Editorial introductions

Abstract

Current Opinion in Gastroenterology was launched in 1985. It is one of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The field of gastroenterology is divided into 12 sections that are reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce one of the Section Editors for this issue. SECTION EDITORS Anthony KallooAnthony KallooDr Anthony Kalloo is a Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, USA. He is the Director of The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He has special interests in natural orifice surgery, therapeutic endoscopy, biliary and pancreatic diseases and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. After receiving his medical degree from the University of West Indies Medical School, West Indies, Dr Kalloo interned and completed his residency in internal medicine at Howard University Hospital in Washington, DC, USA. He completed his fellowship training program at the combined Georgetown University, USA, VA Medical Center, USA and NIH program. He was an instructor in medicine at Georgetown University prior to joining the faculty at Johns Hopkins in 1988. He was an associate editor of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. He is the Founder and Immediate Past Medical Director of The Hopkins Gastroenterology and Hepatology Resource Center (www.hopkins-gi.org), a 3000 page multilingual web resource for patients and physicians. He has authored over 150 scientific papers, review articles and book chapters. He has pioneered and has multiple patents including the use of Botulinum Toxin in the gastrointestinal tract, endoscopic cryotherapy and the winged biliary/pancreatic stent. He is the pioneer of Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES), a technique that will enable abdominal surgery without the use of incisions. Dr Kalloo is a Past Panel Chair for Gastroenterology and Urology Devices with the United States Food and Drug Administration. He is the recipient of the 2009 Distinguished Educator of the Year of the Award from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Rodger LiddleRodger LiddleDr Rodger Liddle is Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center. Dr Liddle received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University and performed his internship and residency in medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He was a fellow in gastroenterology at UCSF where he also performed his postdoctoral research training. Dr Liddle has served on the faculties of UCSF and Duke University. At Duke, Dr Liddle has held numerous leadership positions, including Chief of the Gastroenterology Division. Dr Liddle is an internationally recognized investigator in the physiology of the gastrointestinal tract. Dr Liddle's research focuses on neurohormonal regulation of the pancreas and experimental models of pancreatitis.