Dr Sergio Coda

Sergio Coda is a surgical gastroenterologist and a specialist gastrointestinal endoscopist. He trained at “La Sapienza” University of Rome (2001-2007) in the world-renowned Department of General Surgery and Organ Transplantation “Paride Stefenini”, with an exclusive commitment to diagnostic and interventional endoscopy. He then pursued advanced training for endoscopic mucosal resection and submucosal dissection (EMR & ESD) of early cancers at the National Cancer Center Hospital of Tokyo (2007). He conducted and published one of the first evaluations of the safety and feasibility of ESD in a Western setting (2007-2009). Dr Coda joined Imperial College London in June 2009 working between the Photonics Group (Physics) and the Endoscopy Unit at Charing Cross Hospital, where he pioneered the clinical application of a novel spectrofluorometer for studying tissue autofluorescence, which led to the award of a PhD in Advanced Endoscopic Imaging in February 2014. He has a wealth of experience spanning academic, secondary and community health care settings, and covered a variety of senior roles both within the NHS and the Independent sector, including being Clinical Lead for Endoscopy (Care UK and InHealth) and more recently Medical Director (InHealth). He holds a substantive NHS consultant post at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust and is currently Clinical Director of the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme for the Trust. He also holds an honorary visiting academic post at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Physics, Imperial College London. His specialist interests include early endoscopic detection and advanced treatment of pre-neoplastic lesions and early cancers throughout the gastrointestinal tract. His research interests are focused on the translation of new biophotonics techniques such as fluorescence lifetime imaging and spectroscopy, and on hybrid endoscopic/surgical minimally-invasive therapeutic procedures. Dr Coda has authored over 30 papers, including the recent British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines on the diagnosis and management of patients at risk of gastric adenocarcinoma (Gut 2019;68:1545-1575), and 4 book chapters. He has been awarded the 2013 EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship, the 2012 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) Cook Medical Marsha Dreyer Award, and the 2011 research prize of the European Federation of the International College of Surgeons. Sub-specialty: Advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy Special interests Diagnosis and treatment of early gastrointestinal cancers Bowel cancer screening Colonic polyps Acid reflux and indigestion Barrett’s oesophagus Chronic gastritis Irritable bowel syndrome Procedures Transnasal (minimally invasive) and oral gastroscopy Colonoscopy with or without sedation Complex colon polypectomy Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) Dilatation and stenting of luminal strictures Banding of oesophageal varices Banding of haemorrhoids