Category: Fellowship

Dr. Rodrigo Oliva Perez, MD PhD, has graduated from the University of São Paulo School of Medicine (1993-1998) where he has completed his surgical training under the supervision of Prof. Angelita Habr-Gama (1999-2003). In 2002 he was a Visiting Research Fellow at USC under supervision of Dr. Robert Beart. He obtained his PhD in 2006 in studying potential molecular targets for gene therapy in rectal cancer. After joining the Angelita & Joaquim Gama Institute in 2004, Dr. Perez has concentrated his clinical and research activity on the management of rectal cancer. From 2010 to 2014, Dr. Perez was a Post-Doctoral fellow at the University of São Paulo in the use of molecular imaging (PET/CT) for rectal cancer. In 2014 and 2018, Dr. Perez was awarded the Young Research Fund (FAPESP) to study molecular mechanisms associated with resistance/sensitivity of rectal cancers to chemoradiation. In 2020, he became director of Colorectal Surgery Division at Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz and runs multiple surgical educational activities funded by medical industry. Currently, he serves at the editorial board of multiple scientific surgical and oncology journals and has contributed with numerous (>170) publications to the field.

Part 1: Management of Complex Abdominal Crohn’s Disease

Part 2: Surgical Management of Ulcerative Colitis and Re-operative Pouch Surgery

Dr. Feza Remzi, a world-renowned colorectal surgeon, who dedicated his career to the advancement of Inflammatory Bowel Disease treatment, education, and research, is forever grateful to have had the privilege to serve countless patients and their families. 

The proud husband to esteemed Dermatologist, Dr. Berna Remzi, and father of Merit Remzi, Dr. Remzi emigrated from Turkey, to the United States, in 1989. He settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where he completed his surgical residency, and colorectal fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. He went on to join that faculty and served in numerous academic and clinical positions within the department of surgery before being named Chair of the Colorectal Surgery Department in 2008. 

In 2016, after 26 years at the Cleveland Clinic, NYU Langone Health recruited Dr. Remzi to serve at the Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center and professor of surgery at NYU School of Medicine. 

An expert in the surgical treatment and management of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, Dr. Remzi is one of the few colorectal surgeons in the world who specializes in caring for those experiencing problems with prior pelvic pouch, or J-pouch, procedures. At NYU Langone, he performs pelvic pouch surgery and complex abdominopelvic re-operative surgery, as well as sphincter-saving surgery for rectal cancer, applying minimally invasive techniques to manage colorectal conditions.

Dr. Remzi’s treatment philosophy is to treat every patient the way he would treats his own family. He takes a team approach to care, bringing together specialist from medicine, surgery, and nursing who devote 100 percent of their efforts to giving patients a better chance at life. Many of the people Dr. Remzi treats are experiencing complex problems that impact not only their own quality of life, but also that of their families. Therefore, he includes patients’ family members as part of the treatment team.

As an international thought leader, Dr. Remzi has made numerous contributions to the field of colorectal surgery.  A prolific researcher, Dr. Remzi has published hundreds of articles, manuscripts, and book chapters on on the surgical management of IBD, ileal J-pouch surgery, and re-operative abdominopelvic surgery and serves as a reviewer for numerous surgical journals. As an educator, he has trained hundreds of residents, fellows and junior surgeons to ensure future generations of surgeons can provide the highest level of care to patients. 

For more than 10 years, the Castle Connolly Top Doctors listed Dr. Remzi as one of the Top American Doctors. Dr. Remzi is an honored member of the American Surgical Association and is one of only a handful of surgeons in the world who is a member of the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. With his many accomplishments, Dr. Remzi’s greatest pride, aside from his son and wife, is seeing his patients living happy, healthy, and full lives.