10/1/23: Dr. Amy Lightner on New Treatments for Anal Fistulas + Getting into Industry

Amy Lightner is a Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Scripps Clinic in San Diego,CA and Chief Medical Officer of Direct Biologics, LLC a biotechnology company in Regenerative Medicine and Chief Medical Officer of Boomerang Medical in Fogarty Innovations.

Dr. Lightner received her B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University, completed her surgical training in General Surgery at University of California at Los Angeles and post-doctoral work at Stanford University in stem cell biology. After completing her colorectal fellowship at Mayo Clinic, she became Associate Professor and was the Medical Director for the Center for Regenerative Medicine. She was later recruited to Cleveland Clinic to focus on complex inflammatory bowel disease, continue her work in translational science and clinical trials, and found the Center for Regenerative Medicine and Surgery.

She is the PI of six active phase II clinical trials using mesenchymal stem cells for inflammatory bowel disease, has received extramural funding from the Helmsley Foundation, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, Cure for IBD, Rainin Foundation and American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (ASCRS). She is a member of the editorial board of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Colorectal Disease, British Journal of Surgery, Crohn’s and Colitis 360, and Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, the surgical co-chair for the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization annual surgical meeting, member of the inflammatory bowel disease committee of ASCRS, vice chair of the national clinical practice guidelines committee for ASCRS, and previous program chair of the national ASCRS meeting.

Let’s talk about TAMIS with Dr. Matt Albert

Dr. Albert is a member of the colorectal surgery team at AdventHealth
Medical Group in Orlando, FL, which he founded in July 2004. A Fellow of
the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons and of the American
College of Surgeons, his specialties include Minimally Invasive Surgery
for colorectal cancer, including taTME, inflammatory bowel disease, and
complicated diverticular disease.
Dr. Albert’s wide range of colon and rectal surgical services includes the
revolutionary technique known as TAMIS (transanal minimally invasive
surgery), which he invented in 2009, and created the first FDA approved,
flexible transanal platform with Applied Medical. He also helped develop
and teach taTME for rectal cancer developing an international reputation
through the numerous training courses performed around the world. He
is the founder of the AdventHealth colorectal group as well as the
ACGME-accredited colorectal fellowship which trains 6 surgeons yearly,
including an international position.
Dr. Albert is the Medical Director for Surgical Innovation at the Digestive
Health and Surgical Institute at AdventHealth. In this role, he continues
to direct advanced courses in minimally invasive colorectal surgery at
the Nicholson Center, training surgeons from around the world. He has
the largest experience with TAMIS procedures in the world and has
performed more than 5,000 laparoscopic and robotic colorectal
resections.