlining of care pathways, infection reduction and dialysis access.
Steve Elias
Director, Center for Vein Disease, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center - Englewood, New Jersey
Steve Elias MD FACS is Director, Center for Vein Disease at Englewood Hospital Health Network NJ. He is the Founder of the American Venous Forum Fellows Course in Vein Disease which educates graduating physicians about the management of vein disease. His clinical interests include all aspects of minimally invasive vein care, both procedure development and teaching. Venous education of new and current practitioners has been the cornerstone of his commitment to modern vein care and its impact on patient outcomes. Dr. Elias has lectured, written and taught about vein disease both nationally and internationally. He is also the Founder and Course Director of the annual Expert Venous Management Summit. He is the Medical Director of VEIN Magazine and the Medical Editor of the American Venous Forum’s Newsletter, Vein Specialist. He has been Principle Investigator/Investigator in multiple clinical trials and performed the first in man ClariVein procedure. Societal memberships include: American Venous Forum Distiguished Fellow, Society for Vascular Surgery, International Society of Vascular Surgery, American Venous and Lymphaic Society, and the American College of Surgeons. He is a Fellow of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He has been the Director of Mount Sinai Vein Center and the Columbia University Vascular Vein Programs. Dr. Elias is a fellowship trained vascular surgeon, board certified in venous and lymphatic medicine and general surgery.
Ignacio Escotto Sanchez, MD
Centro Medico Nacional - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico - Mexcio City, Distrito Federal - Mexico
Medical Degree 1991-1995 National Autonomous University of Mexico UNAM
General Surgeon UNAM
Vascular Surgeon 1999-2002 National Medical Center of Mexico (CMN 20 nov )Issste. UNAM
Master in Medical Science 1999-2001. UNAM
Endovascular Surgery Minifelow Program 2001 Arizona Heart Institute, Phoenix Arizona.
Vascular and Endovascular Minifelow 2002 Vall'd Hebron General Hospital, Barcelona Cataluña.
Chief of the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Service in Medica Sur Clinic In Mexico City. 2017-
Staff Physician and Director of the Endovascular Surgery Program at Vascular Surgery Department CMN 20nov
Assistant Profesor of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery Program 2004-2018 UNAM
Committee Director of the Certification Exam for the Specialty of Vascular Surgery 2008-2011.
Academic Program Director of the National Congress of the SMACVE 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014.
Founder of the Training Center in Endovascular Therapy "CETE" at the CMN 20 nov
International Relations Committee Director of the SMACVE 2011-2012
General Secretary of the SMACVE 2013-2014.
General Secretary of the Endovascular Surgeons of LatinAmerica Society “ CELA “ 2010-2013.
VicePresident of "CELA” 2015-2017
President of the SMACVE annual meeting 2013 and 2014
President of CELA 2017-2019
Attendant of Vascular Clinic at Medica Sur Hospital. Mexico City. 2008-2016
AFFILIATION TO: ISES, ISVS, AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHLEBOLOGY,SVS US, SMACVE.
Carl Fastabend, MD
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Carl Fastabend, MD, is a board certified cardiologist practicing in Lake Charles, La, since 1979 and is a partner of Imperial Health Medical Group. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with his Doctor of Medicine and completed a 3 year residency in Internal Medicine and a two year fellowship in Cardiology at VCU. He became board certified in Interventional Cardiology in 1999, when the certifying examination was first offered. After a long successful career in Cardiology, he became interested in vein disease in 2011, and initiated his vein center. The Vein Center of Southwest Louisiana is the only full-time, comprehensive vein practice in the state of Louisiana, and includes vast experience in deep venous intervention, as well as superficial venous disease and sclerotherapy. He has achieved RPVI designation and is certified by the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine. He was a major participant in the VIDIO Trial, and also the VIRTUS Trial, and is a proctor and speaker for Medtronic, Inc, and Volcano/Philips, Inc. Since 2014 he has restricted his practice to venous disease only, having relegated all Cardiology patients to his partners.
Paul Gagne, MD
New York University School of Medicine - Darien, Connecticut
Paul Gagne, MD, RVT, FACS is a vascular surgeon with Southern CT Vascular Center. He is the division head of vascular surgery at Norwalk Hospital. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery at NYU School of Medicine.
Dr Gagne practices general vascular surgery but has a special academic interest and practice emphasis in deep vein disease. He was the primary investigator for the VIDIO trial, the ISOL-8 study and is a site investigator for several other multicenter deep vein trials. He is a frequent presenter on the treatment of central pelvic vein outflow obstruction, and the use of IVUS in guiding the diagnosis and treatment of this problem.
Antonios Gasparis, MD
SUNY Stony Brook - Melville, New York
Education: Obtained an undergraduate degree at New York University in 1992 with a B.A. in Classical Civilization of Greece and Rome. Competed Medical School at SUNY HSC at Syracuse in 1996 and stayed at SUNY Syracuse for residency in General Surgery which I completed in 2000. I subsequently did a Vascular Surgery fellowship for 2 years at SUNY Stony Brook from 2001-2003 followed by an Endovascular fellowship in 2003 at Texas Tech.
Professional Career: Following my training I stayed on staff as an Attending Vascular Surgeon from 2003-present at Stony Brook University Medical Center. I developed the Stony Brook Vein Center in 2003 which is a leading venous center providing complete venous care. My interests and research is in deep venous disease including diagnosis and treatment of deep venous thrombosis, chronic venous obstruction and pelvic congestion syndrome. I have published over 30 papers, presented over 20 abstracts and given over 50 lectures both nationally and internationally.
Sergio Gianesini, MD PhD FACS
University of Ferrara - Ferrara - Italy
Sergio Gianesini, MD PhD FACS
Adj Prof. University of Ferrara - ITALY
venous-lymphatics World International Network foundation president
international Union of Phlebology vicepresident
ACP board of directors member
Kathleen Gibson, MD
Bellevue, Washington
Dr. Kathleen D. Gibson is a board-certified vascular surgeon who is currently a partner in Lake Washington Vascular Surgeons in Bellevue Washington. She graduated with highest honors at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington and, ranked first in her medical school class. She performed her residency in General Surgery, her Fellowship in Vascular Surgery, and her undergraduate education in Chemical Engineering at University of Washington as well. She completed an Endovascular Fellowship at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Dr. Gibson currently serves on the board of the ABVLM and the American College of Phlebology; the Membership Committee and Bylaws Committee of the American Venous Forum. She is a selected reviewer for the Journal of Vascular Surgery, the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Phlebology magazine; a member of the VESAP Writing Committee for the Society for Vascular Surgery; and has previously served on the Membership Committee of the Western Vascular Society. Dr. Gibson is a former Chief of Surgery as well as a former Board of Directors member at the Overlake Hospital Medical Center (Bellevue, WA).
Dr. Gibson has authored or co-authored multiple articles for journals such as Journal of Vascular Surgery, Phlebology and Journal for Vascular Ultrasound as well as several book chapters. She has presented at more than 30 scientific conferences in the United States, Europe, Australia, and South America, and has been the principal investigator for more than twenty five clinical trials.
Arjun Jayaraj, MBBS, FACS
Jackson, Mississippi
Dr. Arjun Jayaraj obtained his medical degree from Calicut Medical College, Kerala, India. He went on to train in general surgery at the University of Washington, Seattle and in vascular surgery at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester. He is currently board certified in general surgery and vascular surgery.
Dr. Jayaraj has a keen interest in clinical research and has a dual master’s degree in public health. He has made close to 40 national/international presentations in addition to coauthoring 40 medical journal articles, book chapters and editorials. He has also served as an invited reviewer for multiple journals including the Journal of Vascular Surgery group publications. He is now in private practice at the RANE Center in Jackson, MS, specializing in venous and lymphatic diseases.
George J. Koullias, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery - Department of Vascular & Endovascular surgery - StonyBrook University Hospital
Stony Brook, New York
Nicos Labropoulos, PhD, DIC, RVT
Director, Vascular Laboratory - Stony Brook UNiversity Medical Center - Stony Brook, New York
Qualifications:
B.Sc. (Medicine) University of London
Ph.D. Imperial College London (Cardiovascular Medicine)
Diploma of Imperial College London (Cardiovascular Medicine)
Vascular Fellowship, St. Mary’s Hospital Imperial College London
R.V.T. (Registered Vascular Technologist) USA
Awards:
21 times the best scientific presentation in American, European and World meetings
Traveling Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine
Presidential citation award from Sociaty of Vascular Surgery
>2.5 million USD in grant money
Brajesh Lal, MD
University of Maryland, Baltimore - Baltimore, Maryland
Brajesh K Lal, MD, Professor of Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Director of the Center for Vascular Diagnostics at the University of Maryland Medical Center, and Chief of Vascular Surgery at the Baltimore VA Medical Center.
A world-renowned clinician-scientist in the field of cerebrovascular disease and stroke, Dr. Lal launched the new field of cognitive-mobility function in carotid stenosis through ground-breaking research and pioneering leadership in this field. He has fundamentally changed our understanding of the range of morbidity associated with carotid atherosclerosis, beyond stroke. His work over a decade has made sustained and transformational changes to our understanding of cerebrovascular disease. His current research is an integral part of the stroke-prevention drive of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, and is focused on how the structure and biomechanics of atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery affects brain function, and impacts plaque disruption, stroke, cognitive function and mobility function; and how these adverse outcomes respond to interventions such as pharmacotherapy, rehabilitation and surgical revascularization.
As co-Principal Investigator of the largest randomized trial in stroke-prevention funded by the NINDS-NIH, Dr Lal will be instrumental in determining the optimal treatment approach for over 10 million individuals in the United States with carotid atherosclerosis, and many more world-wide. As Principal Investigator of the National Carotid Stenting Registry, with its administrative center at the School of Medicine, he is working with the NIH and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, to establish national physician credentialing, clinical performance and reimbursement standards for carotid artery stenting. As Director of the Center for Vascular Diagnostics, he manages one of the largest clinical vascular laboratories in the country with over 15,000 tests performed every year.
Luis R. Leon, Jr., MD, RVT, FACS
University of Arizona - Tucson, Arizona
Dr. Luis Leon is a Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon at Pima Vascular in Tucson. He obtained his Medical degree in 1996 from the Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University in Lima, Peru. He received surgical training at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and San Joaquin General Hospital in California from 1997 to 2003. Dr. Leon also completed a Vascular Fellowship at Loyola University in Chicago in 2005 and has been a Registered Vascular Technologist since 2004. Dr. Leon served as the Chief of Vascular Surgery at the Tucson VA Hospital from 2005 until 2008. He is currently an active member of the Vascular Section at Tucson Medical Center in Tucson. Despite his relatively young career, Dr. Leon has authored over 100 publications and over 10 book chapters. He is a member of the Editorial Board of The Journal of Vascular Surgery and of several professional societies. His academic productivity has earned him numerous awards, including the Charles C Guthrie Award in 2004 and the very prestigious E.J. Wylie Traveling Fellowship Award in 2007. His productivity also earned him an Associate Professor of Surgery degree at the University of Arizona, tenure-eligible, since April 2008. During his free time, he practices ultra-running and he is an avid supporter of health and wellness in the community.
What he loves best about practicing medicine is researching and participating in developing new medical interventional techniques and finding new approaches to treating my patients safely and effectively.
Robert Lookstein, MD, MHCDL, FSIR, FAHA FSVM
MD - Mount Sinai Hospital - Icahn School of Medicine - New York, New York
Robert A Lookstein, MD MHCDL FSIR FAHA FSVM is Professor of Radiology and Surgery at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS). After medical school (State University of NY (SUNY) Health Science Center, Brooklyn) in 1995, he completed his radiology residency and fellowship in Vascular and Interventional Radiology at ISMMS in New York and joined Division as Faculty in 2002.
Dr. Lookstein lectures worldwide on Vascular and Interventional Radiology subjects including: peripheral arterial imaging and intervention; endovascular interventions; aortic stent-grafts; and deep vein thrombosis. His clinical practice focuses on diagnosis and treatment of peripheral vascular disease.
Dr. Lookstein serves as Executive Vice Chairman in The Department of Diagnostic, Molecular, and Interventional Radiology for the Mount Sinai Health System.
Dr. Lookstein is involved in research studies related to peripheral vascular disease including: VENITI VICI venous stent trial; SAVAL evaluating drug coated stents in lower leg arteries; PRESERVE registry evaluating safety and efficacy of Inferior Vena Cava filters; and NHLBI funded BEST-CLI evaluating the role of endovascular revascularization for critical limb ischemia.
Dr. Lookstein has authored hundreds of scientific abstracts and manuscripts related to cardiovascular imaging and intervention and served as Assistant Editor for the American Journal of Roentgenology.
He is a faculty member of national and international meetings including: International Society of Endovascular Therapy; Advanced Interventional Management; Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting; Radiologic Society of North America; American Heart Association Scientific Sessions; and Vascular Interventional Advances (VIVA).
He is Course Program Director of national education courses including: Lower Extremity Arterial Revascularization (LEARN); TransRadial EndovAscular Therapy (TREAT); Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT); and LINC Mount Sinai.
Dr. Lookstein serves on Mount Sinai Health System committees related to patient safety and quality, novel procedure oversight, cardiovascular disease intervention value analysis, and performance improvement.
Fedor Lurie, MD, PhD
University of Michigan - Toledo, Ohio
Dr Lurie is the Associate Director of the Jobst Vascular Institute, and Adjunct Research Professor at the Section of Vascular Surgery, University of Michigan. Trained as a vascular surgeon, Dr Lurie started his career as an academic vascular surgeon at Urals medical Academy (Russia). Since 1994 he continued pursuing his research interests in venous and lymphatic diseases at the University of California Davis, and from 2000 at the University of Hawaii and Straub Foundation. In 2005 he joined Dr. Kistner at the first venous clinic in the state of Hawaii, which combined clinical practice, research in venous, lymphatic disorders and wound care. He has served as the principal investigator on several multicenter randomized clinical trials, as well as on clinical studies on chronic venous disease.
Dr. Lurie’s clinical research included studies of venous reconstructive surgery, endovenous ablations, natural history of venous disease, management of patients with acute DVT, and studies of compression therapy. His basic science research included vascular physiology and pathophysiology, venous valve function, and hemodynamic response to interventions.
Dr Lurie has been active for many years in professional societies. He serves as the Director of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine, and he is Past President of the American Venous Forum and the American Venous Forum Foundation.
William Marston, MD
University of North Carolina School of Medicine - Cary, North Carolina
Dr. William Marston currently is the George Johnson Jr Distinguished Professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He completed a general surgery residency and fellowship in vascular surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Clinically he is the medical director of the UNC Limb Salvage/Wound Healing Center. Dr. Marston’s research efforts focus on the diagnosis and treatment of chronic venous diseases, and the treatment of critical limb ischemia to maximize limb salvage.
Mark Meissner, MD
University of Washington - Seattle, Washington
Mark Meissner, MD University of Washington
Dr. Meissner attended medical school at the University of Colorado and completed general surgery residency as well as fellowships in vascular surgery and interventional radiology at the University of Washington. He also completed a research fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. D. Eugene Strandness. Dr. Meissner is currently the Peter Gloviczki Professor of Venous & Lymphatic Disorders at the University of Washington School of Medicine and chief of vascular surgery at the University of Washington Medical Center. He is the past president of the American Venous Forum, treasurer of the American College of Phlebology and a vice-president of the International Union of Phlebology. Clinical interests include acute and chronic venous disease, pelvic venous disorders, and venous reconstruction. Research interests include the natural history of acute deep venous thrombosis and evidence-based venous disease.
Nick Morrison, MD, FACS, FACPh, RPhS
President International Union of Phlebology - Tempe, Arizona
Dr. Nick Morrison is the President of the International Union of Phlebology and Past President of the American College of Phlebology, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine. In 1996, following 23 years of a General Surgery practice, he and his wife, Terri, co-founded the Morrison Vein Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona. This practice was sold in 2017 and Dr. Morrison is currently employed by the Center for Vein Restoration. Since 1996 he has concentrated his practice on the care and treatment of venous and lymphatic disorders. He is the author of numerous book chapters and scientific journal articles relating to venous disorders. Beginning in 1989, and annually since, Dr. Morrison and Terri have directed a medical volunteer organization, Amigos de Salud, and led the group to Central or South America delivering medical and surgical treatment to indigent populations.
Peter Mortimer, MD FRCP
St George's University of London - Tooting, England - United Kingdom
Professor Peter Mortimer trained in Dermatology in Sheffield and Oxford. He was appointed ‘Physician to the Skin Department’ at St George’s and consultant skin physician to the Royal Marsden Hospital in 1986, and has been Professor of Dermatological Medicine to the University of London since 2000.
He has developed the emerging area of Lymphovascular Medicine, which is devoted to the clinical consequences of lymphatic dysfunction.
Current research is focused mainly on the genetic basis of primary lymphoedema.
He has over 260 publications cited on PubMed and has been awarded grants from The Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, and Cancer Research UK.
He sits on the medical advisory committee for the main international organisation, the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (USA). He is founder of, and Chief Medical Officer to, the Lymphoedema Support Network, the UK patients' national charity. He is founder and Patron of the national body for health care professionals, the British Lymphology Society.
Alfred Obermayer, MD
Karl Landsteiner Institute for Functional Phlebosurgery - Melk - Austria
Medical Education and Scientific Activities
Born 1960 in Austria
Medical studies between 1981 – 1987 University Vienna
MD since 1990, Surgeon since 1995, Trauma Surgeon since 2001
First surgical treatment of reflux AND ulcer («all in one») 1992
Head of the Institute for Functional Phlebologic Surgery of the Karl Landsteiner Society since 2005
Memberships in diverse societies, especially active member
of “OUT-AG” (operative ulcer treatment) organizing surgical workshops for ulcer treatment together with Achim Hermanns
Initiator of:
«Sourcing»: to detect origin of venous hypertension causing ulcers by Duplex
«mixed ulcers – veins first»: abolishment of venous reflux in case of venous ulcer despite PAD
«active bedrest»: forced reduction of leg edema and swelling performing exercises in lying position
Book-author:
Weightlessness in people - "sack-theory"
Experience with:
Compression, surgery, UGFS, endovenous thermal ablation, extracorporal High Intensity Focused Ultrasoud (HIFU) venous ablation
Peter J. Pappas, MD
Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Dr. Pappas is a Vascular Surgeon and the former Chairman of the Department of Surgery at The Brooklyn Hospital Center. He is currently the Regional Medical Director and Phlebology Program Director at the Center for Vein Restoration. He has practices in Morristown and Union New Jersey. He is a past president of the American Venous Forum, the American Venous Forum Foundation and the Vascular Society of New Jersey.
Marc A. Passman, MD
University of Alabama at Birmingham - Birmingham, Alabama
Dr. Passman is currently on faculty at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in the Division of Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Therapy Department of Surgery as a Professor of Surgery. He is an American Board of Surgery diplomate in vascular surgery and practices the full spectrum of arterial and venous surgery. He is also the Director of the UAB Vein Program which provides inpatient and outpatient care to patients with a range of venous problems. Dr. Passman earned his AB degree in biochemistry and government, graduating magna cum laude from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. In 1991, he received his M.D. degree from the University of Vermont’s School of Medicine in Burlington and then completed an internship and residency in general surgery at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland (1991-1997). He completed a fellowship in vascular surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1999). He was previously on faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as an Assistant Professor of Surgery, before joining the UAB faculty in 2006. He has authored numerous journal articles and book chapters and is on the editorial board for the Journal of Vascular Surgery, and Annals of Vascular Surgery. He is also involved in several national medical societies, holding leadership positions in the Peripheral Vascular Society, and the American Venous Forum, and the Society for Vascular Surgery. He is past president of the American Venous Forum.
Parag Patel, MD MS
Froedtert Hospital - Medical College of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Parag J. Patel, MD MS is an Interventional Radiologist and practices at Froedtert Memorial Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is Associate Professor of Radiology & Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Program Director of the Vascular & Interventional Radiology Fellowship and Interventional Radiology Residency.
Paul Pittaluga, MD
University of Nice - Monte Carlo - Monaco
Paul PITTALUGA, MD, Riviera Veine Institut Monaco
Private Instution positions
Riviera Veine Institut (Co-Founder / Surgical Director) 2004-present
Riviera Veine Academy (Co-Founder / Course Director) 2011-present
RVInnovation (Co-founder / Vice-President) 2012-present
Medical/Scientific Organization Memberships
Collège Français de Chirurgie Vasculaire (Member -Elected Board Member - Vice-President )
Société de Chirurgie Vasculaire de Langue Française (Permanent Member - Elected Board Member - Member of the Executive Committee)
Société Française de Phlébologie (Permanent Member)
American College of Phlebology (Member)
American Venous Forum (Elected Member - Former Chair of the Awards and Grants Committee - Member of International Relation Committee)
European Society of Phlebectomy (Member and Former Secretary of the Society)
Associacion Colombiana de Angiologia y Cirurgia Vascular (Honorary Member)
Colegio Argentino de Cirugia Venosa y Linfaticà (Honorary Member)
Belarus Society of Phlebology (Honorary Member)
Scientific publications
61 original contributions
39 chapters of book
483 oral presentations at major scientific meetings
Joseph D. Raffetto, MD
Harvard Medical School - West Roxbury, Massachusetts
Academic Appointment Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Clinical Institution: VA Boston HCS Medical Center, Chief of Vascular Surgery
Professional Societies: 13
Professional Activities:
American Venous Forum VQI AVF-SVS PSO, Venous Guidelines Writing Group Member, VESAP Writer, AVF CEAP "P" Writing Group, AVF NIH Compression Grant Executive Committee, Program Committee Member ACP and SVS, AVF Board of Directors Archivist
Editorial Board: Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous Lymphatic Disorders, Veins and Lymphatics, Phlebology, Vascular Investigation and Therapy
Reserach Interest:
Basic sciences in the mechanisms of venous dilation, endothelium and smooth muscle functions, and drug mechanisms in venous tone and stretch
Journal Reviewer: 48
Publications: 83
Book Chapters: 17
Presentations: 368
Mahmood Razavi, MD
Director, Center for Clinical Trials - St Joseph Heart & Vascular Institute - Orange, California
Dr. Razavi is currently the Medical Director of the Comprehensive Aortic Cneter as well as the Department of Clinical Trials and Research at St Joseph Heart and Vascular Center in Orange, California. Prior to this, he was an Associate Professor at the Stanford University Medical Center and the Director of the fellowship program at the Vascular & Interventional Radiology Section. He had also served as the Acting Chief of Interventiojnal Radiology at the Stanford University Hospital.
To date, he has authored or co-authored over 300 scientific publications, abstracts, and book chapters & has given over 400 invited lectures. His work has been featured in over 100 national & international radio, television, and press news articles and programs and has been the recepeint of many honors and awards.
Dr. Razavi has served as the Editor and on the Editorial Boards of several clinical journals. He is the founder or co-founder of 4 medical start-up companies and has served on the Board of Directors and the Scientific and Strategic Advisory Boards of many device and biotechnology companies.
Stanley G. Rockson, MD
Stanford University - Stanford, California
Dr. Stanley G. Rockson is the Allan and Tina Neill Professor of Lymphatic Research and Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. After earning his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, Dr Rockson completed his internship and residency training in internal medicine at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital of Harvard Medical School, in Boston, Massachusetts, and fellowship training in the cardiac unit of Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American College of Angiology, and American College of Physicians, as well as a member of the International Society of Lymphology, American Society of Internal Medicine, the Society of Vascular Medicine, and the Paul Dudley White Society, among others. As a principal investigator or co-investigator, he has been involved in numerous clinical trials researching various aspects of lymphatic disease, vascular biology and cardiovascular medicine. His basic research involves the investigation of mechanisms of lymphangiogenesis and the identifications of biomarkers for lymphatic disease. As a Professor of Medicine, Dr. Rockson serves concurrently as the Stanford’s Chief of Consultative Cardiology and the Director of the Stanford Center for Lymphatic and Venous Disorders. Dr Rockson is Editor-in-Chief of Lymphatic Research and Biology and sits on the editorial board of Angiology and Acta Angiologica. He has been a frequent invited lecturer at national and international meetings, congresses, and societies both here and abroad. He is the Founding Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Lymphatic Research Foundation and has served as Chair of the inaugural Gordon Research Conference entitled ‘Molecular Mechanisms in Lymphatic Function and Disease’. Dr. Rockson has authored more than 175 scientific papers, reviews, book chapters and books devoted to various aspects of lymphatic biology and disease, vascular biology, and cardiovascular medicine.
Thom Rooke, MD, FACC, FSVM
Krehbiel Professor of Vascular Medicine - Mayo Clinic - Mayo Clinic College of Medicine - Rochester, Minnesota
Dr. Thom Rooke obtained a BS in Physiology at the University of Michigan and an MD at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. After completing Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Medicine residencies at Mayo Clinic, he joined the Vascular Medicine section at Mayo. He is the Krehbiel Professor of Vascular Medicine, and he founded the Mayo Clinic Wound Care Center.
Dr. Rooke serves on a number of national boards, committees, and societies. He is Past-President of the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL) and the Society for Vascular Medicine.
Dr. Rooke's interests include medical writing and the art of the medical lecture.
Melvin Rosenblatt, MD
New Rochelle, New York
Melvin Rosenblatt, MD is Founder and Medical Director of Connecticut Image Guided Surgery, P.C., The Vein Treatment Institute, and Connecticut Access Care in Fairfield, CT. He did his fellowship training in Interventional Radiology at Johns Hopkins University. He was Associate Professor and Director of Vascular and Interventional Radiology at Yale University School of Medicine, as well as Director of Vascular and Interventional Radiology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Rosenblatt is board certified in Diagnostic Radiology and has his Certificate of Added Qualifications in Interventional Radiology. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Phlebology. Presently, Dr. Rosenblatt is Past President of the American College of Phlebology.
Nick Sikalas, MD, RPVI, FACS
Stony Brook University - Setauket, New York
Nicholas Sikalas is an assistant professor of surgery at Stony Brook Univerity . He is board certified in General & Vascular Surgery. Dr. Sikalas completed his general surgery residency training from Drexel University then finished his vascular fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital. His clinical interest are in all aspects of vascular surgery, using both conventional surgery and endovascular techniques.
Igor Rafael Sincos, Igor Sincos
University of São Paulo - São Paulo, Sao Paulo - Brazil
Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon
Executive Diretor of São Paulo Endovascular Clinic and ScIENCE Congress
EMBA Katz Pittsburgh
PhD in Vascular Surgery, University of São Paulo
Akhilesh K. Sista, MD
New York University School of Medicine - New York, New York
Dr. Sista is an Associate Professor and the Section Chief of the NYU Langone Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology. He completed his residency in Radiology at UCSF in 2009 and his fellowship in IR at Stanford in 2011. He served as an Assistant Professor in the IR Division of Weill Cornell Medical College from 2011-2016, and joined NYU in March of 2016.
Dr. Sista specializes in the endovascular treatment of venous thromboembolic disease (VTE). He has given >80 invited talks at international meetings on the topic and served on national committees. He has authored or co-authored >50 peer-reviewed publications, including clinical practice standards in the medical and radiologic literature. He is on the Editorial Board of Vascular Medicine and Seminars in Interventional Radiology. As the national PI of the EXTRACT-PE pulmonary embolism trial and the prior site Principal Investigator for the ATTRACT trial, the PERFECT registry and Principal Investigator of the RESPECT pulmonary embolism registry, he is involved in national and local research looking into improving outcomes for patients with VTE. His research is also translational, as he received grant funding from the Radiological Society of North America to investigate the physiologic consequences of submassive pulmonary embolism in a porcine model with an eye towards optimizing the safety and efficacy of catheter-directed therapy for submassive PE patients. He chaired a multi-disciplinary expert consensus panel, sponsored by the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation, tasked with identifying research priorities for submassive pulmonary embolism.
Victor F. Tapson, MD
Professor of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine; Director, Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center
Duke University Medical Center
Cedars Sinai - Medical Center
Los Angeles, California
Victor F Tapson, MD is Professor of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the Division of Pulmonary / Critical Care Medicine, in Los Angeles, after being at Duke University Medical Center for more than 20 years. He is Director, Venous Thromboembolism and PH Research. His research and patient care involve VTE and PH. He is currently President of the U.S. Pulmonary Embolism Response Team Consortium.
Venous Thromboembolism
Dr Tapson’s research in the 1990s involved pharmacomechanical thrombolysis of massive pulmonary embolism. He was Chairman of the ATS Consensus Statement for the Diagnostic Approach to Acute VTE in 1998 and a member of the ACCP Antithrombotic Therapy Statement for 7 years. He served on the International Consensus Statement for Acute VTE in 2006 and the steering committee and executive committee for the NIH-sponsored PIOPED II (spiral CT scan) and PIOPED III (MRI) clinical trials and was U.S. PI for the international EXCLAIM trial. He has been principal or co-principal investigator of four VTE registries, including ENDORSE (68,000 patients), DVT-FREE, NABOR, and IMPROVE. He served on the steering committee for the CATCH HIT registry and the Joint Commission Task Force for VTE. He has written invited reviews and editorials for the New England Journal of Medicine. He was a PI for the prospective, randomized, OPTALYSE PE study, the BiO2 Angel IVCF study, the PE catheter-extraction FLARE trial, and the TAFIa inhibitor trial in submassive PE.
Pulmonary Hypertension
In addition to patient care, Dr Tapson has been involved with a number of major multicenter randomized clinical trials for PH therapy. He was a member of the ACCF/AHA PH consensus task force, and the World PH Symposium Task Force starting in 2003, including the recent Nice, France meeting in 2018. He sees acute DVT/PE and PH inpatients most days and outpatients three days per week.
Apostolos K. Tassiopoulos, Chief, Division of Vascular Surgery
Stony Brook Medicine - Stony Brook, New York
I am a Professor of Surgery at Stony Brook Medicine. I am the Chief of the Vascular Surgery Division and Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery for Quality and Clinical Outcomes. My clinical expertise is in the management of aortic pathology and in the entire spectrum of venous disease. I have been involved in two NIH trials, CLEVER (Institution PI) and ATTRACT (Institution co-PI) and I have been the institutional primary investigator in a number of industry-sponsored clinical research projects (Celaderm, Restore-IT, PRODIGY, DEVO). I have trained and involved medical students, residents and fellows in the research projects our Division runs with great success. Many of these projects have resulted in presentations in national and international conferences and in a number of publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Harold J. Welch, MD
Tufts University School of Medicine - Burlington, Massachusetts
Dr. Harold Welch is a senior vascular surgeon at the Lahey Clinic, and an Associate Professor of Surgery at Tufts University School of Medicine. He received his MD degree from Albany Medical College in 1983, on a Navy Scholarship. He interned at the US Naval Hospital in Oakland, CA, and did his surgical residency at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston. He served two years as a general surgeon at Naval Hospitals in Keflavik, Iceland, and Groton, CT, before his vascular fellowship at Tufts-New England Medical Center, finishing in 1992. After two years as Head of Vascular Surgery at Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, VA, he returned to Tufts-NEMC for 3 years, before joining the staff at the Lahey Clinic outside Boston. He was awarded the American Venous Forum Traveling Fellowship in Venous Disease in 2000. He has served on several committees of the American Venous Forum, including the By-Laws, Membership, Program, Health Policy, and Vein Forum Committees, and is currently serving as the Secretary. He has over 50 publications and presentations in the field of venous disease. Dr. Welch is currently the General Surgery Residency Program Director at Lahey Clinic.