Global Engagement
"Through our global engagement efforts, Stanford Surgery can play an important role in promoting education, clinical training, research, and innovation in surgical sciences worldwide. As we grow more interconnected, we are committed to working with others to identify solutions for the world, improve knowledge for humanity, and expand education for a life of purpose."
- Mary Hawn, Emile Holman Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery
Our vision is to build bridges founded on excellence in patient-centered surgical care to promote solutions for the world, knowledge for humanity, and education for a life of purpose.
The mission of Global Engagement within the Department of Surgery is to improve, strengthen, support, and expand collaboration with international partners in education, research, clinical training, and innovation as they pertain to surgery and associated disciplines. Through this program the Department of Surgery provides resources, guidance, support, and structured mentorship to students, trainees, researchers, academicians, and clinical faculty to develop sustainable, bidirectional partnerships. It also seeks to advance the science of safety, quality improvement, and implementation, and support colleagues in addressing such needs.
We aim to:
1) Foster bidirectional, sustainable partnerships
2) Increase and disseminate knowledge
3) Transform and improve practice
4) Develop and promote future leaders
5) Inform policy
Explore the sections below to learn more about our opportunities in global surgery and read about the surgeons who have participated in them:
Latest
Global participation at the S-SPIRE Mixed Methods Research Workshop
On April 16th-18th, the Stanford Surgery Policy Improvement Research & Education Center (S-SPIRE) hosted its annual mixed methods research workshop, with 35 participants in attendance. In addition to US researchers, the workshop has hosted several international researchers working on diverse projects over the past several years. This year was no different, and four international participants joined the group from Canada, the UK, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. For the past several years, Global Engagement and S-SPIRE have facilitated and sponsored Rwandan researchers from the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) and Ethiopian Fellows who are part of the Global Health Emerging Scholars (GHES) program
Spotlight: Dr. Michael Mwachiro, Kovitz Visiting Professor
On February 24th, 2026, the Department of Surgery welcomed Dr. Michael Mwachiro as the Kovitz Visiting Professor. Dr. Mwachiro is the President of the Surgical Society of Kenya and Chair of the Education and Research committee for the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA). Prior to and following his lecture, he joined the department for a two-week observership with a special emphasis on Stanford’s advanced endoscopy program.
Stanford/ReSurge Hand Surgery Workshop in Kampala, Uganda
Plastic surgery faculty from Stanford and ReSurge delivered a 2-day, hands-on hand surgery and cadaver dissection course for surgeons as part of the COSECSA Annual Meeting in Kampala, Uganda this past December.
Global Engagement at Stanford Surgery is pleased to announce the launch of its International Visiting Observer program. This is a unique opportunity for surgeons, surgical trainees, and surgical nurses to spend up to 30 days observing clinical practice side by side with surgical specialty teams that align with professional interests. Learn how to apply
Meet past visiting observers:
Opportunities
Apply for a 2026 Global Health Seed Grant
We are pleased to collaborate with the Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health (CIGH) to offer a 2026 Global Health Seed Grant with a focus on [include your department's focus area here]. Research projects that have strong potential to generate solutions and impact, and/or scale-up into larger initiatives are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to research teams that include more than one discipline and reflect CIGH's major initiatives and funders’ priorities.
Learn more about funding priorities and apply by March 27, 2026.
More Stories
Spanning continents to improve kidney transplant care
Across three hospitals in three continents, a tri-directional collaboration has emerged to share knowledge and skills between Stanford, São Paulo, Brazil, and Lusaka, Zambia.
Dr. Thomas Pham, a clinical associate professor in the division of abdominal transplantation, helped lead a recent three-week trip to Hospital do Rim as part of a training initiative with surgeons from University Teaching Hospital.
Videos
Stanford Surgery's Director of Global Engagement Dr. Tom Weiser is also a Program Director for Wellcome LEAP. He talks about the advancements he and his team have made on the SAVE: Surgery/Access/Validate/Expand project over the past 865 days.
Dr. Tom Pham, a clinical associate professor in the Division of Abdominal Transplantation at Stanford University, discusses his recent work in Lusaka, Zambia, where he has been instrumental in developing the kidney transplant program. He emphasizes the importance of collaboration and training in improving surgical practices in underserved regions.
On May 7th, Global Engagement hosted Dr. Kristin L. Long, the 2024 Society of University Surgeons (SUS) Global Surgery Scholarship awardee who delivered a talk entitled “Turbulence: Bumps in the Road of Hybrid Global Surgery Efforts.”
Holman Day 2023
Global Engagement fellows Maia Nofal and Tyler Wilson present their studies at Holman Day 2023.
Can medical mission trips make a lasting impact? Dr. Anna Luan’s new research shows that it can. She talks about her paper published in the March edition of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery titled “Expansion of Reconstructive Surgery Capacity in Vietnam” and ReSurge International’s visiting educator program.
We welcomed Gifty Kwakye, MD, MPH to Stanford Surgery as part of our junior faculty exchange program. Dr. Kwakye is a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Colorectal Surgery at Michigan University. She presents "Cancer Screening: When one Scope Doesn't Fit All" at Department Grand Rounds on Tuesday, October 4, 2022.
Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Dr. Jim Chang talks about Stanford's efforts in global reconstructive surgery.
Amber Trickey, PhD, MS, CPH presents "How to Work Effectively With Your Biostatistician" at S-SPIRE's Monthly Work in Progress Session on November 8, 2022. Dr. Trickey is a Senior Biostatistician at S-SPIRE.
Leadership
