Dr. Ruben De Groote

CEO

Dr. Ruben De Groote is the current CEO of 4Health and its digital learning platform Surgquest. Ruben is a consultant urologist at the Onze Lieve Vrouw Hospital Aalst in Belgium with a focus and interest on robotic surgery and uro-oncology. 

He has been trained and mentored by Prof. Dr. Alex Mottrie and did a dedicated fellowship robotic surgery at University College London. 

Also, Ruben is a PhD candidate at KU Leuven and Orsi Academy by which he is examining the added value of proficiency based progression training for the adoption of basic robotic skills.

Inge Meesters

COO

Inge is the Chief Operating Officer of 4 Health Belgium. Her main focus is on building and implementing the company operational strategy.

She has a multi-disciplinary background as she graduated from the Catholic University of Leuven as a Master in Commercial Sciences majoring in Business Management and Entrepreneurship. After that, she got a 2nd Master's degree in Economics, Law & Business Studies.

With several years of experience in management consulting with a focus on (international) strategic growth, she is well-equipped to contribute to 4 Health Belgium’s growth story!

Dr. Eduard Roussel

Urology lead

Dr. Eduard Roussel is a senior resident in Urology at the University Hospitals Leuven with a special interest in uro-oncology and continued medical education. He obtained a PhD at the Catholic University of Leuven on patient selection strategies throughout the renal cancer disease spectrum and continues both translational and clinical research within the field of renal cancer and uro-oncology. 

He is also a full member of the European Association of Urology (EAU) Young Academic Urologists (YAU) renal cancer working group since 2018, participating in research projects across the globe.

Dr. Ellen Hagopian

Hepatobiliary surgery lead

Dr. Ellen Hagopian is a Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Surgeon and holds the academic post of Associate Professor of Surgery and Medical Education and the Assistant Dean for Clinical Education at University of Toledo College of Medicine in Toledo, Ohio, USA.

Dr. Hagopian was trained in General Surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and subsequently in minimally invasive surgery at New York Medical College in New York, USA. She was further trained in Hepatobiliary Surgery at Centre Hépatobiliare, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Villejuif, France, under the tutelage of the Pr. Henri Bismuth. Dr. Hagopian’s current surgical practice at the University of Toledo in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery has a particular focus in minimally invasive and robotic surgery.

Dr. Hagopian has served on multiple educational committees for Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA), Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) and American College of Surgeons (ACoS). She has held multiple surgical education leadership positions, including Chair of the AHPBA Education and Training Committee, Chair of the ACoS previous National Ultrasound Faculty, and Chair of the AHPBA Ultrasound Subcommittee. She also serves as Associate Editor for HPB.

Dr. Hagopian is an accomplished educator and has been a leader in surgical training, including HPB ultrasound training and technical skills training courses for HPB Surgeons and Fellows in North America. Her research interests focus in surgical education, in particular in surgical ultrasound and surgical skills assessment.

Dr. Riccardo Bertolo

Urology lead

Riccardo Giuseppe Bertolo works as an Assistant Professor of Urology at the University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

He did a PhD in Bioengineering applied to Medical-Surgical sciences at the Polytechnic of Turin - Italy - and attended a research fellowship in robotic urology at Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, Ohio, USA).

He conducts his clinical practice at Borgo Trento Hospital in Verona, Italy. His surgical activity is focused on urologic minimally-invasive surgery (mostly robot-assisted) for the treatment of prostate, kidney, and urothelial cancers, and benign ureteral diseases.

His research fields predominantly cover urologic oncology, with particular interest in kidney cancer, and technological innovations in minimally-invasive surgery. He published over 200 papers in the most prestigious peer-reviewed urology/surgery journals and serves as a reviewer for over 40 peer-reviewed journals, including the most prestigious urology journals.

Within the European Association of Urology (EAU), he is a Full Member of the Young Academic Urologists - Renal Cancer Working Party and an EAU robotic urology section (ERUS) Associate Member. He serves as Associate Editor for the European Association of Urology Educational Platform on Kidney Cancer (UroOnco platform).

Prof. Dr. François Hervé

Urology lead

François Hervé, MD, PhD is a consultant urological surgeon and academic urologist, working at Gent University Hospital, Belgium. His clinical activities encompass the diagnosis and treatment of male and female urinary incontinence, pelvic floor disorders and neurogenic Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunctions.

Join him on this remarkable journey where the synergy of medical expertise and cutting-edge technology creates new possibilities in the dynamic fields of functional urology and neurourology.

His steadfast conviction lies in the ability of robotic surgery techniques to reshape the approach to medical conditions, extending their benefits far beyond oncology to patients with functional disorders."

Dr. Carlos Collet

Cardiology lead

Carlos Collet completed his education as an interventional cardiologist at the Dante Pazzanese Institute of Cardiology in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2011, with subsequent training in cardiac computed tomography angiography at the Holy Cross Hospital, Florida, USA. Dr. Collet continued his education with a doctorate in Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Amsterdam. His Ph.D. thesis focused on integrating coronary imaging and physiology in patients with complex coronary artery disease. Dr. Collet has published more than 300 peerreviewed articles and is the co-director of the catheterisation laboratory at the Cardiovascular Center OLV Aalst in Belgium.

Dr. Stefano Pulliati

Nextgen lead

Stefano Puliatti, 37 years old, works as a Consultant Urologist at the Urology Department of the University Hospital (AOU) in Modena. He is also Assistant Professor in urology at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

He obtained his degree in Medicine and specialization in Urology at the University of Modena. He then moved to Belgium, where he completed a clinical and research fellowship at OLV – Hospital under the guidance of Prof. Alexandre Mottrie, one of the pioneers and leading experts in robotic-assisted surgery. For 2 years, he served as Deputy Medical Director of Orsi Academy (Melle, Belgium), considered one of the most important global center for robotic surgery training.

His surgical activity focuses on minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery for the treatment of malignant and benign urological conditions.

His research is centered on uro-oncology, the application of new technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of urological conditions, and training in minimally invasive surgery.

He has published more than 130 scientific papers in prestigious urological journals and numerous book chapters. He serves as a reviewer for several scientific journals and holds the position of OCERT Advisory Board member. OCERT (The "ORSI Consensus on European Robotic Training") is a non-profit society aiming to create valid and effective robotic training programs.

He is a full member of the Urotechnology Working Group of YAU (EAU Young Academic Urologists), a group of European urologists under 40 y.o. who have demonstrated excellence in the scientific field.

Dr. Puliatti is also a member of the Educational Training Committee in the Robotic Surgery section of the Italian Endourology Association (IEA) and a member of the Scientific Office - Training and Education Committee of the Italian Society of Urology (SIU).

He teaches Interdisciplinary Sciences in the Bachelor's degree in OBGYN and serves as a lecturer in Systematic Pathologies in the Bachelor's degree in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Modena.

Since 2022, he holds the Italian national scientific qualification to be Full professor of Urology.

Dr. Puliatti is co-founder and lead of the Nextgen event, a yearly live surgery event, during which young proficient surgeons get the opportunity to show their skills during live surgery, guided and mentored by senior experts according to the proficiency-based progression methodology. 

Prof. Dr. Riccardo Schiavina

Urology lead

Professional course

• Medical degree in 1999, University of Bologna (110/110)
• Degree of Urologist in 2005, University of Bologna (110/110)
• Since 1^st January 2006 till 1^st November 2008: Urologist at Dept. Urology, University of Bologna at S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy
• Since 1^st November 2008 till 1^st November 2014: Assistant Professor at Dept. Urology, University of Bologna at S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy
• Since 1^st November 2014: Associate Professor in Urology at Dept. Urology, University of Bologna at S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy
• Since 1^st November 2021: Professor in Urology at Dept. Urology, University of Bologna at S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy
• Head of residency School of Urology, University of Bologna, Italy
• Head of Robotic Urological Program, IRCCS S.Orsola Hospital, Bologna, Italy

Howards and honours

• Head of Imaging Section, Italian Association of Urology (SIU) (2014-2017)
• Past Associate Member EAU Section Urological Imaging (ESUI)
• Head of “Laser Program” for the treatment of Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy at the Department of Urology (DIMES), University of Bologna
• Extensor of Italian Guidelines for Italian Society of Urology in the field of Prostate cancer biopsy, Urinary infection, PET imaging in Urology
• Past Member of the Scientific Committee of Italian Society of Uro-oncology (SIUro)
• Member of the scientific committee of the Master of Robotic Urological Surgery at the University of Bologna and Tutor of Robotic- Assisted Radical Prostatectomy
• Member of the scientific committee of Advanced Studies in Urological Oncology Foundation (SAMUR Foundation)
• Member of the scientific committee of Doctorate (PhD) in Cardiologic-Nephro-Urologic and Thoracic Science, University of Bologna

Research activities and grants

• Main research activities are directed to uro-oncology, in particular to new imaging and molecular techniques for the diagnosis of prostate cancer (Multiparametric MRI, new metabolic radiotracers for PET/CT, CTC and FPDNA).

• Lead investigator of “DNA-free, CTC and micrometastases in prostate cancer diagnosis and staging” study (private grant)
• Lead investigator of the Urological Group of an Italian search in the field of prostate cancer imaging titled: "ANTI -3-18F-FACBC VS 11C-CHOLINE IN PTS TREATED FOR PROSTATE CANCER" (public grant)
• Co-investigator of “Magnetic resonance imaging Spectroscopy and PET/CT in the diagnosis of prostate cancer” study (public grant)
• Co-investigator of “DaVinci System in prostate cancer treatment” project (public grant)

• Member of MIRROR (MULTICENTER ITALIAN REPORT on RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY: OUTCOME and RESEARCH)

• Member of SATURN (Surveillance and Treatment Update on Renal Neoplasms Project)
• Member of RECORD (Conservative Renal Surgery Register in Italy)

International Fellowship

• ORSI (Vittikuti Robotic Surgery Institute) Department Of Urology, Aalst, Belgium in the field of robotic surgery (2016)
• S. Raffaele Institute, Vita e Salute University, Milan, Italy in the field of Laser Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (2010)

Editorial activities

• Past Associate editor of World Journal of Clinical Urology
• Member of the Editorial Board of International Journal of Urology
• European Urology (reviewer)
• European Urology Focus (reviewer)
• Journal of Urology (reviewer)
• British Journal of Urology International (reviewer)
• European Radiology (reviewer)
• Journal of Sexual Medicine (reviewer)
• World Journal of Clinical Urology (reviewer)
• BioMed Research International (reviewer)
• Urolologic Oncology (reviewer)
• Nature Urology (reviewer)
• SRN Urology (reviewer)

Surgical experience

More than 6000 surgical procedures (more than 4500 as first operator, including (open surgery, laparoscopy, robotic, endo-urology) in the field of the treatment of prostate cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, BPH and renal stones.

More than 2000 robotic surgical procedures (robotic partial prostatectomy, partial nephrectomy, radical cystecomy, pieloplasty, sacropexy).

Publications (scopus data at april 2024)

375 publications on Pubmed

H-index: 50 (Scopus)

Prof. Dr. Zhenjie Wu

Urology lead Asia

Zhenjie Wu works as a full Professor of Urology and a Consultant Urologist at Urology Department of the Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, P.R. China. He obtained his PhD degree of Urology at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. His surgical activity is focused on urological oncology (mostly kidney, prostate, and urothelial cancers). He was invited as a live surgeon at international Techno-Urology Meeting (TUM) in 2021 and 2025, and at Surgquest in 2024.

He is a full member of the Kidney Cancer Working Group of YAU (EAU Young Academic Urologists). He has been invited as international member of experts panel for the development of a global structured training curriculum for robotic radical nephroureterectomy at Norris Cancer Center, USC. He is also as a visiting professor at San Luigi Hospital of Turin University(Turin, Italy), Cariggi Hospital of Florence University(Florence, Italy), Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II(Naples, Italy), Rush University Medical Center(Chicago, USA), and Academic hospital Pitié-Salpétrière of Sorbonne University (Paris, France).

His research is centered on uro-oncology (particular interest in kidney cancer) and innovations in minimally invasive (mostly robot-assisted) surgery. He serves as Associate editor at Asian Journal of Urology. He had over 100 publications in prestigious scientific journals and serves as a reviewer for European Urology, Eur Urol Oncology, ect.

Prof. Dr. Anne-Françoise Spinoit

Pediatric Urology lead

Prof. Dr. Anne-Françoise Spinoit is a pediatric and reconstructive urologist at the Department of Urology, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium.

In 2015, she obtained her PhD in Medical Sciences, and in 2018, she became the first female Professor of Urology in Belgium.

Prof. Dr. Spinoit completed her initial medical studies in the French-speaking region of Belgium at the Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix in Namur and Université Catholique de Louvain in Brussels. She then pursued urology training in France before continuing her specialization at Ghent University Hospital.

Her expertise lies in robotic surgery, congenital penile malformations, and urogenital reconstruction in children, adolescents, and adults.

Prof. Dr. Spinoit is the President of the Société Belge d’Urologie (SBU) (2023-2025) and serves on the board of the European Robotics in Urology Society (ERUS) and the Société Française d’Urologie Pédiatrique et de l’Adolescent (Scientific Secretary, 2019-2025). She is also an active member of various professional associations.

In addition to her clinical and academic roles, Prof. Dr. Spinoit is Section Editor for Innovation and Technology at the Journal of Pediatric Urology and a reviewer for several leading urology journals. She has presented extensively at national and international conferences and has authored or co-authored over 115 publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Committed to education, she is actively involved in teaching pediatric urology as a member of the ESPU’s Educational Committee and the EAU Working Group in Pediatric Urology (EWPU). Furthermore, she has mentored numerous surgeons and urologists in launching their pediatric robotic programs and has been organizing courses at Orsi Academy since 2015.

Prof. Dr. Simone Crivellaro

Single Port Lead

Prof. Crivellaro is a distinguished urologist and professor specializing in minimally invasive and robotic urological surgery with a special interest on single port techniques. He currently serves as the Lawrence S. Ross Endowed Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine and has held various academic and clinical positions, including Associate Professor of Urology at the same institution. His previous roles include Attending Physician and Assistant Professor at the University Hospital of Udine, Italy.

Prof. Crivellaro obtained his Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of Torino, Italy, followed by a Urology Residency at the University Hospital of Novara, Italy, and specialized training at the Lahey Clinic in Boston, Massachusetts and Wake Forest University, North Carolina. His expertise lies in laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgical techniques, with a focus on single port robotic surgery.

A prolific researcher, Prof Crivellaro has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and conference abstracts in leading urology journals. His research contributions span topics such as single port robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy, uro-oncology, and reconstructive urology. He is a frequent speaker at international and national urology conferences, including the American Urological Association (AUA), European Association of Urology (EAU), and the World Congress of Endourology (WCE), where he has presented groundbreaking studies on minimally invasive urological techniques.

Beyond his clinical and academic work, Prof Crivellaro actively mentors medical students and residents, shaping the next generation of urologists. He remains committed to advancing the field through innovative surgical approaches, clinical trials, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Dr. Ellen Van Eetvelde

Colorectal lead

After finishing her medical studies at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium in 2005, Dr. Ellen Van Eetvelde started as consultant colorectal surgeon at the University Hospital Brussels and as clinical lecturer at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. Her clinical focus lays mainly on colorectal cancer surgery. Her main research interests are robotic colorectal surgery, low impact surgery, oncogeriatric surgery and surgical training. She introduced robotic colorectal surgery at her department and UZ Brussel has been a case observation center for robotic colorectal surgery since 2018. As a consultant she has performed more than 800 robotic colorectal procedures. She is one of the leading experts in Europe on colorectal robotic surgery and as a proctor she has trained over 100 national and international surgeons. She is also actively involved in the development of a structured training program for robotic surgery for surgical trainees in Belgium.

Dr. Lee C. Zhao

Reconstructive Lead

Lee C. Zhao, MD, MS is a reconstructive urologist, and Professor of Urology and Plastic Surgery at NYU Langone Health. Prior to becoming a physician, he attended graduate school for biomedical engineering and volunteered in the Peace Corps. Combining his interest in fixing problems and his desire to help people led him to the field of urologic reconstructive surgery. He has pioneered the use of robotic surgery for urologic reconstruction, including repair of ureteral strictures using oral mucosa, posterior urethroplasty, and peritoneal flap vaginoplasty. As a component of his reconstructive urology practice, Dr. Zhao is co-director for the gender affirming surgery program at NYU Langone. He performs both primary and revision gender affirming surgery as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

In addition to clinical care, Dr. Zhao has authored numerous articles on trauma, urologic reconstruction, and surgical outcomes. As a member of the Trauma and Urologic Reconstructive Network of Surgeons (TURNS), and the Collaborative of Reconstructive Robotic Ureteral Surgery (CORRUS), he is actively involved in studying improvements in surgical outcomes and patient safety by participating in collaborative research. He is also actively involved in urologic education. He was a co-author of the American Urologic Association core curriculum on Gender Affirming Surgery and guidelines on Urethral Stricture.

Dr. Stefania Ferretti

Endourology Lead

Dr. Stefania Ferretti graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Parma in 1991 with top honors. In 1996, she completed her specialization in Urology at the University of Parma with the highest distinction.

She currently is the Interim Director of the Urology Department at the University Hospital of Modena – University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE). She is also Head of the Endourology and Minimally Invasive Surgery Unit (Lap/Rob) at the Civil Hospital of Baggiovara (Modena) and Coordinator of the Prostate Unit & Uro-Oncology Meeting Group.

Her expertise lies in endourological and minimally invasive oncological techniques, as well as traditional surgery. She has collaborated for years with the Pediatric Surgery Unit at the University Hospital of Parma, focusing on pediatric stone disease, and she is currently available for the pediatric department in Modena.

For twenty years, she served as Adjunct Professor at the Schools of Nephrology, Geriatrics, and Obstetric Sciences at the University of Parma. She is currently a Tutor at the Urology Residency Program of UNIMORE. Since 2022, she has held National Qualification as Associate Professor.

She has been Scientific Director and Tutor for several practical courses in endourology throughout her career. From 2016 to 2019, she was a Tutor for Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy at the Urology Department of Guastalla Hospital, IRCCS AUSL Reggio Emilia.

Dr. Ferretti was a Board Member of the Italian Society of Endourology (IEA) from 2018 to 2021 and has played an active role in laparoscopy training coordination within the society since 2017. She is also Coordinator of the International ECIRS Group within the International Alliance of Urolithiasis (IAU).

She is a Member of the Editorial Board for Urology at Minerva Nefrologica e Urologica (IF 5.21); rewiever of Journal of Endourology, World Journal of Urology, Journal of Clinical Medicine; she is a Member of the International Scientific Board of MMISU (Mediterranean Minimally Invasive Surgery in Urology) Additionally, she is a Member of the Re-Live and Video Committee of the Italian Society of Urology (SIU).

To date, she has been an invited speaker and moderator at over 90 national and international conferences and has performed live surgery demonstrations for endourological techniques at over 40 national and international events.

Dr. Ferretti is the author of 135 peer-reviewed scientific publications in national and international journals, with an H-index of 20. She has presented 245 congress communications, authored a textbook on ureteral anastomosis techniques, and contributed to five scientific monographs

Prof. Dr. Benoit Peyronnet

Reconstruction Lead

Prof. Benoit Peyronnet is Professor of Urology at the Rennes University, Rennes, France where he is the head of the neurourology and functional urology program. He completed his medical school at the Paris VI university, his residency at the University of Rennes, Toulouse and Tours and clinical fellowship at the university of Rennes. He then did a 1-year research fellowship in the FPMRS division of the New York University Department of Urology. In 2019, he obtained a PhD at the University of Rennes on the molecular and radiomical characterization of spina bifida lower urinary tract dysfunction.

His academic interests and clinical practices are focused on functional urology, neurourology, reconstructive urology and robotics. He has authored or coauthored over 300 peer-reviewed articles. He is a member of the French committee of female pelvic medicine, EAU guidelines panel of non-neurogenic female LUTS and ICS/ICI panel of female urinary incontinence surgery. He serves as the editor in chief of the French Journal of Urology Pelvi-Perineology and as an associate editor for the French Journal of Urology, the World Journal of Urology, Continence and Current Bladder Dysfunction Reports.

Imaani Jacobsen

Digital Content Creator

Imaani is our Digital Content Creator. She is working for both Surgquest & Orsi Academy.

Imaani studied Communications Management, specializing in PR and Reputation Management, at Artevelde University of Applied Sciences in Ghent. After her studies, she built her experience in communications by working in dynamic cities like Amsterdam and Berlin, further honing her skills in international environments.