JANUARY 22-23, 2026
OBESITY SUMMIT 2026
foxwoods resort, mashantucket, ct
GUEST SPEAKERS LIST
Attendees and presenters include prominent bariatric surgeons, as well as specialists in obesity medicine, psychology/psychiatry, nutrition, and numerous other specialties that care for patients with obesity. This conference is also geared toward bariatric surgeons, obesity medicine physicians, bariatric coordinators, nurses, advanced practice providers, primary care providers, medical students, and resident physicians. We’ll enjoy two days of groundbreaking and thought-provoking presentations.
Ali Aminian, MD
Helmuth Billy, MD
Dale Bond, PhD
Dana Cantiello, DNP, APRN
Caitlin Caspi, ScD
David Chaletsky, MD
Andrew Duffy, MD
Heather Einstein, MD
Neil Floch, MD
Peter Ford, APRN
Saber Ghiassi, MD
Karen Gibbs, MD
Max Goldstein, MS, RDN, CDN
Edward Hannoush, MD
Melinda Irwin, PhD, MPH
Amy Johnson, MD
Christine Koval, RD
Kristen McCartney, PA
John Morton, MD
Brett Nowlan, MD
Samantha Oldman, RD
Rocco Orlando, MD
Pavlos Papasavas, MD
Richard Peterson, MD
Aurora Pryor, MD
Jennifer Schwartz, MD
Joseph St. Pierre, MD
Anastasia Stergos, RD
Beverly Tchang, MD
Darren Tishler, MD
Devika Umashanker, MD
Andrew Wong, MD
Amelia Yungk, APRN
Moshe Zutler, MD
Dr. Ali Aminian
Helmuth Billy, MD
Dale Bond, PhD
Dana Cantiello, DNP, APRN
Caitlin Caspi, ScD
David Chaletsky, MD
Andrew Duffy, MD
Heather Einstein, MD
Dr. Neil Floch, MD
Peter Ford, APRN
Dr. Saber Ghiassi, MD
Karen Gibbs, MD
Max Goldstein, MS, RDN, CDN
Edward Hannoush, MD
Melinda Irwin, PhD, MPH
Amy Johnson, MD
Christine Koval, RD
Kristen McCartney, PA
John Morton, MD
Brett Nowlan, MD
Samantha Oldman, RD
Rocco Orlando, MD
Pavlos Papasavas, MD
Richard Peterson, MD
Aurora Pryor, MD
Jennifer Schwartz, MD
Joseph St. Pierre, MD
Anastasia Stergos, RD
Beverly Tchang, MD
Darren Tishler, MD
Dr. Devika Umashanker, MD
Andrew Wong, MD
Amelia Yungk, APRN
Moshe Zutler, MD
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
ALI AMINIAN, MD
Ali Aminian, M.D. is Director of Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and a Professor of Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. He is board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and licensed by the State Medical Board of Ohio. His clinical interests include gastrointestinal surgery, advanced laparoscopic surgery, and specifically surgery for severe obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease.
As an academic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus, Dr. Aminian has been involved in clinical and experimental research on the role of minimally invasive gastrointestinal procedures in management of obesity, diabetes, metabolic disease, and fatty liver disease. He has an outstanding record of peer-reviewed publications (>250) in high impact journals including New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Diabetes Care, and Annals of Surgery. His studies have been widely covered by the media such as New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, TIME, CNN, Reuters, Newsweek, and Forbes, indicating their importance from public health perspective. Prior to joining the Clinic in 2012, he served as Assistant Professor of Surgery at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran for 6 years.
SPEAKER BIOS
*Bios are being added as they are received…
Helmouth Billy, MD
Dr. Billy is the leading Lap-Band and laparoscopic gastric bypass surgeon in Ventura and Santa Barbara County. Dr. Billy relocated his practice to Ventura in July of 2002. Prior to that he had established himself as one of the premier laparoscopic surgeons in the Sacramento and Sierra Nevada region of Northern California. Dr. Billy was instrumental in developing the bariatric surgery centers at Sutter General Hospital and Sutter Roseville Medical Centers. He is currently director of Bariatric Surgery at St. John’s Regional Medical Center, a recognized bariatric Center of Excellence by the Surgery Review Committee, Medicare, Blue Cross, Blue Shield and Health Net. St. John’s Regional Medical Center is located in Oxnard California. Dr. Billy also serves as the Medical Director of the Community Memorial Hospital, a Surgical Review Corporation accredited Bariatric Center of Excellence, located in Ventura, California.
Dr. Billy obtained his undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. He subsequently received his medical degree at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine. Dr. Billy received additional training in the techniques of the Lap-Band system prior to its release by the FDA in 2001. He is actively involved as a teaching faculty member for placement of the Lap-Band® system and has educated and proctored dozens of surgeons throughout the west as part of their educational training. Dr. Billy has been a faculty member at numerous national educational events and surgeon training workshops. He has been a featured speaker at the annual meeting of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and was a contributing author on the recently released SAGES Bariatric Surgery Manual published by the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. Dr. Billy also serves as President of the ASMBS California Chapter.
Dale Bond, PhD
Dr. Bond is Director of Research Integration at Hartford HealthCare and Co-Director of the Obesity Research Center within the Hartford HealthCare Digestive Health Institute.
His research involves assessing and intervening on behavioral, biological and psychosocial aspects of obesity and related conditions. Much of his work has centered on the goals of: promoting sustainable changes in physical activity and other movement behaviors among individuals with obesity; and (2) then leveraging those changes to enhance efficacy and durability of different obesity treatments, most notably metabolic bariatric surgery.
He has been awarded grants from National Institutes of Health and other organizations to conduct prospective observational and randomized clinical trials pursuant to these areas. His work on these grants and others has been honored for its rigor and innovation. Dr. Bond serves as Chair of the Research and Innovation Committee for the Integrated Health Section of the International Federation of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), is an associate editor for Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases and Obesity Surgery.
Dana Cantiello, DNP, APRN
Dana M. Cantiello, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CBN is a nurse practitioner and certified bariatric nurse at the Middlesex Health Surgical Alliance’s Center for Surgical Weight Loss.
Dana is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice, as well as her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, from Quinnipiac University. In addition to being a Certified Bariatric Nurse she has earned her Advanced Practice Assessment Based Certificate in Bariatric Surgery/Obesity Medicine from the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
Dana provides specialized care to patients with Obesity. She is experienced not only in providing quality patient care, but in improving how that care is delivered so that each and every patient has the best possible outcome. Dana has campaigned at the state legislature for expansion of insurance coverage for Bariatric surgery and Anti-Obesity Medications. She is also an active member of the Connecticut chapter of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
Prior to earning her doctorate, Dana spent almost 2 decades as a registered nurse working in Emergency Medicine. She first joined the Middlesex Health Emergency Department team in 2014. She has continued to advance her skills and care in the Middlesex Health community since then.
When not at work she enjoys spending time with her two children, traveling, reading, and doing home improvement projects.
Caitlin Caspi, ScD
Caitlin Caspi, ScD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut. At UConn, she also serves as the Director of Food Security Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Heath and Associate Director of the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy.
Dr. Caspi is a social epidemiologist focused on evaluating policies and interventions related to food insecurity, diet quality, and weight outcomes. She completed her graduate work at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Caspi’s food insecurity research is largely focused on U.S. food assistance programs and the charitable food system. She has led several qualitative and quantitative studies aimed at understanding how policies such as minimum wage and COVID-19 economic relief measures affect food insecurity and other health outcomes among households with lower incomes. Her research has been funded by the NIH, RWJF’s Healthy Eating Research Program, and HHS Administration for Community Living, among other funders.
David Chaletsky, MD
Dr. David M. Chaletsky is a gastroenterologist in Hartford, Connecticut and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Hartford Hospital, Day Kimball Hospital, Connecticut GI Endoscopy Center and Glastonbury Endoscopy Center. He received his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. He has expertise in treating colonoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease (ibd), upper GI endoscopy, among other conditions.
Andrew Duffy, MD
Andrew J. Duffy, MD, FACS, FASMBS is a Board Certified General Surgeon and is fellowship-trained in minimal access surgery. He is the Associate Surgical Chief of the Digestive Health Service line and the Medical Director of the Hernia Center for Yale-New Haven Health System. He has additional subspecialty certification through the American Board of Surgery in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. He offers minimally invasive surgery of the abdomen and GI tract, including laparoscopic and robotic techniques.
Dr. Duffy has a long history in surgical education. He has developed simulator programs and utilized other technology to help develop the Yale surgical residents and fellows into top Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgeons
He is currently the interim Program Director for the General Surgery Residency Program at Yale
His clinical goal is to offer the most effective surgery with the least recovery time and post-operative discomfort.
Heather Einstein, MD
Dr. M. Heather Einstein is the Division Director of Gynecologic Oncology for Hartford HealthCare, Secretary of the Medical Executive Committee of Hartford Hospital and an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She is a member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology and the New England Society of Gynecologic Oncologists.
Dr. Einstein specializes in complex cancer surgery and the administration of chemotherapy and immunotherapy for gynecologic cancers.
Neil Floch, MD
Neil Floch, MD, FACS, DABOM, is a Yale School of Medicine Associate Professor in the Division of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery and Director of Bariatric Surgery at Greenwich Hospital. Dr. Floch specializes in bariatric, anti-reflux/GERD, and minimally invasive surgeries including gallbladder and hernia surgery. He has performed thousands of gastric sleeve, gastric bypass surgeries, and also laparoscopic anti-reflux and hiatal hernias procedures. Dr. Floch is board certified in surgery and obesity medicine. He is the top influencer of obesity and bariatric surgery on Twitter/X and respected on social media outlets.
He is highly regarded among his surgical colleagues in the academic surgical community for his dedication to his patients and for taking on complex procedures. Dr. Floch continues to present at both national and international conferences. He is quoted in many nationwide publications and news outlets. He lectures about social media and communications in obesity, medicine, and surgery. He has published books, chapters, and papers on reflux surgery, obesity, bariatric surgery, communications, and the microbiome.
Dr. Floch served as the president of the Connecticut chapter of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons (ASMBS). He and his brother Craig Floch funded the start of the Connecticut ASMBS chapter. He served on the National Board of the ASMBS Foundation. He is passionate about patient advocacy and has worked with the Connecticut legislature to develop and support a bill to increase access for obesity surgery care.
He graduated from Tufts University, Boston University School of Medicine, and finished his residency at Beth Israel Medical Center. He completed his fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery at The Mayo Clinic. He has also received advanced laparoscopic training in the performance of the laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication, laparoscopic hernia and bowel surgery, laparoscopic Paraoesophageal hernia repair and laparoscopic Heller myotomy.
Peter Ford, APRN
Saber Ghiassi, MD
Saber Ghiassi, MD, MPH, FACS, FASMBS is a Board Certified Surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive, robotic, and bariatric surgery. He has extensive experience in treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome, and he serves as the Site Director for Bariatric Surgery at Bridgeport Hospital. He is dedicated to caring for his patients through a holistic approach to health and well-being.
Dr. Ghiassi completed his general surgery training at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, where he served as the administrative chief resident and was awarded the prestigious Alfred H. Aufses, Sr. Award in Surgery. He completed a fellowship in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he conducted research on how bariatric surgery can dramatically reduce lifelong costs for those with diabetes and hypertension.
Dr. Ghiassi specializes in all aspects of minimally invasive surgery including robotic surgery, laparoscopic bariatric surgery (gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, adjustable gastric band, bariatric revision surgery); laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication for treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease; laparoscopic paraesophageal and diaphragmatic hernia repair; laparoscopic Heller myotomy for achalasia; laparoscopic colon surgery for cancer, diverticulosis and diverticulitis; laparoscopic splenectomy; laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstones and gallbladder disease; and laparoscopic repair of incisional and inguinal hernias.
Karen Gibbs, MD
Karen E. Gibbs, MD, FACS, FASMBS, FABQAURP, DABOM is the current Chair of Surgery at Yale New Haven Health – Bridgeport Hospital — a destination site for fully-integrated digestive health care. Appointed to the position in September of 2021, she is the first black female Chair of Surgery in U.S. history. Dr. Gibbs specializes in laparoscopic, bariatric, foregut and endocrine procedures. Her clinical practice and research focuses on advancing the complex and integrated understanding of weight loss for the management and reversal of obesity-related disease and disorders of aging, including diabetes, and sleep apnea.
Prior to Yale, Dr. Gibbs led several initiatives at Northwell Health, where she served as Associate Chair for the Department of Surgery; Chief of General, MIS & Bariatric Surgery; Director of the General Surgery Residency Program and the Advanced GI MIS Fellowship; and Director of Performance Improvement & Quality and Associate Medical Director for Quality at Staten Island University Hospital.
Dr. Gibbs received a bachelor degree from Boston University, attended Tufts University Medical School and completed her postdoctoral training at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is a Board Certified General Surgeon and is fellowship-trained in Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery; she is also Board Certified in Obesity Medicine.
Max Goldstein, MS, RDN, CDN
Max Goldstein MS, RDN practices in the area of North Haven, CT providing care in a personalized environment. Dedicated to providing quality healthcare to patients, Max Goldstein MS, RDN has completed clinical training requirements in the specialty of Internal Medicine.
Edward Hannoush, MD
Dr. Edward Hannoush is a bariatric and complex hernia surgeon at Hartford Hospital, where he has been practicing since 2013. He holds an academic appointment in Surgery at the University of Connecticut and serves as the physician lead for Hartford Healthcare’s Swallowing, Reflux, and Esophageal Disorders Program.
Dr. Hannoush completed his general surgery training at Rutgers University and pursued a fellowship in bariatric and minimally invasive surgery at Yale University. Additionally, he completed a one-year research fellowship focused on basic science and tissue healing after trauma, contributing to numerous presentations and publications in this area. He is an active member of professional societies, including the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, where he contributes to ongoing innovations in his field.
Dr. Hannoush specializes in bariatric and complex hernia surgery. He is deeply committed to surgical education, having received an Excellence in Teaching Award, and continues to mentor surgical residents. He is passionate about research that directly impacts clinical practice, with a focus on surgical outcomes and advances in bariatric, foregut, and complex hernia surgeries.
Melinda Irwin, Phd, MPH
Melinda L. Irwin, PhD, MPH is the Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Epidemiology and Associate Dean of Research at the Yale School of Public Health, Deputy Director of the Yale Cancer Center, and Deputy Director (Public Health) in the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation. Nationally, Dr. Irwin co-leads the SWOG Cancer Research Network Cancer Survivorship Committee. In 2018, Dr. Irwin completed the yearlong Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program. Dr. Irwin’s experience working across departments, schools, and with interdisciplinary groups of investigators has provided her with the skills to train and mentor effectively.
Dr. Irwin is a prominent leader in the field of cancer prevention and survivorship research. Her research over the past 20 years has focused on randomized trials of exercise and weight loss on biological markers, treatment side effects and quality of life in people with diagnosed with cancer. She has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, American Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, American Institute for Cancer Research, Komen for the Cure, and Livestrong Foundation. She is currently leading an NCI-funded clinical trial examining the impact of nutrition and exercise on improving chemotherapy completion rate, endocrine therapy adherence, biomarkers, body composition and quality of life in women beginning chemotherapy for breast cancer, and a also leading a newly funded NCI U01 trial of exercise and nutrition on treatment outcomes in women newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Dr. Irwin is committed to training the next generation of scientists and is currently leading an NCI T32-funded Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program for pre- and post-doctoral fellows and an NCI R25-funded Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC) Training Program for early career investigators. At Yale, Dr. Irwin has advised, mentored and trained over 100 trainees. Her commitment to training the next generation of scientists is evident in the enthusiasm she brings to mentoring. Her vision is to maximize opportunities for early career investigators so they can become leaders in their respective fields and have a maximal impact on the health and well-being of patients and the population.
Amy Johnson, MD
Dr. Amy M. Johnson is a nationally recognized expert in women’s health, with a specialized focus on perimenopause, menopause and menstrual migraine. She has over two decades of clinical and academic experience and currently serves as Associate Medical Director of Women’s Ambulatory Health Services at Hartford Hospital and Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
Her career reflects a deep commitment to advancing women’s health, medical education, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Dr. Johnson developed the Hartford HealthCare Headache and Hormone Clinics, a unique collaborative initiative with the Hartford HealthCare Headache Center, designed to provide targeted care for menstrual migraine and menopause-related headache syndromes. Dr. Johnson is a certified practitioner with the Menopause Society and a frequently invited speaker on menopause care, hormone replacement therapy, and menstrual migraine. She has authored chapters on headache treatment during the reproductive years and serves as Chair of the ACOG PROLOG Advisory Board, contributing to national education standards in gynecology.
Dr. Johnson’s work bridges gynecology, neurology, and mental health, offering a holistic approach to complex conditions often under-addressed in traditional care models.
Christine Koval, RD
Christine has been practicing as a registered dietitian/nutritionist for 17 years.
Her passion for health and fitness and approach to weight control is supportive, motivational, and sustainable through proper balanced nutrition. With these tools and techniques, she creates individualized, evidence-based nutrition plans with a patient-centered approach.
She is a member of The American Diabetes Association, The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, The Commission on Dietetic Registration, and National Academy of Sports Medicine.
Kristen McCartney, PA
Kristen L. McCartney, PA-C, NASM-CPT is a Physician Assistant with Hartford HealthCare Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery since 2022. She graduated from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA with a master’s degree in physician assistant studies in 2010. Prior to working in Bariatrics, she honed her clinical skills in primary care, emergency medicine and urgent care.
Kristen is passionate about guiding patients through the bariatric surgical process. She most enjoys helping patients build sustainable, healthy habits to support their long-term health goals.
In addition to her clinical role, she is a certified personal trainer and is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in Exercise Prescription at the University of Connecticut, with the goal of expanding exercise-driven support for bariatric surgery patients.
Kristen lives in Glastonbury, CT with her husband, two children, and her dog Birdie. In her spare time, she enjoys concerts, peloton, Taylor swift, pickleball, and biking.
John Morton, MD
Dr. John Morton,MD, MPH, MHA, BS, FACS, FASMBS is the System Lead for Surgical Quality and Bariatric Services in the Yale New Haven Health System of 6 hospitals and Vice-Chair for Quality, Division Chief for Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery and Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Yale School of Medicine. He served as Chief of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Clinic Chief for the Bariatric and Metabolic Inter-Disciplinary Clinic and Director of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine from 2003-2019.
Dr. Morton received undergraduate, Masters in Public Health, and Medical Doctor Degrees from Tulane University and a Masters in Health Administration from University of Washington. He was the first surgical resident to receive a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Fellowship in the program’s history at University of Washington and also completed an advanced laparoscopic surgery fellowship at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He served on Capitol Hill as Senator Bill Frist’s Health Policy Intern. He is a Diplomate of both the American Board of Surgery and American Board of Obesity Medicine and certified in Medical Quality by the American College of Medical Quality.
He has published over 173 articles and 21 book chapters with over 300 national and international presentations. He led 5 site FDA Pivotal Trials and has received funding from National Institutes of Health and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. He has served as editor of five books: Quality in Obesity Treatment, Morbid Obesity: Perioperative Management, The ASMBS Textbook of Bariatric Surgery, 1st and 2nd editions and SAGES Handbook on Quality, Patient Safety and Outcomes. Furthermore, he is Clinical Editor for Bariatric Times (12,000 readership) and serves on 11 editorial boards including Obesity Surgery, Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, American College of Surgeons Case Studies in Surgery, and World Journal of Gastroenterology. His research efforts have been recognized by 28 research awards from 5 different surgical societies. As a teacher, Dr. Morton has received 5 teaching awards at Stanford in 8 years including the 2008 Arthur Bloomfield Clinical Teacher of the Year & 2011 Henry J. Kaiser Teaching Award.
Dr. Morton has the unique distinction of having served as Surgical Quality Director for two Top 20 US News & World Report Honor Roll Hospitals. He is the inaugural national Chair of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), a collaboration for 800 hospitals between the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the American College of Surgeons. He has overseen 3 national standards, establishment of the clinical registry, and 3 national quality improvement projects within MBSAQIP. From 2014-18, the Stanford Bariatric Surgery program was noted to be Exemplary in five different categories by MBSAQIP.
From 2014-5, he served as elected President of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) composed of over 4000 members from 52 countries. In 2017, he received the highest honor accorded to a bariatric surgeon with the ASMBS Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement and in 2019 received the Walter Pories Award. With over 3500 bariatric surgeries performed, he has been recognized as a bariatric surgery leader by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, RAND, American College of Surgeons, Who’s Who and America’s Top Surgeons. His clinical skills have been recognized as being named Castle Connolly’s Physician of the Year for Clinical Excellence in 2012. Dr. Morton also founded the first obesity related Political Action Committee, Obesity PAC on behalf of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and Chair of the National Obesity Collaborative Care Summit for 35 Different Medical Societies.
Brett Nowlan, MD
Dr. Brett Nowlan is a cardiologist in Bloomfield, Connecticut and is affiliated with Hartford Hospital.
He received his medical degree from University of Cape Town Faculty of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years.
He has expertise in treating cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, hypertension & high blood pressure, among other conditions.
Samantha Oldman, RD
Samantha Oldman, MS, RD, CD-N, is a Bariatric Registered Dietitian (Clinical Dietitian III) with Hartford HealthCare Medical Group in Uncasville, Connecticut.
She has 10 years of experience in bariatric nutrition, including the last four within HHC’s bariatric program. She takes a patient-centered approach, aiming to create a supportive, judgment-free environment where patients feel understood and empowered throughout their journey.
Samantha is dedicated to mentoring dietetics students and reducing stigma around bariatric surgery even within the profession.
Rocco Orlando, MD
Rocco Orlando III, MD, is senior strategic advisor for Hartford HealthCare. He is Emeritus Chief Academic Officer for Hartford HealthCare. Dr. Orlando was the system’s first Chief Academic Officer and oversaw professional education, including medical education and research. He advanced relationships with HHC’s academic partners including the University of Connecticut, Quinnipiac University and other universities in the state. Dr. Orlando led the organization’s research portfolio and remains involved in clinical innovation in partnership with the leadership of HHC’s Clinical Institutes.
Prior to serving as Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Orlando was the first chief medical officer for Hartford HealthCare and led efforts of Hartford HealthCare clinical staffs in achieving national preeminence in patient quality and safety and in creating seamless care coordination across the entire network.
Dr. Orlando previously served as chief medical officer of Hartford Hospital and as vice president of Connecticut Surgical Group in Hartford. He is a general surgeon who has been on the medical staff of Hartford Hospital for more than forty years.
Throughout his time at Hartford Hospital, he has held various leadership positions, including president of the medical staff and member of the board of directors.
Dr. Orlando has a national reputation for research and clinical excellence and has delivered more than 200 medical presentations internationally and across the United States. He has had more than seventy medical publications in addition to numerous abstracts and book chapters.
Dr. Orlando received his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y. He completed multiple internships and finished his residency at Hartford Hospital. He also completed a fellowship at the University of Miami – Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. Orlando is a Professor of Surgery at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and the FH Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. He is a member of numerous professional societies and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He serves on the boards of the New England Surgical Society, Hartford Medical Society and the Unitarian Society of Hartford. He resides in Glastonbury with his wife Rev. Joanne Orlando.
Pavlos Papasavas, MD
Dr. Pavlos Papasavas is Director of Research at the Department of Surgery, Hartford Hospital and Co-Director of the Center for Obesity Research, Innovation, and Education within the Hartford HealthCare Digestive Health Institute.
Dr. Papasavas has devoted his surgical career to treating obesity and its associated comorbid diseases. He has performed more than 4000 metabolic and bariatric surgical procedures. His research involves assessing the neuropsychological and behavioral underpinnings of obesity and studying the variability in metabolic and bariatric surgery outcomes. Dr. Papasavas is the recipient of a grant from the National Institutes of Health to examine whether individual differences in neural pathways measured via functional MRI tasks probing the reward circuitry and executive areas of the brain can predict weight loss, weight-related behaviors, and metabolic outcomes after bariatric surgery.
Dr. Papasavas serves as the Co-Chair of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Clinical Issues Committees and is a member of the ASMBS Research Committee. He has co-authored several impactful statements that guide clinical practice, including standardized outcomes reporting in metabolic and bariatric surgery and the 2022 ASMBS/IFSO Indications for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Papasavas has served as president of the CT chapter of ASMBS. Dr. Papasavas plays a significant role in medical education; he is the Program Director of the Surgical Research Fellowship at Hartford Hospital and the Director of Research for the University of Connecticut General Surgery Program.
Richard Peterson, MD
Richard M. Peterson, MD, MPH, FACS, FASMBS, DABS-FPMBS, Professor and Chief of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at UT Health San Antonio, TX, has been elected the new president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), the nation’s largest professional organization of metabolic and bariatric surgeons and integrated health professionals focused on the treatment of obesity.
Dr. Peterson has been a member of the ASMBS for nearly 20 years and a board member since 2019. He has chaired the society’s program, public education, and communications committees and is a contributing author to the accreditation standards for bariatric surgery. He also serves as one of the Chairs of the Standards and Verification Advisory Council to the American College of Surgeons’ MBSAQIP Program.
In addition to his one-year term as ASMBS president, Dr. Peterson serves as the social media editor for Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (SOARD), the official journal of the ASMBS. He has written numerous peer-reviewed articles and authored several chapters on bariatric surgery, including one in each edition of The ASMBS Textbook of Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Peterson is past president of the Texas Association for Bariatric Surgery.
Dr. Peterson obtained his Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in biology from the University of California, Riverside. He then went on to obtain a Master of Public Health at the East Stroudsburg University in PA. He obtained his MD degree from the American University of the Caribbean, completed his general surgery residency at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, MD and his fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery at the University of Southern California.
Aurora Pryor, MD
Dr. Aurora Pryor, MD, MBA, FACS, FASMBS is Chair of Surgery at Brown University and Surgeon-in-Chief at Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital. She earned her undergraduate degree in engineering and her MD from Duke University, where she also completed her General Surgery residency and fellowship in minimally invasive surgery. She served on Duke’s faculty until 2011. She moved to New York in 2011 and served as Vice Chair of Surgery, Chief of Bariatric, Foregut and Advanced GI Surgery and Director of the Bariatric and Metabolic Weight Loss Center at Stony Brook from 2011-2022. She was also director of the Advanced GI/MIS/Bariatric/Foregut fellowship at Stony Brook. She then served as Surgeon in Chief at Long Island Jewish Hospital and System Director for Bariatric Surgery at Northwell Health until joining the Brown faculty in August 2024.
Nationally recognized for her expertise in bariatric and minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Pryor is Chair of the General Surgery Board and a Councilor for the American Board of Surgery. She is a past president of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) and the Fellowship Council, and has held numerous leadership roles in ASMBS, ACS, and surgical editorial boards. She also founded the Women’s Leadership in Surgery Society in 2021.
Dr. Pryor has authored over 200 publications, co-edited four surgical textbooks, and delivered more than 300 presentations worldwide. Her research focuses on surgical innovation, bariatric and GI outcomes, and new technologies. She holds multiple patents, including for the TransEnterix SPIDER system. Clinically, she specializes in treating gastroesophageal disease, obesity, and hernias using a range of advanced surgical techniques, and is actively involved in FDA trials to provide patients with the latest treatment options.
Jennifer S. Schwartz, MD
Jennifer S. Schwartz, MD, MBOE, FACS, is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Schwartz earned her B.S. from Vanderbilt University and M.D. from SUNY Upstate Medical University. She then completed her general surgical residency and minimally invasive surgical fellowship at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.
As faculty, Dr. Schwartz was instrumental in the development of the robotic surgery program at The Ohio State University- East Campus, now one of the busiest academic robotic general surgery programs in the nation. Additionally, with a focus in operations efficiency, she then earned her Master’s of Business Operational Excellence (MBOE) at Ohio State University. Dr. Schwartz was subsequently recruited to the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she developed a busy clinical practice at Howard County General Hospital and was an active lecturer in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She was also a finalist for the Johns Hopkins Department of Surgery Halsted faculty teaching award for her efforts in education.
Dr. Schwartz’s clinical interests includes hernia repair including abdominal wall reconstruction, as well as medical and surgical management of reflux and obesity. Her research interests include robotic surgery and medical student and resident education. Dr. Schwartz is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and is a member of several other professional societies including the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons and American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
Joseph St. Pierre II, MD
Joseph St. Pierre II, DO, is an internist with a subspecialty in bariatric medicine based in Shelton, CT. He graduated from Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2016 and completed his residency in internal medicine at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell at Mather Hospital from 2016 to 2019.
Dr. St. Pierre currently works in bariatric medicine at Hartford HealthCare, having previously served as a primary care physician at UvaHealth from 2020 to 2022 and at Phelps Health from 2019 to 2020.
Anastasia Stergos, RD
Anastasia Stergos is a pediatric dietitian specializing in weight management, committed to helping children and families build sustainable, healthy habits. A graduate of the Coordinated Dietetics Program at the University of Connecticut, she initially worked with adults in clinical nutrition and weight management before transitioning to pediatrics, giving her a broad perspective on lifelong nutrition care. For the past two years, she has been part of the Weight Management Program at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, where she provides medical nutrition therapy for patients in both the weight management and bariatric programs. Her approach centers on balance, long-term lifestyle change, and compassionate, family-focused care.
Beverly Tchang, MD, DABOM
Beverly Tchang, MD is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell in New York. Dr. Tchang graduated from SUNY Downstate Medical College and completed her residency and fellowships at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell and Columbia University.
She is triple board-certified in internal medicine, endocrinology, and obesity medicine. She is the Co-Program Director of Cornell’s obesity medicine fellowship and President of the non-profit organization Tri-state Obesity Society, She founded the consulting agency Weightless Consulting, with the mission of educating stakeholders in today’s health economy.
Connect with her on X @BevTchangMD and LinkedIn.
Darren Tishler, MD
Dr. Darren Tishler, MD, FACS, FASMBS currently serves as the Chief of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at Hartford Hospital and the System Director for Medical and Surgical Weight Loss at Hartford HealthCare. He is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and is active in surgery resident and student education.
Dr. Tishler graduated with an undergraduate degree in Neurobiology and Behavioral Sciences from Cornell University and received his medical degree at the Rosalind Franklin Chicago Medical School. He completed a residency in General Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago IL and a research fellowship in Transplant Surgery at Northwestern University. Dr. Tishler subsequently completed a fellowship in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery at the University of Alabama-Birmingham before returning to his home state of Connecticut.
He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Tishler’s current research interests include NIH funded research exploring the brain response to bariatric as well as investigating outcomes and predictive factors for success after metabolic bariatric surgery. Dr. Tishler has co-authored more than 25 papers and given numerous lectures and peer-reviewed presentations. He is a Medical Director at Hartford HealthCare Medical Group where he also chairs the compensation and finance committee. He serves on several local, regional, and national committees and is an advocate for improving patient access to bariatric surgery through the Access to Care Committee of the ASMBS. He has served on the board of directors for the CT-ASMBS chapter since its inception and is the immediate past president for the society.
He is an avid and enthusiastic skier and boater and resides in Glastonbury, Connecticut with his wife Stephanie and enjoys spending time with their daughters Emma and Samantha.
Devika Umashanker, MD
Dr. Devika Umashanker is the System Medical Director for Obesity Medicine at Hartford HealthCare Medical and Surgical Weight Loss Hartford HealthCare Digestive Health Institute. She is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at Frank Netter School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University and the Program Director of the Obesity Medicine Fellowship at Hartford Healthcare. She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and fellowship trained in Obesity Medicine at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medicine.
Dr. Umashanker’s primary areas of expertise include weight management, preoperative weight loss, and post-operative bariatric surgical care and nutrition management. Her research interests focus includes optimization of non-surgical treatment modalities in patients with history of bariatric surgery and obesity, association of weight stigma and bias on patient clinical outcomes, and prevalence of migraine in patients seeking treatment in medical and surgical weight loss. Dr. Umashanker was awarded the 2023 Integrated Health Emerging Scientist Award by the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders.
Dr. Umashanker has several publications and book chapters on the topics of management and treatment of obesity, pharmacotherapy for obesity, and weight stigma and bias.
Andrew Wong, MD
Amelia Yungk, APRN
Amelia Yungk is a Nurse Practitioner specializing in Digestive Health at Yale New Haven Health System. Their background reflects a strong focus on clinical practice and patient care, complemented by experience in nursing education.
Within the Yale New Haven Health System’s healthcare delivery environment, Amelia provides advanced nursing care in digestive health. Their experience includes serving as a Nursing Instructor at Porter and Chester Institute, where they planned and organized instruction to maximize student learning outcomes. They employed appropriate teaching and learning strategies to communicate subject matter to students.
Prior to this, Amelia contributed as a Registered Nurse and Night Charge Nurse at The Hospital of Central Connecticut, providing care for post-op surgical patients within a Bariatric Center of Excellence. They delegated nursing assignments, prepared schedules, and oversaw admissions and discharges while managing a patient load. At ECHN, Amelia provided direct patient care on a medical/surgical floor, administering medications and treatments, and educating patients and families on care. Earlier in their career, Amelia served as a Patient Care Medical Progressive Care Unit Assistant at UC Health, performing vital signs and EKGs. Their work history also includes serving as a Medical Interpreter at Affordable Language Services, assisting Spanish-speaking patients by interpreting medical instructions and serving as a liaison between patients and healthcare providers. Amelia’s professional background also includes experience as a Manager, Case, Life Business at MetLife, where they served as a dedicated Case Manager for Spanish-speaking agents in Puerto Rico, fielding inquiries and requesting medical records.
Amelia holds a Master of Science from Columbus State University, a Bachelor of Science of Nursing from Northern Kentucky University, a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Holyoke College, and a Certificate from The Johns Hopkins University.
Moshe Zutler, MD
Dr. Moshe Zutler, MD is a pulmonary critical care medicine specialist in Southington, CT and has over 20 years of experience in the medical field.
He graduated from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 2005.