I studied medicine at the University of Leicester before subsequently training in Urology in the East Midlands region. During my Speciality training I completed a Master’s Degree assessing the radiosensitising effect of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in bladder cancer. I then headed to Toronto for two years to undertake further specialist training in urological oncology obtaining membership of the American Society of Urologic Oncology. I was appointed as a Consultant Urologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge in 2011 with a specialist interest in the treatment of bladder cancer. This includes the use of a number of non-surgical approaches (e.g. intravesical immunotherapies) as well as both minimally invasive (robotic) and open radical surgery to remove the bladder, with a full range of reconstructive urinary diversion techniques, including neobladder formation. I am the current Clinical Director for Cancer at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge.

Ranan Dasgupta graduated from Cambridge University (MBBChir), with a higher degree (MD, Neuro-Urology) at UCL, and FRCS(Urol) before appointment as Consultant Urological Surgeon at Imperial College London. With interests in BPH, stone disease, and urothelial cancer, he has published over 60 papers and several book chapters, with an active research profile, and currently serves as chair of the Research Council of the Societe Internationale d'Urologie. He is also an examiner for medical students at Imperial College, and FRCS (Urol) at the JCIE. Appointed as a Trustee of the King Charles III Charitable Fund, he looks forward to delivering sustainable change.

Dimitrios Karampinos studied engineering at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece from 1998 to 2003. He subsequently moved to the United States for his graduate training in biomedical engineering and biomedical imaging. In 2008, he obtained his PhD with a focus on biomedical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Between 2009 and 2012, he was a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging in University of California, San Francisco. He joined the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany in 2012 as a Junior Group Leader and he received his Habilitation in Medical Physics and the Venia legendi from TUM in 2016. Between 2019 and 2025, he was the Assistant Professor for Experimental Magnetic Resonance Imaging at the TUM School of Medicine. In March 2025, he joined the Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne in Switzerland as an Associate Professor of Electrical and Micro Engineering and Physics at the School of Engineering (STI) and the School of Basic Sciences (SB).

His research focuses on the development of new methods for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). His research over the past 20 years has focused on (a) the development of novel, efficient and robust MRI acquisition, reconstruction and signal modeling methods, (b) the development and translation of quantitative MRI biomarkers in patient research studies to understand disease pathophysiology and to improve diagnostics (c) the deployment of the developed methods in clinical routine radiological examinations, with an emphasis on tissues of the musculoskeletal system, tissues involved in body metabolism and body organs affected by oncological diseases. He has co-authored more than 220 journal publications and more than 300 conference papers and he is co-inventor in 4 patents. He has received numerous awards from the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine including a Junior Fellowship. He currently serves in the editorial boards of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and of Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine and he is recipient of a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant and an ERC Proof-of-Concept Grant.

Vladimir Kojovic, MD, PhD is a Serbian consultant urologist and pediatric surgeon, and he is also an assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, full-time surgeon at Institute for Mother and Child Health Care of Serbia, and founder of Andromedic Academy of reconstructive urology.

Dr. Kojovic was trained in a renowned Belgrade school for genital surgery, which was founded and conducted by Professor Sava Perovic, one of the pioneers in the field of gender confirming surgery.

Kojovic's areas of expertise include reconstructive urology, gender confirming surgery and congenital anomalies of genitalia. Dr. Kojovic is the author and co-author of numerous papers and book chapters in the field of genital reconstructive surgery. Dr. Kojovic is an active member of various professional associations such as World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), European Association of Urology (EAU), European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM), Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons (GURS), etc.

Dr. Kasra Saeb-Parsy is a highly accomplished Consultant Urologist at Cambridge University Hospital, UK, with a specialised focus on stone disease, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostate cancer diagnostics. Known for his clinical excellence and leadership, he currently serves as the Clinical Lead for the department and Stone Lead, overseeing innovative approaches to urological conditions.

He holds the prestigious Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) of Edinburgh and is also an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. In recognition of his contributions to medical education, he is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, where he actively engages in teaching and mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Beyond his roles in the national health service (NHS), he serves as the Urology National Medical Advisor for Nuffield Health in the UK. He has an interest in innovation and is the Chief Medical Officer for 2 companies involved in the development of novel point of care test for diagnosis of urinary infections and malignancies. His influence extends to regional training and development, where he is a member of the Urology Specialist Training Committee for the East of England.

He plays a significant role in shaping urological education, acting as the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) Foundation Year and Core Training Educational Lead. He is also an examiner for the FRCS Urology examination conducted by the Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations. His expertise is sought after globally, as he sits on the Medical Advisory Boards of international companies.

He has presented his work as well as being faculty at leading international conferences across Europe, Asia, and the USA. His contributions to the field include multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals and chapters in renowned medical textbooks. His commitment to advancing urology through research, education, and clinical innovation has earned him widespread recognition.

Kasra continues to play a key role in urology, combining clinical practice with academic pursuits, and remains dedicated to improving patient care on both national and international levels.

Training
Primary Medical Training at Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg Hospital, South Africa (completed 1988)
Specialist Urology Training at University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg Hospital, South Africa (completed 1995)
Teachers from whom I learnt many tips and tricks: MLS de Kock, Chris F. Heyns, Gustav Witters (all Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town), Rudolf Hohenfellner, Margit Fisch (Mainz), Don Skinner, John Stein(Los Angeles), Hassan Abol-Enein, (Mainz and Mansoura), Helmut Madersbacher, Georg Bartsch (both Innsbruck), Marcus Riccabona (Linz) including many more

Fields of Interest
Reconstructive Urology, Prosthetics, Trauma, Pelvic Surgery, Incontinence, Neurourology, Female Urology, Paediatric Urology

Extensive experience in
Reconstructive Urology, Transplant Urology, Neurourology, Incontinence Surgery

Consultant Posts held at the Universities of Stellenbosch (South Africa), Leicester (United Kingdom), and Innsbruck (Austria)

Summary
Being born in South Africa I completed my basic medical training at Tygerberg hospital at Stellenbosch University. After housemanship in the departments of ophthalmology, orthopaedics, internal medicine, paediatrics and anaesthesiology in Windhoek, Namibia, I continued my specialist training at the departments of surgery, orthopaedics and urology at the Tygerberg hospital in the Western Cape near Cape Town. Since 1986 when I performed my first operation- a caesarian section-, I gathered extensive experience in operative urology including transplant urology, paediatric urology, prosthetic surgery, endourology, trauma urology and reconstructive urology. After more than 17,000 surgical procedures in 35 different countries around the globe, I am very privileged to have been closely involved in the lives of many patients.

Teachers and professors that significantly influenced my medical career as a surgeon include Don F. Du Toit, Gustav Witters- Vansteenkiste, Martinus L.S. de Kock, Chris F. Heyns, Abrie Schmidt, Rudolf Hohenfellner, Margit Fisch, Mohamed Ghoneim, Hassan Abol- Enein, Marcus Riccabona, Alberto Peña, Klaus Jeschke, Helmut Madersbacher, Georg Bartsch, Ferdinand Frauscher, Don Skinner, John Stein, Jens Rassweiler, George Webster, Gerald Jordan, Ed McGuire to name just a few.

My specialist urologist career started in 1996 and took me to positions at the universities of Stellenbosch (South Africa), Leicester (United Kingdom) and Innsbruck (Austria). In Innsbruck, I completed my habilitation: “The Transobturator Retroluminal Repositioning Sling in the Treatment of Male Postsurgical Urinary Incontinence: The Augmentation of Residual Urinary Sphincter Function by Distal Urethral Sphincter Support”.

After being 25 years at the university hospital in Innsbruck, my full time practice today includes reconstructive urology including neurourology, female and paediatric urology, urethral, incontinence, prosthetic and management of post-surgery complications. Medicine and surgery has changed dramatically during my lifetime, remembering the first heart transplant by Christiaan Barnard in Cape Town in 1967 when I was five years old. One of the big challenges today has crystallized to be the training of the surgeons of tomorrow. Enthusiasm, humility and my love of life motivates me to make a positive difference. The trainee should be better than the trainer, to manage the challenges of the future.

It is an honour to be an invited speaker, and I really hope to contribute to the academic programme. Nothing would make me happier to be able pass some enthusiasm and inspiration to the next generation.