Department of Abdominal Surgery, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia. blaz.trotovsek@kclj.si BIOGRAPHY Blaž Trotovšek, MD, PhD, is associated professor of surgery at the University Medical Centre (UMC) Ljubljana, Slovenia. He was born in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 1968. After graduating with highest marks in his class at Medical faculty, University of Ljubljana in 1994, he started to work as a researcher and physician in the department of abdominal surgery. He became a specialist of general and abdominal surgery in 2000, and received his PhD in 2004 for research about variations of hepatic veins and their relevance for surgery and liver transplantation. He spent his post-doctorate year at Charite Campus Wirchow, Berlin in the department of General, Visceral and Transplantation surgery of Prof. Peter Neuhaus. From 2006, when he was elected to the position of associated professor of Surgery at MF, University of Ljubljana, he is also head of national surgical team for multiorgan procurement and an active member of EuroTransplant liver-intestine committee. From 2008 to 2016 he wass a head of the division for surgical endoscopy and he represented UMC Ljubljana for 2 years as assisting director for education. Dr. Trotovšek specializes in hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal surgery, abdominal trauma, surgical oncology, minimally invasive surgery, organ procurement and liver transplantation. Currently he is appointed as a head of division of HPB surgery and liver transplantation and is presiding to West-East Balkan chapter of IHPBA. He started to use VAC therapy for open abdomen in 2002 and he spreads the application of this technique to different scopes of abdominal and general surgery. His interest in catastrophic abdomen and his expertise in treatment of it in combination with NPWT techniques is well known among his colleagues. Today, with his colleagues, Dr. Trotovšek is conducting basic research and clinical studies in the field of reversible electrochemotherapy in liver and pancreatic tumours, he is searching for new approaches in treatment of acute necrotizing pancreatitis  with VAC therapy and conducts several other researches. His current projects are  percutaneous approach to continuous measurement of intraabdominal pressure, electrochemotherapy of pancreatic carcinoma and prognostic markers for development of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with metabolic syndrome.   He has published over 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals in the area of abdominal surgery. When not at work, he is a devoted father, almost fanatic skier and diver with one leg always on the edge. He is a permanent adventure seeker and he is taking up new challenges in private and professional life with spirit.