Peter Layer, MD, PhD, FACG, AGAF, Professor of Medicine, is Medical Director and Chief of the Department of Medicine at Israeli Hospital, Hamburg Germany. He is the treasurer of the German Society for Gastroenterology (DGVS), having previously served as the president of this society. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association.

He has published more than 380 journal articles, book chapters, text books, national and international guideline recommendations. He also serves on the Editorial Boards of several international journals. Dr. Layer received his professional training in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at Essen University Hospital, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, and at the Mayo Clinic, Gastroenterology Unit, in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. His scientific focus is on the regulation and pathology of the human pancreas and its diseases, as well as its interaction with gastrointestinal motility and its disorders.

Guido NJ Tytgat gained his medical qualification at the University of Louvain in Belgium. He completed his post-graduate training in gastroenterology and a research in Louvain and at the University of Washington in Seattle, USA. In 1971, he became Professor at the University of Amsterdam and Chief of Gastroenterology at the Academic Medical Center. He is now Professor Emeritus in Gastroenterology.

The department he created at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam is a leading training unit in gastroenterology and world-renowned for diagnostic imaging, therapeutic endoscopy, and basic and clinical research in inflammatory bowel disease, Barrett esophagus, neuromotility and hepatic transport mechanisms, gallstone disease, and pancreatic diseases. He created the European postgraduate Gastrosurgical school.

Professor Tytgat is the author or co-author of 1500 research publications and several books, atlases and book chapters. His last book is on Grading and Staging in Gastroenteroloy. He served on the editorial boards of several gastroenterology journals. He was associate editor of Gastroenterology and Editor-in-Chief of Best Practice and Research Clinical Gastroenterology.

Professor Tytgat is Honorary Professor at the Shanghai Jiaotong University, China, at the University of Isai, Romania, and the University of Antwerp, Belgium. He is a member of numerous professional associations, including the American Gastroenterological Association, The Royal Dutch Academy of Science, and the Royal College of Physicians. He was President of the European Association for Gastroenterology and Endoscopy. He was President of the World Gastroenterology Organisation from 2002 – 2005.Currently he is co-chairman of the International Digestive Cancer Alliance. He received the distinguished achievement award of the United European gastroenterology Federation and the Master in gastroenterology award of the World gastroenterology Organisation.