Professor Francesco Rubino MD is Chief Officer for Obesity and Diabetes and Member of the Board of Directors.
He is a globally renowned bariatric surgeon and a leading researcher in obesity and diabetes.
Professor Rubino’s research showed that the anti-diabetes effect of certain bariatric procedures, particularly gastric bypass surgery, results from mechanisms beyond weight loss. This evidence provided a scientific rationale for surgical treatment of type 2 diabetes, including that of less obese patients. Professor Rubino’s research-finding and theories also point to a role of the gastrointestinal tract in the pathophysiology of diabetes and obesity. His clinical expertise includes laparoscopic, bariatric, metabolic and upper digestive surgery, including gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric banding and novel procedures. He is internationally recognized as one of the world’s leaders in the research, teaching and practice of metabolic and weight-loss surgery.
Professor Rubino received his MD and completed his residency in general surgery at the Catholic University and Policlinico Gemelli in Rome, Italy. He completed fellowships in laparoscopic surgery at the European Institute of Telesurgery in Strasbourg, France; Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York; and Cleveland Clinic.
A member of many professional organizations, Professor Rubino is the recipient of numerous awards, has given hundreds of presentations throughout the world, and is the author of over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters. He was one of the co-organizers of the landmark Diabetes Surgery Summit in Rome in 2007, an influential scientific event where leading international authorities for the first time reached a consensus on the best candidates for the surgical treatment of diabetes. Professor Rubino also served as Congress Director and organized the 1st and 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes in New York City, bringing together over 1,000 multidisciplinary diabetes experts from 62 countries.