Advancing and facilitating global research and collaboration to improve outcomes in perianal Crohn’s disease
The TOpClass Consortium is a global network of clinicians, and researchers united by a single goal — to transform the understanding and treatment of perianal Crohn’s disease. Through international collaboration and cutting-edge research, we aim to uncover new insights, drive innovation, and improve patient outcomes worldwide.
The TOpClass consortium is dedicated to fostering global collaboration to address unmet needs in perianal Crohn’s disease.
Our primary objective is to advance patient care through research; aiming to optimise medical and surgical therapy and enhance data collection to better understand disease outcomes. Central to our ethos is a strong commitment to cooperation and camaraderie. Learn more
Empowered by:
Consortium Members
City: London | Country: United Kingdom
The Fistula Research Unit at St. Mark’s Hospital is headed by Professor Ailsa Hart and Mr Phil Tozer. The centre has a strong history of championing research in the field of perianal Crohn’s Disease and progressing the medical and surgical management of perianal fistula.
City: Barcelona | Country: Spain
The IBD Research Group at IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, is a multidisciplinary unit involving translational and clinical researchers investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the development of IBDs, particularly difficult-to-treat complications, including fibrosis and perianal fistulizing disease.
City: Madrid | Country: Spain
Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, located in Madrid, is one of the largest and most prestigious tertiary care hospitals in Spain. As a major academic centre affiliated with Universidad Complutense de Madrid, it provides highly specialised care and serves a large population from …
City: Chicago | Country: U.S.A
Consortium description coming soon
City: Vancouver | Country: Canada
Astrid Williams has joined the team at the IBD centre of B in 2024. From 2018 to 2023, she was a Staff Specialist Gastroenterologist at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney, Australia.
City: Cambridge | Country: United Kingdom
Dr Nuru Noor is a Clinical Lecturer in Gastroenterology based at the University of Cambridge in the UK. He also works as an Honorary Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit
City: Abu Dhabi | Country: United Arab Emirates
Dr. Sara El Ouali is a consultant gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD) and is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio …
City: London | Country: United Kingdom
The Fistula Research Group at the University of Nottingham and Motilent is at the forefront of research in perianal Crohn’s disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
City: Paris | Country: France
The Proctology Department at Hôpital Paris Saint-Joseph is a department specialising in the medical, instrumental and surgical treatment of diseases of the anus.
City: Ghent | Country: Belgium
The IBD unit at the University Hospital of Ghent is headed by prof. dr. Triana Lobaton together with dr. Jeroen Geldof. Multidisciplinary, patient-focussed treatment of IBD with attention for extraintestinal manifestations and holistic management has been the motto of the team for over several decades.
City: New York | Country: U.S.A
The perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease clinical and research program at The Susan and Leonard Feinstein Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Center at Mount Sinai is co-led by gastroenterologist Dr. Serre-Yu Wong and colorectal surgeon Dr Sergey Khaitov.
City: Leuven | Country: Belgium
The perianal Fistula Research Program within the IBD referral centre of UZ/KU Leuven is coordinated by colorectal surgeons Gabriele Bislenghi and André D’Hoore and gastroenterologists Séverine Vermeire and Bram Verstockt.
City: London | Country: United Kingdom
The Fistula Research Unit at St. Mark’s Hospital is headed by Professor Ailsa Hart and Mr Phil Tozer. The centre has a strong history of championing research in the field of perianal Crohn’s Disease and progressing the medical and surgical management of perianal fistula.
City: Barcelona | Country: Spain
The IBD Research Group at IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, is a multidisciplinary unit involving translational and clinical researchers investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the development of IBDs, particularly difficult-to-treat complications, including fibrosis and perianal fistulizing disease.
City: Madrid | Country: Spain
Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, located in Madrid, is one of the largest and most prestigious tertiary care hospitals in Spain. As a major academic centre affiliated with Universidad Complutense de Madrid, it provides highly specialised care and serves a large population from …
City: Chicago | Country: U.S.A
Consortium description coming soon
Latest Articles & Insights
A global expert consensus defining what constitutes radiological healing and improvement on MRI in perianal Crohn’s disease, establishing clear, standardised criteria to guide both clinical assessment and research outcomes.
A global TOpClass review and expert consensus outlining the small but significant risk of anorectal and fistula-associated cancers in long-standing perianal Crohn’s disease, with practical guidance on risk awareness and prompt investigation of new or changing perianal symptoms.
TOpClass Consortium Meeting at ECCO on 19th February 2026 – click for further information. (after click, it should take them to the upcoming events tab)
A global expert consensus defining what constitutes radiological healing and improvement on MRI in perianal Crohn’s disease, establishing clear, standardised criteria to guide both clinical assessment and research outcomes.
A global TOpClass review and expert consensus outlining the small but significant risk of anorectal and fistula-associated cancers in long-standing perianal Crohn’s disease, with practical guidance on risk awareness and prompt investigation of new or changing perianal symptoms.
TOpClass Consortium Meeting at ECCO on 19th February 2026 – click for further information. (after click, it should take them to the upcoming events tab)