HPBridge Research Grant Programme
The HPBridge Research Grant Programme supports HPBridge members based in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to lead high-quality, locally relevant research in hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery.
The programme provides targeted funding and mentorship, with a focus on early-career investigators and projects aligned with local clinical priorities. By pairing financial support with access to the global HPBridge network, the programme strengthens research capacity and promotes equitable contribution to global HPB scholarship.
Through locally led, collaborative research, the HPBridge Research Grant Programme helps translate shared learning into meaningful clinical and academic impact.
2025 HPBridge Research Grant Recipients
Establishing a National HPB Surgery Database and HPB Cancer Biobank in Nigeria:
A Pilot Study
Prof. Olusegun Isaac Alatise, HPBridge Group 4
Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Prof. Olusegun Isaac Alatise is a Professor of Surgery at Obafemi Awolowo
University and a Consultant Surgical Oncologist and Gastroenterologist at
OAUTHC. He completed Surgical Oncology training at Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center and has held multiple international fellowships in endoscopy,
hepatobiliary, and colorectal surgery.
He is a leader and trainer in oncology and gastroenterology in Nigeria,
currently serving as Secretary General of the Nigerian Chapter of IHPBA, and
immediate past Secretary General of SOGHIN.
Prof. Alatise's HPBridge project will pilot a national HPB surgery database
and HPB cancer biobank, essential foundations for advancing outcomes research
and translational HPB science in Nigeria.
Risk Factors Associated with Recurrent Hepatolithiasis: Experience from a
Tertiary Referral Center in Nepal
Suyog Bhandari, HPBridge Group 2
Tribhuvan University, Nepal
Dr. Suyog Bhandari, MBBS, MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), is a Lecturer in
the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology at Tribhuvan University Teaching
Hospital (TUTH), Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal. A young HPB surgeon
committed to advancing HPB surgery and research in LMIC settings, Dr.
Bhandari’s clinical and academic interests focus on improving surgical
outcomes through context-appropriate, evidence-based innovations.
Dr. Bhandari’s HPBridge project will investigate the risk factors driving
recurrent hepatolithiasis in Nepal, generating locally grounded evidence to
guide prevention strategies and refine surgical decision-making with the
goal of improving long-term hepatobiliary outcomes.
Validation of the Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test and Establishment of a Population
Specific Cut-off Point for Predicting Postoperative Morbidity in
Hepatobiliary Surgery Patients: A Multicenter Study
Dr. Marco José Quintero, HPBridge Group 6
Hospital Universitario Clínica San Rafael Bogotá & Fundación Amigos de la
Salud, Colombia
Dr. Marco José Quintero is a Colombian surgeon specializing in hepatobiliary,
pancreatic, and transplant surgery. He completed General Surgery training at
Hospital Universitario Clínica San Rafael in Bogotá, subspecialty training in
Critical Care Medicine, and a master's degree in Epidemiology. He later
undertook fellowships in HPB and Transplant Surgery at INCMNSZ in Mexico City.
Dr. Quintero's multicenter study will validate the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test
in hepatobiliary surgery patients and establish a population-specific
cut-off point for predicting postoperative morbidity. This work has the
potential to deliver a practical, low-resource preoperative assessment tool
that supports safer surgical decision-making across Latin America.
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