Dr. Romina Pena is a junior attending surgeon at the Gastrointestinal Surgery Department, Hospital Clínic in Barcelona. She studied medicine in Caracas, Venezuela and moved to Barcelona, Spain for residency training, which she completed in 2019. She spent her first year as an attending at Hospital Clínic conducting a pilot project on microbiome in colorectal surgery. She continues her training as a colorectal surgeon, developing in minimally invasive and robotic surgery.
She has co-authored publications on colorectal surgery and is a reviewer of the Cirugía Española journal. She has a Master’s Degree in Coloproctology by the Spanish association of surgeons (Asociación Española de Cirujanos) and recently became a board certified minimally invasive surgeon by the European Board of Surgery (FEBS/MIS). She is a member of the Spanish association of surgeons (Asociación Española de Cirujanos), Catalan surgical society (Societat Catalana de Cirurgia), European Association of Endoscopic Surgeons and the Young Division of the European Society of Coloproctology. Her main professional and scientific interests lie in colorectal surgery, minimally invasive surgery, and gut microbiome.
Dr. Pena is an active member of the AIS Channel Medical Team, developing medical content and a podcast for the platform.
Selected publications from PubMed
Early Infliximab Levels and Clearance Predict Outcomes After Infliximab Rescue in Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis: Results From PREDICT-UC.
Li Wai Suen CFD, Choy MC, Con D, Cheng K, Nigro J, Breheney K, Boyd K, Pena R, Burrell K, Rosella O, Proud D, Brouwer R, Gorelik A, Liew D, Connell WR, Wright EK, Taylor KM, Pudipeddi A, Sawers M, Christensen B, Ng W, Begun J, Radford-Smith GL, Garg M, Martin N, van Langenberg DR, Ding NS, Beswick L, Leong RW, Sparrow MP, Grosserichter-Wagener C, Te Velthuis H, Visvanathan K, De Cruz P
Gastroenterology. 2026 Jan;170(1):118-131 doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2025.07.020.
Intensified versus standard dose infliximab induction therapy for steroid-refractory acute severe ulcerative colitis (PREDICT-UC): an open-label, multicentre, randomised controlled trial.
Choy MC, Li Wai Suen CFD, Con D, Boyd K, Pena R, Burrell K, Rosella O, Proud D, Brouwer R, Gorelik A, Liew D, Connell WR, Wright EK, Taylor KM, Pudipeddi A, Sawers M, Christensen B, Ng W, Begun J, Radford-Smith G, Garg M, Martin N, van Langenberg DR, Ding NS, Beswick L, Leong RW, Sparrow MP, De Cruz P
Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024 Nov;9(11):981-996 doi: 10.1016/S2468-1253(24)00200-0.
Welcome & Introduction: A Global Vision for Surgical Equity – Dr. Romina Pena (Spain) The Global Footprint: Mapping the Robotic Revolution and Regional Leadership - Dr. Ramon Vilallonga Puy (Spain) Addressing the Divide: Strategies for Expanding Robotic Access in Emerging Economies - Dr. Andre Teixeira (USA) The Cutting Edge: How Emerging Technologies Are Redefining Robotic Surgical Capabilities - Dr. Domenico D’Ugo (Italy) What Surgeons Need: Perspectives from the Front Lines - Dr. Luigi Marano (Poland) Panel Discussion and Closing Remarks - All faculty moderated by Dr. Romina Pena (Spain)
With Rob Surgical
Published
Nov 2025
In the second episode of the Surgery, Pregnancy, and Parenthood podcast series, Dr. Romina Pena hosts Dr. Barbora Esat, a Czech surgeon specializing in abdominal wall surgery and mother. Dr. Esat shares her experiences with the challenges of surgical training and the difficulties faced by female surgeons returning to work after having children. She discusses the lack of standardized training programs, the stress of exams, and the absence of support for surgeon-mothers, highlighting the need for better institutional support to help women balance their careers and family responsibilities.
Published
Feb 2024
Welcome to the AIS Awards 2023! The event acknowledges the collective efforts of residents, surgeons, healthcare professionals, and the AIS Team in democratizing medical training through online content. With 11 awards across four categories and 45 nominees, the ceremony reflects the remarkable achievements of the AIS Community. Awards are based on real AIS Channel metrics, with two categories determined by audience votes. While celebrating winners, we also recognize the dedication of outstanding surgeons not nominated today. The prizes to be distributed will be as follows: Emerging KOLs Category Most Listened Podcast Most Viewed SOC Most Viewed ACW More Events Held KOL Category More Events Held Most Viewed OOO Live Webinar Category Most Viewed Live Surgery Greatest Social Impact Special Awards Category Best Academic Initiative Congress of the year Surgical Event of the year The virtual gathering provides a unique opportunity for professionals to connect, making the ceremony unforgettable. Join us in honoring the AIS Community's achievements this 2023!
Published
Dec 2023
In this podcast episode, Dr. Jacqueline Van Laarhoven, an accomplished surgeon and mom of three, talks about her journey becoming a mother during her surgical training. Dr. Romina Pena, an experienced surgeon without kids, shares her opinion and inquiries about the experience of being a surgeon and being a mother. In the second and final episode of these podcast series, Dr. Pena wonder about the essential support Dr. Van Laarhoven received from her surgical team when returning to work after becoming a parent, emphasizing the role of colleagues in her successful reintegration. Meanwhile, Dr. Van Laarhoven discusses her journey as a mother and surgeon, underlining the support from her team and the emotional challenges she faced in the initial days of working, constantly thinking about her children at home.
Published
Nov 2023
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In this podcast episode, Dr. Jacqueline Van Laarhoven, an experienced surgeon and mom of three, talks about her journey becoming a mother during her surgical training. Dr. Romina Pena, a relevant surgeon without kids, shares her opinion and inquiries about the experience of being a surgeon and being a mother. In the first episode of a two-part podcast series, Dr. Pena and Dr. Van Laarhoven opened up about their respective paths, exploring personal journeys of managing the demands of surgery and motherhood, shedding light on the balance between career aspirations and family life. Finally, they talk about the childcare expenses offering financial insights for aspiring surgeon parents.
Published
Sep 2023
Talk low, talk slow and don’t say too much” may have worked just fine for John Wayne but it certainly will not do for any surgeon! Starting with presenting cases to colleagues and connecting with patients, to later down the line when many surgeons assume leadership roles in public-facing positions or research, communication skills are key. In that sense, for surgeons, it may feel like it’s always “showtime”. Yet many people are still not comfortable presenting material or don’t have the time to take a long communications course. For this reason we have invited a group of seasoned presenters to share their knowledge with you in this Resilient Resident episode devoted to delivering your ideas.
With Johnson & Johnson MedTech
Published
Sep 2022
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