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Department of Surgery

Department of Surgery Centennial

The Department of Surgery will celebrate its 100-Year Anniversary this year, honoring a century of clinical, academic, and research excellence in surgery.

Celebrating 100 Years of Service and Excellence

In 2025, the Department of Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine will proudly commemorate our 100-year anniversary. This significant achievement marks a century of clinical, academic, and research excellence in surgery. We are excited to celebrate this special milestone with special Grand Rounds sessions that highlight the rich history of each division within the Department of Surgery and the publication of a Centennial Tribute Book. 

Centennial Logo - Yellow Circle JPG

Surgery Division Grand Rounds Series

Join us as we honor the Department of Surgery's 100 years of excellence in surgical innovation, education, and patient care through a special Grand Rounds series that highlights each division. Each month will feature an alumni guest speaker who will speak on the history of each division.



Upcoming Presentations

Decades of Excellence & Innovation: Vascular Surgery at Emory Surgery

Presented by Yazan Duwayri, MD
February 26, 2025 | 7:00 - 8:00 AM

The Division Grand Rounds Series lecture for the Centennial Grand Rounds Series will continue with a presentation by Emory University's Vascular Surgery Division chief, Dr. Yazan Duwayri.

Dr. Yazan Duwayri is a Professor and Chief of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy at Emory University and Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. He holds the prestigious John E. Skandalakis Chair in Surgery and serves as Co-Director of the Emory Aortic Center.

Grand Rounds may be attended in-person in the Emory University Hospital Auditorium or virtually via Zoom.

Add to Calendar
Dr. Yazan Duwayri

Previous Presentations

June 12, 2025 The Birth of Minimally Invasive Surgery

The inaugural lecture for the Centennial Grand Rounds Series was presented by Dr. John Hunter from Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine.

Dr. Hunter served at Emory from 1992-2001 as the General & GI Surgery division chief before transitioning to OHSU to become the Mackenzie Chair of Surgery and Surgeon in Chief of the OHSU Health System.

August 28, 2025 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Pediatric Surgery

The presentations on August 28, 2025 were provided by the divisions of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Pediatric Surgery. Part I of the presentation was hosted by Dr. Gary Bouloux whose presentation was titled Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: “Rags to Riches.” Part II was hosted by Dr. Matthew Clifton and was titled Pediatric Surgery at Emory: Past, Present, and Future.

Dr. Bouloux joined the Emory Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 2006 as director of the OMFS residency. In 2020, he transitioned from this role to serve as interim chief of Emory OMFS before being appointed as chief in February 2024.

Dr. Clifton has served as chief of the division of Pediatric Surgery since 2020 after having served as interim chief for more than two years. Dr. Clifton earned his medical degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine, and completed his internship, junior residency, research fellowship, and general surgery residency at the University of California, San Francisco. He joined the Emory Department of Surgery in 2010 after completing his Emory pediatric surgery fellowship.

December 18, 2025 Cardiothoracic Surgery and Plastic Surgery

The presentations on December 18, 2025 were provided by the divisions of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Plastic Surgery. Part I of the presentation was hosted by Dr. Michael Halkos whose presentation was titled Emory Cardiothoracic Surgery: Where We Are Going and the Impact of Superspecialization and Part II was hosted by Dr. Albert Losken and was titled A History and Review of Emory Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Halkos is a Professor of Surgery and an academic cardiac surgeon-scientist with expertise in minimally invasive cardiac surgery, specifically in robotic mitral valve surgery and robotic-assisted coronary artery bypass surgery, hybrid coronary revascularization, and hybrid atrial fibrillation ablation. He was the Department of Surgery's first faculty member to receive an NHLBI K-23 Award, and currently serves as principal investigator for multiple industry- and NIH-sponsored trials.

Dr. Losken is the Program Director of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Emory University where he has taught since 2002. He is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Losken has garnered special recognition for his contributions to the field of plastic surgery: his peers voted him one of Atlanta’s Top Doctors, and he has been named Teacher of the Year at Emory three times, most recently in 2012. He is also an Honorary Clinical Tutor for the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

Division Highlights Schedule: August 2025 – June 2026

Date
Scheduled Divisions
Speakers
August 28, 2025 OMFS Pediatric Drs. Bouloux and Clifton
December 18, 2025 Cardiothoracic Plastic Drs. Halkos and Losken
February 26, 2026 Vascular Transplant Dr. Duwayri and Drs. Pearson and Larsen
April 9, 2026 Colorectal/Surgical Oncology Grady Drs. Staley and Delman
June 11, 2026 General Surgery VAMC Drs. Lin and Massarweh


Letter from Our Chair



Dr. John Sweeney

Dear Department of Surgery Faculty, Staff, and Alumni,

As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Emory Department of Surgery, it is both an honor and a privilege to reflect on the remarkable journey that has brought us to this centennial milestone. Our department's legacy is built upon a foundation of pioneering leadership, groundbreaking innovations, and an unwavering commitment to excellence in patient care, education, and research. 

The Department of Surgery has existed as a clinical unit since 1925, when it began providing services at Emory University Hospital and in 1930, Dr. Daniel C. Elkin became the first official Chair of the Department of Surgery.

To commemorate this significant 100-year milestone, we have launched several initiatives that honor our rich history and look forward to our future. We have established the William C. Wood Endowment Fund, paying tribute to Dr. William C. Wood's transformative leadership from 1991 to 2009. This fund will support our mission to lead in surgical innovation and care. Our Centennial Tribute Book is being developed to chronicle the department's journey, capturing the stories and achievements that have defined us. Additionally, our Centennial Grand Rounds series will feature division highlights and esteemed alumni speakers, celebrating our legacy and inspiring future advancements. We look forward to sharing more exciting developments as we continue to honor our past and shape the future of surgery. 

As we honor our past, we also look forward to the future with a renewed dedication to advancing surgical care, fostering innovation, and training the next generation of surgical leaders. The legacy of excellence established by our predecessors continues to inspire our mission and vision for the years ahead. 

Our Centennial milestone is a testament to the unwavering support, dedication, and vision of our alumni, supporters, and the broader Emory community. This historic achievement would not have been possible without the contributions of countless individuals—surgeons, staff, trainees, patients, and partners—who have helped shape the Department of Surgery over the past century. We are deeply grateful to those who have played a role in building our legacy, advancing our mission, and laying the foundation for the next hundred years of innovation, excellence, and service in surgery.

On behalf of Emory Surgery and the hundreds of dedicated faculty and staff who continue to advance its mission, we invite you to join us in celebrating our first 100 years—and in looking ahead to the next century of excellence together.

Sincerely,

Dr. John Sweeney
Joseph Brown Whitehead Professor and Chair
Department of Surgery
Emory University School of Medicine




The William C. Wood Endowed Fund

As part of the 100th anniversary of the Department of Surgery, we are pleased to announce the establishment of the William C. Wood Endowed Fund. The fund will honor his legacy, supporting the department to fulfill its mission as a global leader in surgical innovation and care. We invite you to join Emory leadership in commemorating the remarkable impact that he had on the world of surgery, locally, nationally, and internationally.

Make a Donation
William C. Wood

More On Emory Surgery

Our History

The Emory Department of Surgery became an official academic medical institution when Daniel C. Elkin, MD, was appointed the department's first chair in 1930.

Historical image from Emory Surgery photo archives.

Annual Reports

Published annually since 2012, our annual reports cover departmental milestones and achievements, faculty awards and appointments, and new faculty hires.

Surgical team.