Sergio Gianesini

PRESIDENT TERM: 2023–2027

Prof. Sergio Gianesini is a surgeon of the University of Ferrara (Italy) where he holds an associate professorship Italian habilitation in cardiovascular surgery and where he is dedicated to venous & lymphatic basic science, clinical research and practice. He is part of the permanent teaching body of the School of Medicine, as well as of the Vascular Surgery Residency program, of the courses of Physiotherapy and of the School of Dentistry.

He is an adjunct associate professor in Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, USA. He has a PhD in Vascular System Molecular Patho-physiology and is part of the teaching body of the Advanced Therapies & Experimental Pharmacology PhD course at the University of Ferrara. Inside the University of Ferrara PhD programs he is involved in the internationalisation process, facilitating interaction among different countries universities.

He is invited professor of the Angiology II level Master of the University of Padova (Italy) and the Albania University. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Vascular Insights journal and Associate Editor of the Phlebology journal and the International Angiology journal. He also sits on the editorial boards of Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous & Lymphatic Disorders, the Chinese Medical Journal, the Surgical Sciences Journal and the Turkish Journal of Vascular Surgery.

He has published more than 100 scientific papers on vein-lymphatics topics, three textbooks and has delivered more than 700 lectures around the world. He is a founding member of the venous-lymphatic World International Network (v-WIN) foundation, through which he developed projects leading to an official recognition of the United Nations Communications Coordination Committee and to an institutional representation during the 2021-2022 Universal Expo World Fair.

He has served as UIP Vice-President (2018-2022), President-Elect (2022-2023) and UIP/WUIP President (2023-2027)

Zaza Lazarashvili

PResident-Elect TERM: 2025–2027

Prof. Zaza Lazarashvili is a vascular surgeon, serving as Head and Founder of the Chapidze Cardiovascular Hospital in Tbilisi, Georgia, as well as Professor of Vascular Surgery at the Tbilisi State University. He obtained his PhD in 2002.

In Georgia, he introduced minimally invasive vein surgery, endovenous procedures, and innovative management of pelvic venous disorders, and has served as a member of the National Council for Accreditation of Educational Programs.

Along the yearshe has actively participated in international educational and scientific activities, including as a member of the International Committee of the American Vein and Lymphatic Society (AVLS), International Ambassador of the American Venous Forum (AVF), and member of the International Pelvic Vein Working Group (IPVWG).

Under his leadership, several important regional projects have been implemented, including the Black Sea Venous Meeting and the Near East–North Africa (NENA) Venous Society, along with a global project on pelvic venous disorders in collaboration with the European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. His latest initiative, the European Pelvic Vein Alliance (EPVA), is currently in active development.

He is the author of the Consensus Document of the International Union of Phlebology: Diagnosis and Treatment of Pelvic Congestion Syndrome. He has published more than 30 scientific papers and one monograph, and serves on the editorial board of the Turkish Journal of Vascular Surgery and as Associate Editor of Acta Phlebologica.

He is a past president of the Georgian Association of Angiologists and Vascular Surgeons and is the convener of the International Union of Phlebology 2027 World Congress. From 2018 to 2022, he served as a member of the Education Committee of the International Union of Phlebology.

From 2022 to 2025, he served as Vice-President of the International Union of Phlebology before his election as President-Elect in 2025. He will commence his term as President in 2027 during the UIP World Congress in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Oscar Bottini

General Secretary TERM: 2025–2029

Prof. Oscar Bottini is a General, Plastic and Peripheral Vascular Surgeon. He began his medical career at the University of Buenos Aires, graduating as a physician at the age of 23, and completed his surgical residency in the Department of Surgery at the University Hospital of Buenos Aires from 1984 to 1988.

He subsequently worked as a surgeon at the Hospital San Andrés de Giles in the Province of Buenos Aires, where he performed the city’s first lower-limb bypass surgery. He later completed his specialisation in Plastic Surgery between 1992 and 1995.

He has developed a distinguished career in Phlebology and Lymphology, being a member of the first cohort of graduates of the Specialist Career in Venous and Lymphatic Surgery at the Catholic University of Argentina, obtaining his title as Specialist in 1992.

He began his involvement with the Argentine College of Venous and Lymphatic Surgery as a member, later becoming its President in 2012. In 2014, he was elected President of the Latin American Venous Forum.

In the educational field, he established the Phlebology and Lymphology Career at the University of Buenos Aires, which now operates across three campuses under his coordination. He has also been developing university courses and diploma programs for more than 20 years.

Rodrigo Rial

Treasurer TERM: 2025–2029

Dr. Rodrigo Rial’s involvement in Phlebology stems from his background in Vascular Surgery. In Spain, Phlebology is included within the five-year postgraduate training program for the specialty of Angiology and Vascular Surgery. Since 2005, he has held various positions within the Executive Board of the Spanish Chapter of Phlebology and Lymphology, serving as Board Member, Secretary, Member of the Scientific Committee, Vice-President, and ultimately as President during the 2019–2023 term.

He joined the Executive Board of the International Union of Phlebology as Vice-President for Western and Southern Europe at the Istanbul Congress in 2022. Over the past year, he has also served as Treasurer, following the resignation of Dr Paul Thibault, to whom he pays special tribute.

He is currently a member of the Scientific Committee of the Pan-American Society of Phlebology and Lymphology. He has also held leadership roles within the Executive Committee of the Spanish Society of Angiology and Vascular Surgery, as well as within the Society of Endovascular Surgery.

Fedor Lurie

Chair of Sceince TERM: 2025–2029

Prof. Fedor Lurie began his career as an academic vascular surgeon in 1980. He has served as a faculty member at the Urals Medical Academy, the University of California, Davis, and the University of Hawaii. He is currently the Associate Director of the Jobst Vascular Institute and Adjunct Research Professor in the Section of Vascular Surgery at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

He serves as Director of the Vein Centre Accreditation Board of the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission, Director of the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine, and as a member of the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee of the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Prof. Lurie is a Past President of both the American Venous Forum and the American Venous Forum Foundation. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Society for Vascular Surgery and as a member of several of its committees. He is an Honorary Member of the European Venous Forum and of several European national vascular surgery societies.

Throughout his career, he has served as the principal investigator on eighteen multicentre clinical trials, published more than 200 original papers, numerous invited commentaries and review articles, and 17 book chapters. He is also an accomplished international speaker, with more than 300 presentations delivered worldwide.

Jinsong Wang

Chair of Education TERM: 2025–2029

Prof. Jinsong Wang is a Professor of Vascular Surgery at the Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital in China. She completed her training at HeNan University of Medical Sciences and undertook further studies in the United States at the University of California, San Francisco, and the MedStar Research Institute of the Washington Hospital Center. She currently serves as Director of the Department of Medical Education and Chair of the Department of Vascular Surgery at the Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital in Guangzhou.

She is the President of the Vascular Surgery Branch of the Guangdong Medical Doctor Association and the Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Association for Phlebology. She has published more than 100 papers on phlebology and lymphology and has presented her work at conferences around the world.

Prof. Wang is strongly dedicated to medical education. She led a medical student team to win the National Medical Student Clinical Skills Competition Championship in China for five consecutive years (2010–2014) and has chaired the resident training program for seven years. From 2023 to 2024, she served as Deputy Chair of the UIP Education Committee, becoming Acting Chair in 2025.

During her current term, she has led the development of an online educational library covering all areas of phlebology and lymphology, aimed at both healthcare

Ravul Jindal

chair of congresses and events TERM: 2025–2029

Dr. Ravul Jindal is the Director of Vascular Surgery at Fortis Hospital, Mohali. He is a Past President of the Venous Association of India, Secretary of the Asian Venous Forum, and Vice-President of the UIP Asian Chapter. He has dedicated his career to advancing vascular care, both clinically and academically.

Over the past two decades, he has participated in and led numerous national and international academic initiatives. He currently serves as Co-Organising Chairman of the Asian Society of Vascular Surgery (ASVS) 2026, an event that will bring together experts from across Asia and beyond. He has also played a key role in the academic and organisational development of the Venous Association of India (VAICON) and the Asian Venous Forum, overseeing the successful delivery of multiple national and international congresses.

Beyond his clinical and academic roles, he has actively developed patient-centred programs aimed at improving quality of life. He was one of the initiators of the Amputation Free India movement — a national campaign to reduce preventable lower-limb amputations. Building on that success, he aims for the UIP to lead a global Venous Ulcer Eradication Program, focusing on knowledge-sharing and outreach, particularly in underserved regions.

Dr. Jindal believes that through structured education, outreach, and collaboration, significant progress can be made in addressing the burden of chronic venous ulcers worldwide, especially in developing and disadvantaged communities.

Chantal Agüero Wagner

Vice-President TERM: 2025–2029

Dr. Chantal Agüero Wagner is the current President of the Pan-American Society of Phlebology and Lymphology, an international scientific society uniting 24 Latin American member societies from 18 countries. She is also the Immediate Past President of the Paraguayan Association of Phlebology.

She is a second-generation surgeon dedicated entirely to Phlebology and Lymphology, following in the footsteps of her father, a pioneer of Phlebology in Latin America. Her training included advanced experience in Argentina, Europe, and the United States, always with a focus on venous and lymphatic care.

Dr. Agüero Wagner has been a strong advocate for patients’ rights, developing a project on human rights and equitable access to treatment for pelvic venous disorders as part of the W20–G20 initiative, collaborating with colleagues from around the world.

Within the International Union of Phlebology (UIP), she has served as Chair of the Awareness Working Group and as a member of the Education Committee since 2023, delivering multiple initiatives at both regional and global levels.

Willy Chi

Vice-president TERM: 2025–2029

Prof. Yung Wei (Willy) Chi is a Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of California, Davis, a position he has held since 2017. Previously, he served as an Associate Professor from 2010 to 2017. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California and obtained his medical degree from Kansas City University in Missouri. He then undertook his residency and fellowship training at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio.

Before joining the University of California, Davis, he served as Director of Vascular Services at the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans. He is widely published in the fields of arterial, venous, and lymphatic medicine, with more than 60 peer-reviewed publications, over 1,400 citations, and numerous international lectures. He holds an h-index of 18.

He serves on the editorial boards of Phlebology, Vascular Medicine, Veins and Lymphatics, Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, and the Chinese Medical Journal. He is also the Chinese-language editor for International Angiology, Associate Editor for Vascular Investigation and Therapy, and Associate Editor for the Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Research.

Professionally, he has held multiple leadership positions in the American Vein and Lymphatic Society, serving as both a Foundation and Society Board Member from 2014 to 2020. Since 2016, he has contributed to the venous-lymphatic World International Network (vWIN) Foundation, developing numerous scientific, educational, humanitarian, and awareness projects.

As the International Committee Chair for the Chinese Association of Phlebology, he has worked tirelessly connecting the East with West.

Ayman Mohamed Fakhry

vice-president TERM: 2025–2029

Prof. Ayman Mohamed Fakhry is a Professor of Vascular Surgery at the Egyptian Military Academy and Co-Founder of the Royal Vascular Centre in Alexandria, Egypt. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Alexandria University in 1984. From an early age, he demonstrated a strong commitment to teamwork and community service, becoming actively involved in the Scouts and being named “Best Scout of Alexandria University” in 1981.

He also pursued a successful sporting career, representing Egypt in fencing and competing with the National Olympic Fencing Team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. His surgical training began at the Alexandria School of Medicine from 1988 to 1990, where he earned his Master’s degree in General Surgery.

In 1991, he received a scholarship to Fitzsimons Army Medical Center and the University of Colorado in the United States, where he trained under Dr Hammond and Professor Robert Rutherford. In 2001, he obtained his PhD in Vascular Surgery and was appointed Lecturer in the Department of Vascular Surgery.

In 2005, he joined Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he trained under Professor Elliot Chicof and Professor Atef Salam. From 2007 to 2016, he returned to Egypt as Professor and Chair of the Department of Vascular Surgery at the Military Academy. Since 2016, he has served as Consultant of Vascular Surgery for the Egyptian Ministry of Health and, since 2018, as Consultant of Lymphology and Vascular Surgery for the Egyptian Ministry of Sports.

In 2020, he received a grant to complete the Training of Trainers program at Harvard University, becoming a Harvard alumnus. From 2016 to 2024, he served as General Secretary of the Vascular Society of Egypt and as Editor-in-Chief of the Egyptian Journal of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery.

He is the President and Founder of the Egyptian Venous Forum and Editor-in-Chief of the Egyptian Journal of Phlebology & Lymphology. He has published more than 40 scientific papers in international vascular surgery journals, authored four book chapters, and published his first book, Vascular Disorders in Children, in May 2025.

Ernesto Intriago

vice-president TERM: 2025–2029

Dr. Ernesto Intriago is a specialist in Phlebology and Lymphology. He completed his training at the Universidad John F. Kennedy in Argentina, with additional specialisation in Vascular Ultrasound at the Colegio Médico de Morón in Buenos Aires, and has undertaken numerous advanced courses in various countries throughout his career.

He is the Founder and Medical Director of Fleboclinic in Guayaquil, Ecuador, a centre dedicated exclusively to the diagnosis and treatment of venous and lymphatic diseases.

Dr. Intriago founded the Ecuadorian Society of Phlebolymphology and Microcirculation (SEFMi), an organisation he has led for 19 years in collaboration with successive presidents, significantly advancing the development of phlebology and lymphology in Ecuador.

He has served three terms as President of the Pan-American Society of Phlebology and Lymphology (SOPFYL) — from 2010 to 2012, from 2020 to 2022, and again from 2022 to 2024. During his presidency, particularly amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, he revitalised a nearly inactive society, restructured its organisation, reformed its bylaws, and oversaw a comprehensive rebranding. He also launched the PREFERIR online educational program and expanded international cooperation. Today, SOPFYL includes more than 23 active member societies and is recognised globally for its educational leadership.

Dr. Intriago’s career is strongly grounded in humanitarian service. Following Ecuador’s devastating earthquake in 2016, he mobilised members of SEFMi to provide free medical care to affected communities, reinforcing his belief that medicine must unite science with social responsibility.

Through Fleboclinic, he continues to lead annual humanitarian campaigns that provide free advanced phlebological care to underserved populations, furthering his commitment to equity in venous and lymphatic health.

Matthieu Josnin

vice-president TERM: 2025–2029

Dr. Matthieu Josnin is a specialist in vascular medicine and the founder and head of a centre for interventional phlebology and leg ulcer care. His centre provides minimally invasive venous procedures — including laser therapy, radiofrequency ablation, and non-thermal, non-tumescent techniques such as glue and sclerotherapy — as well as comprehensive leg ulcer management.

The clinic is also a university-approved training centre for interns and postgraduate students, and he regularly teaches international trainees, particularly from Europe and North Africa. He is fluent in English and Spanish. The clinic collaborates closely with the Nantes University Hospital, particularly with the interventional radiology department.

Dr. Josnin is the Immediate Past President of the French Society of Phlebology, an Associate Member of the National Academy of Surgery and Innovative Operating Practices, and an Associate Member of the College of Teachers of Vascular Medicine. He is also a member of the French Vascular Medicine Union and the French Lymphology Society.

He has conducted and continues to conduct numerous clinical trials in interventional phlebology, anticoagulation, and leg ulcer management. He has authored and co-authored multiple scientific articles and book chapters, and has presented extensively at national and international conferences.

Dr. Josnin remains deeply engaged in teaching, particularly through the University Degree in Phlebology and Endovenous Techniques at Paris-Sorbonne University, and is also active in continuing medical and nursing education programs.

Makoto Mo

vice-presdient TERM: 2025–2029

Prof. Makoto Mo, M.D., Ph.D., is a cardiovascular surgeon and Visiting Professor in the Department of Surgery at Yokohama City University. He also serves as a Clinical Professor at Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital and at Namiki Clinic. He is currently the Chairman of the Executive Board of the Japanese Society of Phlebology.

Prof. Mo graduated from Gunma University School of Medicine in 1984 and obtained his PhD in Medicine from Yokohama City University in 1994. His postgraduate training included an internship at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Yokosuka and a residency at Yokohama City University. He later served as a research fellow at Baylor College of Medicine in the United States and as a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of California, San Diego.

In 2003, he was appointed Director of Cardiovascular Surgery at Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital, and in 2018, he became a Clinical Professor at Yokohama City University.

Prof. Mo’s major clinical and research interests include cardiovascular surgery, surgical and endovascular treatment of varicose veins and deep venous disorders, and pulmonary endarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

His work has been widely recognised: he received the Young Investigator Award from the Japanese Society of Phlebology and the Exceptional Service Award (2002) from the Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego.

He has authored more than 200 scientific publications on venous and lymphatic diseases and has delivered over 500 invited lectures around the world.