Alan Askari
President
Mr Alan Askari MB ChB MSc PhD FRCS
Consultant Bariatric, Upper GI, and General Surgeon
Alan Askari is a Consultant Surgeon specialising in Bariatric, Upper Gastrointestinal, and General Surgery, based in the United Kingdom. He is widely recognised for his commitment to surgical excellence, research, and medical education.
Alan holds an MSc from the University of Oxford and a PhD from Imperial College London, alongside completing his higher surgical training in the East of England. He has authored over 160 peer reviewed publications and presented more than 200 abstracts at national and international conferences.
A passionate educator and mentor, Alan has delivered over 50 educational webinars and co-founded Scrubbing In, an innovative platform supporting surgical trainees.
His work reflects a deep dedication to advancing surgical knowledge, training the next generation of surgeons, and driving innovation in the field.
Mohamed Abulazayem
Vice president
Mohamed is a senior Upper GI surgical trainee based in London and currently a Clinical Research Fellow at Imperial College London, where he is undertaking a PhD. With over a decade of experience in general surgery, Mohamed has developed a strong clinical and academic profile. He has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed publications, with active research interests in Upper GI cancer surgery and early diagnosis.
Mohamed played a major role in establishing The Upper Gastrointestinal Surgical Society (TUGSS), where he has held multiple leadership positions and currently serves as Vice President and Trustee. In this role, he is committed to helping TUGSS reach its full potential as a leading international Upper GI society, and to exploring all opportunities the society can provide to support the global Upper GI surgical community.
Ramon Villalonga
Secretary
Dr. Ramon Vilallonga is a leading General Surgeon specializing in endocrine, metabolic, and bariatric surgery, and currently heads the Endocrine, Bariatric, and Metabolic Unit at Vall Hebron Hospital.
Accredited in robotic surgery since 2007, he is a pioneer in minimally invasive techniques for thyroid, adrenal, and obesity surgery, particularly in adolescents and complex cases. He holds a PhD with an Extraordinary Prize from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and completed advanced training in France, the USA, and Belgium.
Dr. Vilallonga has performed over 1,300 bariatric procedures and is recognized as an expert by the Spanish Society of Obesity Surgery (SECO), where he serves on the Scientific Committee.
A Professor of Surgery and accomplished researcher, he has authored over 130 international publications, four books, and directs multiple doctoral theses. He is an active member of six scientific societies, including ASMBS and IFSO, and serves as a reviewer for top journals such as Surgical endoscopy,SOARD, Annals of Surgery or Obesity Surgery among others.
Vikas Jain
Director of Education
Dr Vikas Jain is a Consultant Surgical Oncologist with special interest in Robotic surgeries presently working in India. He has given his surgical services for more than a year in Africa as well He had been full time faculty for Surgical Oncology residents & in various general surgery resident teaching programme.
He is section editor in JORS (Journal of Robotic Surgery), editorial board member of various journals including Journal of Minimal access surgery (JMAS) & reviewer for World journal of surgical oncology & others. He has presented many papers in national & international conferences including UAE & Hongkong, Congo, NHS UK, Indonesia & Singapore.
Apart from TUGSS, He is Secretary of TROGSS (The Robotic Global Surgical Society) and chairman of its fellowship committee.
Presently he has been elected as director of education committee for TUGSS for continuing his online academic program and to promote intercontinental exchange programs for budding surgeons and to establish an academic value to society.
Arda Isik
Director of Research
Professor of general surgery at Istanbul Medeniyet University, School of Medicine . He obtained his medical degree from Hacettepe University.
After completing his residency, he worked at Helsinki University and UPMC where he was granted FEBS, FACS, FTBS and FSIS.
He is also a board member of SIS-E and WSES. Currently holding the role of scientific secretary of the 12th World Society of Emergency Surgery Congress.
His interest is upon upper GI and emergency surgery.
Bhavneet Bhalla
Director of Conferences
Prof. Dr. Bhavneet Singh Bhalla is an accomplished laparoscopic, bariatric, robotic surgeon, and GI endoscopist with over 24 years of clinical and academic experience. As Academic Director at World Laparoscopy Hospital and Chief Coordinator of TUGSS Endoscopy, he has led numerous high-impact training programs, workshops, international webinars and conferences. A seasoned faculty member and conference convener, he has served as invited speaker at leading national and global surgical platforms. He was also the Organizing Co-Chairman of the 8th World Congress of the World Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons. Dr. Bhalla holds advisory roles and editorial positions, and has contributed significantly to surgical education and research. With extensive leadership in organizing workshops and conferences, he brings strategic foresight and operational expertise to the TUGSS Director of Conferences role.
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Vision Statement :
“To transform TUGSS conferences into globally recognized platforms for innovation,
collaboration, and excellence in upper GI surgery, by fostering international partnerships, integrating emerging technologies, and amplifying academic and surgical training opportunities worldwide.”
Himanshu Whadhawan
Director of Strategy
Mr Wadhawan FRCS Glasg(Gen. Surg.) graduated from the University of Mumbai in 2000. He underwent basic surgical training in South Yorkshire and higher surgical training in the West of Scotland. He was awarded MPhil form the University of Sheffield for his research on Pelvic Floor Disorders. He did post CCT fellowship in oesophagogastric (cancer) surgery from Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.
Mr Wadhawan was appointed as a Consultant in Upper GI and General Surgery at Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert in 2020. He is a Foundation Programme Director, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Glasgow, Hospital Sub-Dean, University of Edinburgh and Examiner for Intercollegiate MRCS.
Mr Wadhawan has a special interest in diseases of the oesophagus, stomach and gallbladder. He is an active member of the West of Scotland cancer network. His other interest is minimally invasive surgery and regularly attends national and international meetings to keep up to date and provide best evidenced based service to his patients.
He also served as West of Scotland representative for ASGBI (Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland) and is Director of Strategy and Trustee for TUGSS (The Upper Gastrointestinal Surgical Society.
He is a principal investigator in a number of research projects and has published several articles in major surgical journals and presented at various national and international meetings.
Jie Ying Tee
Website and Social Engagement Lead
She is a Core Surgical Trainee based in the Yorkshire and Humber Deanery with a strong interest in General Surgery. She has been involved in several national studies, namely the Paediatric Appendicitis Pathway and Audit Yield Assessment (PAPAYA) study and the Evaluation of Hernia Treatment and Outcomes in Pregnancy (ETHOS) study.
In addition to her academic and clinical work, she serves as the Website and Social Engagement Lead for TUGSS , where she is responsible for managing online presence, promoting engagement, and facilitating effective communication within the community.
Prof. Vishwanath YKS
Trustees’ Representative
Prof. Viswanath YKS is a senior Consultant Upper GI Surgeon at James Cook University Hospital and Visiting Chair at Teesside University, with over 25 years of experience in advanced laparoscopic, robotic, and endoscopic surgery. A founding member and current Trustee of TUGSS, he has been instrumental in its growth and academic direction from inception, helping establish it as a key platform for surgical education and collaboration both nationally and internationally. He continues to support its strategic development via the newly formed executive council. Prof. Viswanath also leads pioneering work in anti-reflux and complex hiatal surgery, performing the highest number of Endo-RF procedures in Europe, and runs advanced programmes like POEM and Z-POEM. As President of BBUGSS UK, he is spearheading national initiatives such as CholeSafe1. A highly active educator, researcher, and speaker, he has delivered over 220 presentations, published widely, and continues to supervise postgraduate research in areas including upper GI cancer, reflux therapies, and AI in surgery.