Dr. Vikas Dudeja, MBBS, FACS, has been appointed chair and department executive officer of the Department of Surgery at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. Pending approval from the Iowa Board of Regents, he will assume his new role on June 30.
As the department chair, Dr. Dudeja will lead faculty representation and serve as a key liaison within the Carver College of Medicine, UI Health Care, and with medical professionals across the state and nation.
Currently a tenured professor and director of the Division of Surgical Oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Dr. Dudeja specializes in pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancers. His research focuses on understanding pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis to develop innovative treatments. He also leads multi-institutional clinical trials evaluating novel pancreatitis therapies, with funding from the NIH, the Department of Defense, and the VA.
Expressing enthusiasm for his new role, Dr. Dudeja stated, “I’m honored and excited to join the University of Iowa Health Care team. I look forward to advancing surgical care, training future surgeons, and driving research to discover new treatments.”
Denise Jamieson, MD, MPH, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Carver College of Medicine, welcomed Dr. Dudeja, highlighting his expertise in surgery, research, and leadership. She emphasized his role in furthering the department’s commitment to patient care, education, and innovation.
Dr. Dudeja completed his medical education at AIIMS, his general surgery residency at the University of Minnesota, and a surgical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is a member of esteemed organizations such as the American Surgical Association and the Society of University Surgeons and serves as associate editor for Frontiers in Immunology and Pancreatology.
Recently elected president-elect of the Association for Academic Surgery, Dr. Dudeja’s leadership in surgical oncology and academic medicine further strengthens his influence in the field.
