Stanford Surgery News

A few of our favorite photos, podcasts, articles, and videos of 2025 from Stanford University's Department of Surgery!

A recent study published in Science Translational Medicine by researchers at the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute set out to determine whether damage to the endothelium, the thin layer of cells lining all blood vessels, plays a central role in TKI-associated heart disease.

Carlos O. Esquivel, MD, PhD, has been named the 2025 recipient of the International Pediatric Transplant Association (IPTA) Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor recognizes an IPTA member who has made outstanding contributions to the field of pediatric transplantation over the course of their career. Only one award is presented every two years at the association’s Biennial Congress.

After a national search, Stanford Surgery's next Chief of Colorectal Surgery will be Dr. Cindy Kin. Kin is taking over from Dr. Andy Shelton, who has led the section for the last seven years.

Jesse Tai is a Stanford Medical Student who was inspired by Dr. Joe Forrester to pursue a career as a surgeon-scientist.

Stanford Medicine has completed its first robotic kidney transplant, marking a milestone for both the institution and the region. The procedure, performed by Dr. Thomas Pham and Dr. Stephan Busque, represents the first time this approach has been used for kidney transplantation in Northern California.

On December 2, 2025, the Division of Abdominal Transplantation hosted the 20th Annual Oscar Salvatierra Jr. Lectureship at Stanford Medicine. This year’s lecture was delivered by Dr. Stefan Tullius, MD, PhD, who presented “The ‘Graying’ Transplantation Challenge: Older Organs and Older Patients Need Our Attention.” The event took place during Surgery Grand Rounds.

Dr. Travis Miller, MD has been selected as the FY26 Quarter 1 Physician of the Quarter at Stanford Health Care – Tri-Valley. The award recognizes hospital providers who demonstrate high-quality patient care, strong collaboration, and contributions aligned with SHC-Tri-Valley’s pillars, goals, and values.

Greg Tiao, MD will join the Stanford Surgery team as a Professor in in the UML effective January 1, 2026. Tiao will be dual-appointed in the Divisions of Abdominal Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery.

Administrative Division Manager for General Surgery Ivette Arenas and Department Human Resources Administrator Anna Noriega are the inaugural recipients of the Stanford Surgery Staff Awards.