IJGC conversations

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. René Pareja to discuss FIGO/IGCS Statement on Topical Treatments for HPV CIN3+.

 

Dr. René Pareja is a Gynecologist and Obstetrician, graduated from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellín, Colombia in 2000; he finished his training in Gynecologic Oncology in 2003, from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Bogotá, Colombia.

He is a minimally invasive surgeon, graduated from Corporación de Estudios de la Salud (CES) in 2013. He currently works at Astorga Oncology Clinic in Medellín and at National Cancer Institute in Bogotá, Colombia.
Dr. Pareja serves as a reviewer for more than 20 journals. He has authored or co-authored nine book chapters and more than fifty publications in peer-reviewed journals. Currently he is an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Gynaecological Cancer and is a Council member of the International Gynecological Cancer Society Council. He also serves as an international mentor for the Hospital General San Juan de Dios in Guatemala through the IGCS Global Curriculum & Mentorship Program.Some of his research has influenced how gynecologic oncologists treat cancer and has been published in important medical journals, like the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Alex Melamed to discuss Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Mortality in Low- vs High-Volume Centers.

Alex Melamed, MD, MPH, is a gynecologic oncologist and clinical outcomes researcher in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mass General Hospital and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. He co-directs the Inference Lab in MGH's Vincent Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Melamed's research focuses on applying methods that provide meaningful insights from observational data. In particular, his work explores how focusing on temporal and spatial variation in clinical practice can help to uncover how health care affects patient outcomes. Some of his research focuses on increasing understanding of how surgical care affects the lives of cancer patients. Dr. Melamed is an associate editor of the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Aparna A. Kamat and Arthur Hsu to discuss GLP1-RAs and Cancer Risk in Non-diabetic Patients.

 

Dr. Aparna Kamat is the director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology for Houston Methodist and is currently the section leader for the Gynecologic Oncology service line. After completing medical training in India, Dr. Kamat completed her residency in OB/GYN at West Virginia University, where she served as chief resident.
She completed her fellowship training in Gynecologic Oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. During her fellowship, she received multiple awards for her research in ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer, including the Virginia K. Pierce award and the Asche Murray fellowship. She also received the prestigious BIRCWH award from the N.I.H. for her research in biomarkers for ovarian cancer. Dr. Kamat currently is the principal investigator for the Gynecologic Oncology Group Clinical Trials Program at Houston Methodist and offers several state-of-the-art clinical trials for patients with gynecologic malignancies. She serves on the board of Ovarcome – a non-profit organization that provides support for women with ovarian cancer and was named Ovarcome Hero of the Year.
Her areas of expertise are robotic and minimally invasive surgical options for women with gynecologic cancers and complex pelvic disease. Her other clinical interests include hereditary risk assessment and treatment of gynecologic malignancies.

 

Arthur Heng-Cheng Hsu, MD, is a gynecologic oncologist at the National Taiwan University Hospital and focuses on surgery, cancer therapy, and patient recovery. He serves as the Director of Journal Operations for the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer (IJGC). His recent work is published in the Annals of Oncology exploring GLP-1 receptor agonist use and cancer risk in obese, non-diabetic adults.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Paula Mateo-Kubach and Behrouz Zand to discuss Statin Use in Gynecologic Cancer Therapy.

 

Paula Mateo-Kubach, MD, is a Spanish physician who completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Toledo, Spain. She is currently a Research Fellow at Houston Methodist Hospital, where her work focuses on perioperative care and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS). In parallel, she is pursuing a PhD at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, with research centered on ERAS implementation challenges and opioid use in surgical care. Her next goal is to complete clinical training in gynecologic oncology.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ When she is not filling her database, she can be found underwater, she is a PADI-certified rescue diver.

 

Dr. Behrouz Zand is a gynecologic oncologist at Houston Methodist Hospital's Neal Cancer Center and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and an assistant professor at Weill Cornell College at Houston Methodist Academic Institute. Specializing in innovative cancer care and clinical trials, he is passionate about integrating AI in medicine, a recent alumnus of the physician program at MIT for AI integration in healthcare. Dr. Zand combines cutting-edge research with compassionate patient care to advance the field.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Sarah Andres and Mario M. Leitao Jr to discuss Empty Lymph Node Packet in SLN Mapping for Endometrial Cancer.

 

Sarah Andres, DO, FACOG, is a Gynecologic Oncology Fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), with planned graduation in June, 2027. She additionally works within the Weigelt Laboratory conducting translational research and studying rare gynecologic malignancies. Dr. Andres has contributed extensively to the field through her recent research, with work published in leading journals such as Gynecologic Oncology and the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer. Her recent publications explore critical topics including sentinel lymph node mapping techniques in uterine cancer, outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer, and genomic characterization of endometrial serous carcinoma. Her clinical and research interests span cervical, endometrial, and ovarian carcinoma, with contributions to multiple clinical trials and retrospective studies.

 

Dr. Mario M. Leitao, Jr., MD, FACOG, FACS, is currently an Attending Surgeon in the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College. He currently serves as Program Director for the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship. Dr. Leitao is also the Director for the Minimal Access and Robotic Surgery Program in the Department of Surgery for MSKCC. Dr. Leitao is the recipient of the 2025 IGCS Excellence in Teaching Award.