Lisa Sanders is the inspiration behind the acclaimed TV show House M.D., which creatively depicts the challenges of medical diagnosis. Her New York Times column, Diagnosis, explores real-life medical mysteries and captivated the show’s producers, leading them to develop the character of Dr. Gregory House, a brilliant but unconventional diagnostician. As a consultant on the series, Dr. Lisa Sanders ensured that the medical content remained accurate and compelling. 

Although we tend to think that Dr. Sanders has always practiced medicine, she actually began her professional life as a journalist. Hearing and reporting numerous medical stories, her curiosity towards this field grew so much that she made the decision to enroll in Columbia University’s Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program. Dr. Sanders was then accepted to Yale School of Medicine and went on to complete her residency and chief residency at Yale’s Internal Primary Care (YPC) Residency Program. She left the residency program to develop and run Yale’s Long Covid Multidisciplinary Care Center.

Lisa Sanders combined her passions, writing and medicine, in her popular Diagnosis column for the New York Times. Working with the magazine and producer Scott Rudin, Dr. Sanders helped create the documentary series, Diagnosis, streamed on Netflix. In each episode, she tries to decipher the mysterious diseases of patients with very unusual symptoms. 

An incredible writer, an accomplished physician, a role model for many young people who think about becoming a medical doctor, Lisa Sanders is also one of the speakers at this year’s congress, which makes us immensely proud. You will have the chance to go through the painstaking process behind an accurate diagnosis, piecing together symptoms, signs and test results. 

We are sure that you are as eager as we are to meet her, so join us this December!

The nervous system has always been a mystery even to the greatest specialists in the field. However, one has managed to discover some of them, due to hard work and dedication to neuroscience. 

Prof. Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD, FACS, FAANS serves as Professor of Neurosurgery at Rush University Medical Center. He is also routinely listed in “Best Doctors of America”, being in the top 100 scientists of the United States and top 1000 intellectuals of 2014.

Professor Fessler is known for his contributions to microendoscopic surgical developments. He has been instrumental in developing many minimally invasive surgical techniques, including ‘minimally invasive decompression of lumbar stenosis’, ‘minimally invasive microendoscopic posterior cervical discectomy’, ‘minimally invasive decompression of cervical stenosis’ and many more. 

Moreover, Professor Fessler is also well known for his pioneering research into human embryonic spinal cord transplantation for the treatment of spinal cord injury. He was co-principal investigator on the first human transplant study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of human embryonic spinal cord transplantation for the treatment of syringomyelia.

At this year’s edition of the IMSCB, we have the honor of having such a brilliant personality as our guest at one of our keynotes. Dr. Fessler will be more than delighted to share his life experience with you and answer all your questions related to his path in the neurosurgical field.

Genetic disorders are a tough challenge. From the patients’ families and loved ones to the medical team that takes care of them, everyone involved strives to offer those suffering from a genetic disorder a life as close to normal as possible. There are people who devote a good part of their lives to research with the sole purpose of finding an alternative for those who suffer. They are the “heroes in white coats”, who spend their time in the lab, studying, analyzing, trying, failing, and trying again, so that in the end they can offer the solution to a problem that seemed to be unsolvable.

One of them is Professor Guillaume Canaud, MD, PhD, head of the Translational Medicine and Targeted Therapy Unit at Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris. Alongside his team of researchers, he identified and reported a very promising therapeutic for patients with PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Syndrome (PROS), a group of genetic disorders that lead to overgrowth in different parts of the body.

Canaud and his group pushed the clinical development of alpelisi(a drug used in breast cancer) for patients with PROS. Three clinical trials were launched in 2019 and led to the US FDA accelerated approval, on April 6th 2022, of this drug for patients with PROS aged at least 2 years old. 

By discovering the first and currently only treatment for patients with CLOVES syndrome or related disorders, Prof. Canaud is considered a man who revolutionized medicine, being a true pioneer in his field. For his outstanding contribution, he has been awarded the Prix Galien 2022, an award given annually to medical innovators.

Throughout his career, Prof. Guillaume Canaud has received numerous awards, including the 2019 Prize Eloi Collery of the French Academy of Medicine, the 2021 Gagna A. & Ch. Van Heck Prize for Incurable Diseases and the 2022 Robert Shobinger Award from the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies.

Our keynote gives you the opportunity to meet Prof. Guillaume Canaud and learn more about the long process behind this miracle which is currently saving many people’s lives.

Elena Martin, MD, PhD, is a distinguished plastic surgeon whose extensive experience and work have positioned her at the forefront of the field. As a fellow of the European Board of Plastic Surgery and an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Elena Martin has earned a reputation for her excellence and leadership in the specialty.

With a particular focus on minimally invasive techniques, Dr. Martin is well-known for her approaches to breast augmentation, facial and body aesthetics, and intricate hand surgery. Her expertise lies in creating natural, aesthetically pleasing results while minimizing downtime for her patients. She is dedicated to advancing the field by integrating the latest technological innovations and surgical methods, which have set new standards for safety, efficiency, and patient satisfaction.

In her keynote, Dr. Elena Martin will discuss the most recent developments in aesthetic surgery, with a special emphasis on technologies that are transforming the industry. These advancements not only enhance the precision of procedures but also significantly reduce recovery times, making surgical interventions more accessible and appealing to a broader range of patients. Attendees can expect to gain in-depth knowledge of the evolving techniques in non-surgical facial aesthetics, an area that has seen rapid growth due to increasing demand for minimally invasive alternatives to traditional surgery.

Dr. Elena Martin will also explore advanced reconstructive microsurgery, showcasing how the latest techniques are revolutionizing the field of reconstructive surgery by allowing surgeons to perform more complex procedures with greater accuracy and improved outcomes. From aesthetic refinements to life-changing reconstructive procedures, her keynote will provide a thorough overview of how technology and innovation are shaping the next era of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Assoc. Prof. Pablo Lozano Lominchar, MD, PhD, is a renowned surgical oncologist and specialist in gastrointestinal and peritoneal surface malignancies at Gregorio Maranon General University Hospital and Associate Professor at Complutense University of Madrid. At this year’s congress, he is going to deliver a keynote lecture on the intricate fields of peritoneal carcinomatosis, sarcoma management and advancements in surgical training. With extensive experience in both clinical practice and research, Dr. Lozano Lominchar has earned recognition for his contributions to the treatment of advanced abdominal cancers and his innovative approaches to complex surgical cases.

During this keynote, Dr. Lozano Lominchar will address the challenges and progress in treating peritoneal carcinomatosis, a condition associated with late-stage cancers that significantly impact patient prognosis. Alongside him you will get the chance to explore the latest evidence and techniques and see how multidisciplinary teams can improve survival outcomes. Through case studies and recent clinical trial data, he will highlight the evolving role of surgery in managing this challenging disease.

The lecture will also cover sarcoma management, including the benefits and limitations of current treatment modalities and recent advancements in personalized medicine.

To conclude, Dr. Lominchar will discuss new developments in surgical education, aiming to inspire future surgeons to embrace evolving methods that enhance patient care and surgical skills.

Prof. Dan Rujescu, MD, PhD, is a highly experienced psychiatrist and researcher with more than three decades of work in mental health. His career has been marked by significant contributions to understanding psychiatric disorders, particularly in the areas of schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression. Dr. Rujescu’s research has explored how genetic variations affect patient responses to psychiatric medications, pushing the boundaries of personalized psychiatry.

In his keynote lecture, Dr. Rujescu will focus on the growing need for tailored treatment strategies in psychiatry. He will discuss the challenges that come with the traditional, one-size-fits-all approach, particularly in disorders like depression and Alzheimer’s, where patients often respond differently to the same medications.

A key point of Dr. Rujescu’s work involves the use of blood concentration measurements and genetic testing to optimize treatment plans. He argues that understanding how a patient metabolizes a drug is crucial in determining the right dosage and ensuring the effectiveness of the treatment. His research also explores how genetic markers can predict which patients are most likely to respond to certain therapies, paving the way for more precise and effective psychiatric care.

Dr. Rujescu’s lecture will also touch on the importance of early diagnosis and intervention, particularly in Alzheimer’s disease, which can begin to affect the brain years before symptoms appear. With ongoing advancements in diagnostic tests, such as blood-based markers for Alzheimer’s, the hope is that earlier detection will allow for treatments that address the root causes of these diseases before they progress too far.