The Akwari Society is pleased to announce the inaugural membership class, comprised of faculty, trainees, and researchers across the Departments of Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, and Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences.
"These 34 individuals embody the values and principles that The Akwari Society was founded on: Compassion, Empathy, Integrity, Excellence, Professionalism, Humility, Respect, and Service," says Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD, FACS, Chair of the Department of Surgery. "I anticipate them making meaningful contributions to our field through the application of humanistic principles in surgery, and in doing so, living true to Dr. Onye Akwari’s approach to patients, colleagues, and society in general."
Please join us in congratulating and welcoming this inaugural class.
Isaac Alderete
Medical Student, Duke University School of Medicine
Peter Allen, MD
David C. Sabiston Jr. Distinguished Professor of Surgery
Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology
Rebekah Boyd, MD
Resident, Integrated Thoracic Surgery Residency Program
Trinitia Cannon, MD, MBA
Associate Professor of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences
Gayle DiLalla, MD
Vice Chair of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Surgical Oncology
Alisan Fathalizadeh, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery
Tamara Fitzgerald, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Associate Research Professor of Global Health
Division of Pediatric General Surgery
Philip Fong, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery
Aurian Garcia Gonzalez, MD
Resident, General Surgery Residency Program
Jacob Greenberg, MD
Chief, Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery
Associate Professor of Surgery
Garth Herbert, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Surgical Oncology
Shelley Hwang, MD
Mary and Deryl Hart Distinguished Professor of Surgery
Vice Chair of Research
Division of Surgical Oncology
Kunoor Jain-Spangler, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery
Karenia Landa, MD
Fellow, Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship
Joey Lew, MD
Resident, General Surgery Residency Program
Holly Lewis, MD
Research Resident, Integrated Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency Program
Herbert Kim Lyerly, MD
George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor of Immunology
Professor of Surgery
Division of Surgical Sciences
Allison Martin, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Surgical Oncology
Cathlyn Medina
Medical Student, Duke University School of Medicine
Leila Mureebe, MD, MPH
Professor of Surgery
Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Theodore Pappas, MD
Professor of Surgery
Duke Surgical Innovation Distinguished Professor
Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery
Kendra Parrish, DO
Medical Instructor in the Department of Surgery
Division of Surgical Oncology
Jennifer Plichta, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Surgery
Division of Surgical Oncology
Henry Rice, MD
Professor of Surgery
Chief, Division of Pediatric General Surgery
Laura Rosenberger, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Surgery
Division of Surgical Oncology
Diego Schaps, MD
Resident, General Surgery Residency Program
Keri Seymour, DO
Associate Professor of Surgery
Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery
Cynthia Shortell, MD
Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery
Professor of Surgery
Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Geoffroy Sisk, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Oral Surgery
Erica Taylor, MD
Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Joseph Turek, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
Cory Vatsaas, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery
Lauren West-Livingston, MD
Resident, Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency Program
Sabino Zani, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Division of Surgical Oncology
About The Akwari Society
In September 2022, Duke Surgery celebrated the establishment of a new society honoring the legacy of Dr. Onyekwere Emmanuel Akwari. The society’s foundation is built upon placing humanity at the center of our surgical practice.
The Society is an honorific, yet accessible organization, action focused, and devoted to holistic excellence in surgery. It holds a foundational belief that excellence in surgery requires, in addition to technical prowess and subject matter expertise, competency in addressing the humanistic needs of patients, colleagues, and their communities. The Society will provide an intellectual outlet for thoughts, advancing humanistic principles, and deeds, applied to surgical practice, with the additional goal of aiding the community.