Advancing Surgical Collaboration Across Borders

Stanford Surgery × Université de Montréal

August 13, 2025

Stanford Surgery is proud to announce the beginning of a promising collaboration with the Université de Montréal’s (UdeM) Department of Surgery. UdeM is located in the province of Québec, Canada.

This initiative was spearheaded by Amin Etemad, MBA, Quality Programs Manager for the Department of Surgery at Stanford Medicine and alumnus of UdeM’s HEC Montréal School of Business (Class of ’02). Etemad serves as a liaison between the two groups.

In their first joint meeting, UdeM Chair of Surgery Dr. Fred Saad met with Dr. Marc Melcher, Chief of Abdominal Transplantation, and Dr. Lisa Knowlton, Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Associate Chair of Research for the Department of Surgery (McGill Medicine ’07). Stanford Global Engagement Manager Mohammed Al Kadhim also joined the video conference. They explored opportunities for faculty engagement, clinical innovation, and data-driven research in transplantation, cancer, trauma, and critical care.

"This partnership reflects a shared commitment to advancing surgical science and education on a global scale—connecting two world-class institutions through a common vision of excellence, innovation, and impact," said Etemad. "We look forward to the work ahead."

Media Contact

Director of Communications

(650) 723-2301

rebaker@stanford.edu

Bio

As the Director of Communications for Stanford Surgery, Rachel Baker tells the stories of her department's faculty, staff, and trainees. With the help of an amazing team of content creators, she produces and curates original articles, photos, videos, graphics, and podcasts. She works with each division, center, program, and lab within her purview to define their audience and reach their goals while maintaining a consistent brand voice. She also offers both 1:1 and group education on a variety of topics including media training, using social media to advantage, and presentation refinement. Rachel holds a Bachelor's degree in journalism with a focus on photography from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Strategic Communications from the University of Maryland.

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

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