Member News, October 2023

Have you or an ACS member you know achieved a notable career highlight recently? If so, send potential contributions to Jennifer Bagley, MA, Bulletin Editor-in-Chief, at jbagley@facs.org. Submissions will be printed based on content type and available space.

Weigel Is Named ACS Cancer Medical Director

Renowned surgical oncologist, researcher, leader, and strategist Ronald J. Weigel, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, is the new Medical Director for ACS Cancer Programs. He succeeds Heidi Nelson, MD, FACS, who retired in August after serving admirably for 5 years in that position.

Dr. Weigel is the E. A. Crowell Jr. Professor and chair of the Department of Surgery with the University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City. He also is a prolific researcher whose lab has focused on determining the mechanisms of hormone response in breast cancer, as well as identifying transcriptional mechanisms regulating patterns of gene expression in breast and colon cancer. This work led to Dr. Weigel pioneering expression analysis techniques, helped prompt his 2018 election into the National Academy of Medicine, and makes him eminently qualified to lead the seven ACS Cancer Programs and drive forward the mission to improve the care of the cancer patient.

After earning his bachelor and master of science degrees in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Dr. Weigel received his medical degree and doctoral degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Following surgical training at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, he worked at Stanford University in California, Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, and now the University of Iowa. While in Philadelphia, Dr. Weigel obtained his master of business administration degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

An ACS Fellow since 1995, Dr. Weigel has held several leadership positions within the College. They include Chair of the ACS Board of Governors (2019–2021) and President of the ACS Iowa Chapter (2011–2014). He also served on the Committee on Emerging Surgical Technology and Education, Finance Committee, and Bylaws Committee.

Chu Is GI Division Director at UAB

Daniel I. Chu, MD, MSPH, FACS, FASCRS, is the new director of the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery at The University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB). In this new role, he will guide all administrative, clinical, and research efforts for the division, while overseeing strategic development. Dr. Chu will continue to serve as the Selwyn M. Vickers Endowed Chair, associate professor in the UAB Department of Surgery, vice-chair of health services research, and physician advisor for the UAB Enhanced Recovery Program.

Simianu Leads Research at Benaroya

Vlad V. Simianu, MD, MPH, FACS, has been appointed medical director of the Clinical Research Program at the Benaroya Research Institute (BRI) in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Simianu—a colon and rectal surgeon at Virginia Mason Medical Center (VMMC) in Seattle—also will continue to serve as medical director for colon and rectal disorders at the Center for Digestive Health within the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health system.

Melcher Becomes Chief of Abdominal Transplantation

Transplant surgeon Marc L. Melcher, MD, PhD, FACS, is the new chief of the Division of Abdominal Transplantation at Stanford Medicine in California. Currently, Dr. Melcher is a professor of surgery at Stanford and performs adult liver and kidney transplants. Additionally, he will continue as the abdominal transplant fellowship director.

Roggin Joins MUSC as Chief of Surgical Oncology

Kevin Roggin, MD, FACS, is now chief of surgical oncology in the Department of Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and director of clinical oncology at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, both in Charleston. Previously, he was at The University of Chicago for 17 years, most recently as professor of surgery, general surgery residency program director, and associate program director of the surgical oncology fellowship. In his new positions, Dr. Roggin will enhance the clinical programs, creating collaborative, multidisciplinary approaches to liver, pancreas, and biliary disease, and expanding the endocrine, breast, and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy programs.

Park Heads Trauma at Parkland

Trauma surgeon Caroline Park, MD, MPH, FACS, is the new trauma medical director at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas. She also will continue to serve as assistant professor and associate director of the surgical critical care fellowship in the Department of Surgery at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Bowyer Is Honored by Thai Royal College

Colonel (Retired) Mark W. Bowyer, MD, FACS, was inducted as an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Thailand. A trauma and combat surgeon, Dr. Bowyer is the Ben Eiseman Professor of Surgery at Uniformed Services University (USU) and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, both in Bethesda, Maryland. He also is the surgical director of the Val G. Hemming Simulation Center at USU. Dr. Bowyer is involved with the ACS Advanced Trauma Life Support® program and is one of the principal architects of the ACS Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma course, which he has conducted at more than 180 sites in 22 countries, including Thailand.

Geirsson Directs Cardiovascular Institute in New York

Cardiac surgeon Arnar Geirsson, MD, FACS, has been appointed director of the Cardiovascular Institute and Surgical Heart Valve Program at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York. He also will serve as professor of surgery in the Division of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Prior to his new positions, Dr. Geirsson was surgeon-in-chief of cardiac surgery at the Yale New Haven Hospital Heart and Vascular Center in Connecticut. Originally from Iceland, he returned to the country for a few years in 2013 to serve as a cardiothoracic surgeon at Landspitali University Hospital in Reykjavik.

Gosain Is President-Elect of SAAS

Ankush Gosain, MD, PhD, FACS, was named president-elect of the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons (SAAS) and will take over as president in 2024. Membership in this fully inclusive organization is open to those of any ethnicity who have an interest in promoting underrepresented populations in academic surgery. Dr. Gosain currently serves as chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Colorado Department of Surgery in Aurora, as well as chair of the Department of Pediatric Surgery and is the Dr. David R. and Kiku Akers Endowed Chair in Pediatric Surgery at the Children’s Hospital Colorado.