Announcing 2026 SIG Leadership

Stanford’s Surgery Interest Group (SIG) announced its four new leaders for the 2026/27 academic year:  Brianna Brasko, Rishik Bethi, Rayyan Darji, and Brenda Yu.

SIG is dedicated to promoting surgery as a career, enhancing surgical education for medical students, and creating opportunities for students to explore, learn, and lead within the field of surgery. SIG co-leads work closely with the Department of Surgery, faculty mentors, residents, and fellow students to build a collaborative and engaging community for students interested in surgical specialties.

Brianna Brasko is a 1st-year Stanford Medical Student from Orlando, FL. She attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and is currently an Army Officer. She will return to the Army as a physician after medical school and is interested in continuing her current research on trauma care in conflict settings & global surgery. This summer, she will be at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya doing research on cardiac surgery outcomes. As a SIG Lead, she is excited to facilitate mentorship opportunities between students and faculty and organize fun surgical education events! In her free time, she enjoys CrossFit, working out, and exploring the Bay Area with friends.

Rishik Bethi is a 1st-year Stanford Medical Student from Dallas and New Orleans. He attended Vanderbilt University, majoring in Neuroscience and Medicine, Health, & Society. Now, he is doing research in the Delitto Lab to study the tumor microenvironment and has a strong interest in Surgical Oncology. As a SIG Lead, he hopes to build meaningful relationships between students and surgical faculty through informal skills training and candid conversations. In his free time, Rishik loves to listen to music, play basketball, and try new restaurants in the Bay!

Rayyan Darji is a first-year medical student at Stanford from Tallahassee, Florida. Before medical school, he studied Neuroscience and Data Science at Yale University. At Stanford, he currently conducts research on strictures in pediatric Crohn’s disease in Professor Jeong Hyun’s lab and is strongly interested in general surgery. As a Surgery Interest Group lead, Rayyan hopes to help build a welcoming community for students interested in surgery by connecting them with mentors, resources, and meaningful clinical experiences. Outside of medicine, he enjoys soccer, cricket, and trying new spicy foods from different cuisines.

Brenda Yu is a first year Stanford medical student from Merced, California. Prior to medical school, she studied Biological Sciences and Psychology at UC Merced and completed her PhD in Biophysics at Stanford. She currently studies early markers of hand osteoarthritis in the Ladd Lab and is interested in surgery broadly. As a SIG lead, Brenda aims to foster meaningful connections between students and faculty and create resources to support students on a successful journey into surgery. In her free time, she enjoys weightlifting, dancing, and trying new foods.

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About Stanford Surgery

The Stanford University Department of Surgery is dedicated to inventing the future of surgical care through:

• pioneering cutting-edge research, 
• developing the next generation of leaders, and 
• healing through incomparable surgical skills and compassion. 

To learn more, please visit surgery.stanford.edu