AWE Week 2026 – Endoscopy Around the World

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In-person & Virtual

Program Description:
The Association of Women Endoscopists (AWE) is an organization whose mission is to inspire, empower, and advance women in the dynamic field of interventional endoscopy. Our organization aims to promote knowledge of recent and cutting-edge approaches in interventional GI. AWE accomplishes this goal through a variety of annual educational activities, including regional and international educational symposia, international medical outreach, and a comprehensive four-day educational event (AWE Week). These activities are supported by the University of California San Diego Medical Center, the Divisions of Gastroenterology at Hoag Hospital, and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

AWE 2026 is focused on innovations in several exciting and complex areas in the field of endoscopy: 1) innovative interventional techniques in endoscopic ultrasound; 2) advances in luminal tissue resection; 3) novel endoscopic approaches to the management of GERD, metabolic diseases, and obesity; 4) endoscopic advances in pancreato-biliary endoscopy.

Program Objectives

The objectives of the course are to educate physicians, GI fellows, nurses, and allied health professionals on the diagnosis and management of complex gastrointestinal pathology. Patient selection, indications for intervention, advanced endoscopic and surgical options, and future device development and design will be discussed.

At the conclusion of this activity, participants will:

• Explain the advantages and disadvantages of advanced endoscopic techniques
• Explore innovations in endoscopic management of esophageal disease
• Leverage endoscopy in a preventative context for diseases from GERD to cancer
• Become familiar with novel endoscopic approaches to GERD management
• Explore innovations in endoscopic ultrasound for application in endohepatology
• Become familiar with novel applications of lumen-apposing metal stents
• Explore the role of endoscopic interventions in the management of malignant gastrointestinal obstruction
• Become familiar with judicious use of fluoroscopy in ERCP
• Utilize advanced cannulation techniques for ERCP
• Explore the role of single-use duodenoscopes in the management of patients at high-risk for duodenoscope-associated infection
• Assess advances in cholangioscopy
• Become familiar with advances in biliary metal stenting
• Identify novel approaches to endoscopic mucosal resection and submucosal dissection
• Explore with various methods of endoscopic tissue closure
• Become familiar with endoscopic suturing
• Explain management of anticoagulation prior to routine endoscopic procedures
• Discuss strategies for endoscopic management of metabolic diseases

Course Directors

Laurel Branch, MD
Advanced Endoscopy Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA USA

Phoenix Nguyen, MD
Medical Director, Advanced Endoscopy, Hoag Hospital, Newport

Sonya Reicher, MD, FACG, FASGE
Clinical Professor of Medicine, Advanced Endoscopy, University of California, San Diego

Speakers

Kenneth J. Chang, MD, MASGE, FACG, AGAF, FAFS, FJGES Janak Shah, MD
Executive Medical Director Hoag Digestive Health Institute
James and Pamela Muzzy Executive Endowed Chair in GI Cancer
Newport Beach, CA USA

Janak Shah, MD
Advanced Endoscopy Gastroenterology Department Chair Ochsner Clinic Foundation
New Orleans, LA USA

Muhammad Hasan, MD
Medical Director
Center for Interventional Endoscopy
Advent Health
Professor of Medicine
University of Central Florida
College of Medicine
Orlando, FL, USA

Uzma Siddiqui, MD
Professor of Medicine
University of Chicago
Director
Center for Endoscopic Research and Therapeutics Director
Endoscopic Ultrasound and Advanced Endoscopy Training
Chicago, IL, USA

Andrew Giap, MD
Chief, Gastroenterology Orange County Regional Chief, Gastroenterology SCPMG
Endoscopic Ultrasound, Biliary and Advanced Endoscopy
Anaheim, CA, USA

Rena Yadlapati, MD
Professor, Division of Gastroenterology
Medical Director, UCSD Center for Esophageal Diseases
Director, GI Motility Lab
Program Director, Advanced Esophageal Fellowship
University of California, San Diego
San Diego, CA, USA

Thomas Savides, MD
Distinguished Professor of Clinical Medicine
University of California, San Diego
San Diego, CA, USA

Course Schedule

Moderators: Mary Lee Krinsky, DO, Phoenix Nguyen, MD, Sonya Reicher, MD

• Saturday, June 27- 8 AM to 3 PM
  In-person Lecture & Hands-on Experience at the Frontline of Endoscopy.
  Center for the Future of Surgery, San Diego, CA
• 7:30-8:00 am Breakfast & Introductions Lectures (15 min)
• 8:00-10:15 am
  • Post-POEM GERD: Controlling the Burn
    Rena Yadlapati, MD
  • Biliary stones: To lead or not
    Janak Shah, MD
  • Recent advances in endoscopic treatment of GERD
    Kenneth Chang, MD
  • Refining luminal tissue resection in 2026
    Muhammad Hasan, MD
  • Gastrointestinal obstruction: endoscopic solutions in 2026
    Thomas Savides, MD
  • EUS-guided gallbladder drainage: when and how
    Uzma Siddiqui, MD
  • To Hold or Not to Hold? Anticoagulation Management in Routine Colonoscopy
    Andrew Q. Giap, MD

10:15-10:30 am Break

10:30am-12:00 pm

What would you do: Call the expert
Panel: Rashmi Advani, Laurel Branch, Kenneth Chang, Andrew Giap, Muhammad Hasan, Thomas Savides, Janak Shah, Uzma Siddiqui, Rena Yadlapati

12:00-1:00 pm Lunch

Hot topics in Endoscopy

1:00-3:00 pm Hands-on Workshop
Hands-on ex vivo demonstrations may include:

• Advances in cholangioscopy
• LAMS novel applications
• Through-the-scope esophageal stent placement
• G-POEM & Endoflip Impedance System
• Endoscopicsuturing
• Spray cryotherapy
• EUS-guided radiofrequency ablation
• Advances in cannulation techniques
• Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication(TIF) ESD/EMR
  Tissue closure
• EUS liver biopsy & PPG
• Full Thickness Resection (FTRD)

Sunday June 28
AWE Vietnam Live Cases Discussions & Expert Insights
Virtual Session 2 (1 hour)
Panelists: Woojin Kim, Jennifer Kolb, Carlos Robles-Medranda, Ara Sahakian, Jeanin Van Hooft

Monday June 29
AWE Vietnam Case Presentation
Virtual Session 3 (1 hour)
Panelists: Woojin Kim, Jennifer Kolb, Carlos Robles-Medranda, Ara Sahakian, Jeanin Van Hooft

Tuesday June 30th
Future of Pancreato-biliary endoscopy
Virtual Session 4 (1 hour)
Endoscopic Ultrasound: expanding diagnostic indications in 2026.
Speaker: Jeanin Van Hooft
AI in the management of pancreato-biliary diseases.
Speaker: Carlos Robles-Medranda

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