Chair Dr. Elise De specializes in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, Urogynecology, Neurourology within the Department of Urology at Albany Medical Center, Albany New York. She is a devoted member of the International Continence Society, prior member and Chair of the Education Committee and past member of the Ethics Committee, served on the Publications Committee of IUGA, and has served within the AUA and SUFU over the years. Her residency was in Urology at Boston University and fellowship in Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery under Lenaine Westney, John Hairston, and Gazala Siddiqui at UT Houston, TIRR, and MD Anderson. Along with Dr. Philippe Zimmern, she co-edited the book Native Tissue Repair in Incontinence and Prolapse, a surgical atlas with over 20 chapters and videos comprising the full repertoire of native tissue vaginal reconstruction. Her clinical practice is composed of incontinence, prolapse, neurogenic bladder, pain and voiding dysfunction in men and women. She has spoken at meetings throughout the societies nationally and internationally. Her current research includes systems of care in pelvic floor disorders, complex pelvic pain and voiding dysfunction. Most recently she co-edited the book Facing Pelvic Pain, a book with 45 authors in 18 multidisciplinary specialties giving people with pelvic pain (and their providers) the tools to diagnose and treat pelvic pain of all causes. Learn more at www.facingpelvicpain.org

Jalesh N. Panicker is a neurologist specialising in Uro-Neurology, and is Professor of Neurology and Uro-Neurology at University College London (UCL) and Clinical Lead of the Department of Uro-Neurology at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, under University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

He developed a clinical and academic interest in Uro-Neurology after recognising the limited opportunities that neurological patients have for the assessment and treatment of their neurogenic urinary, sexual and bowel problems. His clinical interest spans voiding dysfunction in young women, characterisation of pelvic somatic and visceral dysfunction in neuroinflammatory, neurodegenerative and neurogenetic disorders, and developing non-invasive therapeutic options for managing neurogenic urinary incontinence. He has been involved in setting up multidisciplinary care pathways between Urology, Neurology and Gastroenterology that also involve Pelvic floor physiotherapy and Psychology. Despite the challenges of being a full-time clinician on the NHS, Dr Panicker has established a robust research programme with external funding, exploring multimodal techniques to evaluate the lower spinal cord and its role in the control of pelvic functions. He leads on a multi-site collaborative project establishing novel non-invasive neurophysiology techniques for evaluating the pelvic sensory and motor innervation, and his team has been phenotyping pelvic visceral and somatic dysfunction in patients presenting with unexplained urogenital symptoms. Dr Panicker has been involved in developing an MRI sequence imaging the lumbosacral spinal cord to understand spinal correlates to urogenital dysfunction and applications in neurological disorders. He has been involved in, and led, numerous projects evaluating innovative treatments for managing LUTS in neurological disorders including transcutaneous and percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation, melatonin for treating nocturia in Parkinson's disease, transperineal botulinum toxin injections for treating voiding dysfunction in women and D-Mannose for preventing urinary tract infections in patients with Multiple sclerosis. He has published over 200 articles and book chapters, has been editor of two textbooks. He has been a panellist for a number of committees involved in validating LUTS questionnaires, establishing best Uro-Neurology practice and developing national and international guidelines for managing neurogenic urogenital dysfunction. He has been involved with setting up a Uro-Neurology platform in his native India.

Dr Panicker is involved in teaching and training that includes academic supervision of PhD and MSc students and direct Uro-Neurology training of fellows across Neurology, Urology, Gynaecology and Physical medicine and Rehabilitation in the UK and abroad. He is a module convenor for the MSc Clinical Neuroscience program at UCL which includes Uro-Neurology in its curriculum. He has taken on a mentoring role for neurologists interested in taking on a career in Uro-Neurology and Pelvic neurology. Dr Panicker’s prominent international reputation has led to invitations to several invited lectures. He has served on the Neurourology Promotion Committee of the International Continence Society and has been involved with all the International Consultations on Incontinence since 2012. He serves on the editorial board of several continence related journals.

Dr Charles Argoff - Albany Medical College, specializes in pain management and chronic headaches, predominately treating patients with chronic and neuropathic pain. He has expertise in several types of pain treatments, including interventional pain management and botulinium toxins.

Dr. Argoff is part of a team of specialists who offer a comprehensive approach to care, while constantly exploring new and innovative ways to diagnose and treat chronic pain. Dr. Argoff’s goal is to offer patients a better quality of life through proper diagnosis and effective treatment: “I pride myself on being compassionate and down to earth toward my patients, while teasing out the complexities of their pain problems,” he explains. Internationally renowned for his work, Dr. Argoff is a member of the International Association for the Study of Pain, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, and the American Academy of Neurology, among other professional organizations. He also serves on the editorial board of the Clinical Journal of Pain.

Philip Bearn is an expert in diagnosing and treating colorectal cancer, haemorrhoidal and fistula problems, inflammatory bowel disease, abdominal wall and groin hernias and pelvic floor issues (faecal incontinence, constipation, and obstructive defecation syndrome).

Mr Bearn uses diagnostics including colonoscopy for colorectal cancer and treatment of benign and malignant disease using minimal invasive (laparoscopic) techniques. His general surgery interests include the investigation of abdominal pain and the management of abdominal wall hernias (including groin, umbilical and incisional), groin pain and benign skin lesions.

Mr Bearn is St. Peter’s senior surgeon, being appointed in 1999, as an NHS Consultant in General Surgery and Coloproctology at Ashford & St. Peter's Hospitals (ASPH) NHS Foundation Trust. Being an undergraduate at Cambridge University and Guy’s Hospital, London University, Mr Bearn completed his post-graduate training at Guys Hospital, University College Hospital, Middlesex Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital, and the Post Graduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital. He also holds a Master’s degree in Surgery from the London University. Initially, from 1995 to 1999, Mr Bearn was a consultant at the Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust Sutton Coldfield and later joined ASPH. Since 2013, Mr Philip Bearn has been working as an Honorary senior lecturer in biomedical sciences at The Royal Holloway College, the University of London where he is known for teaching gastro-intestinal modules to final year graduates.

Mr Bearn is now the Clinical Chair at The Princess Margaret Hospital and a Joint Colorectal Cancer Lead for the Surgery and Sussex Cancer Alliance establishing the management of colorectal cancer and guidelines in the region. He is also a Technical Editor for Colorectal Disease. He delivers lectures on the Definitive Surgical Trauma Course to the students of the Royal College of Surgeons, England.