About the speakers

Gabor Liposits is a medical oncologist with a clinical and research focus on gastrointestinal cancers, particularly colorectal cancer, with a strong interest in patient-centred treatment strategies and personalised decision-making.

Markus Glatzer is a radiation oncologist specialising in modern radiotherapy and multidisciplinary management of cancer patients, with a particular focus on integrating radiotherapy into complex treatment pathways. Together, they bring the medical- and radiation-oncology perspectives to the question of when effective non-surgical treatment and careful response assessment may allow selected rectal cancer patients to preserve their organ.

About Joep Knol

Joep Knol is an abdominal surgeon at ZOL Hospital in Genk, Belgium, with a clinical focus on colorectal and rectal surgery and a professorship at Hasselt University. His research and surgical work have particularly focused on total mesorectal excision (TME), transanal TME (taTME), surgical anatomy and the safe implementation of advanced colorectal techniques. As co-founder of the iLappSurgery Foundation and an experienced international faculty member, he is also strongly involved in surgical education and the digital teaching of operative techniques.

About Boudewijn Toorenvliet

Boudewijn Toorenvliet is a colorectal and proctological surgeon based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. An active researcher, he is the co-author of national studies and guidelines on pilonidal sinus disease and has particular expertise in minimally invasive treatment and the Bascom cleft-lift procedure. He has also contributed to numerous other surgical publications on topics such as colon and rectal surgery, appendicitis and anastomoses. Through his clinical, research and teaching work, he promotes evidence-based, patient-centred care that minimises wound-healing time, recurrence rates and the burden of postoperative wound care.

About Jose Lopez

José Lopez is a general surgeon based in Austin, Texas, with a clinical focus on minimally invasive colorectal surgery and the surgical management of pilonidal disease. He is a co-host of the Pilonidal Podcast, in which he engages in discourse on contemporary approaches to diagnosis, surgical treatment, recovery and wound care. He employs his practical expertise to inform perioperative management of pilonidal disease, with a focus on wound healing and postoperative care.

About Susanne Haas

Susanne Haas is a Danish colorectal surgeon and associate professor. Her research focuses mainly on pilonidal sinus disease. She is the PI of the ESCP led international PILO-ACT snap shot audit on pilonidal absces. She is also a co-author of the ESCP guidelines for the management of pilonidal disease and holds a chair in the board of the International Pilonidal Society.

About Peter Wysocki

Peter Wysocki is a general surgeon in Brisbane (Australia) and the founder and president of the International Pilonidal Society, where he has become a leading advocate for improving the understanding and treatment of pilonidal disease. Through his clinical practice, research, educational initiatives, and international collaborations, he has worked to advance evidence-based care and connect patients and surgeons worldwide. He has authored or co-authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications, with his most influential work focusing on pilonidal sinus disease, minimally invasive surgery, and surgical management.