Dr. Anthony Atala
Newswise — CHICAGO (November 15, 2023): Anthony Atala, MD, FACS, a distinguished pediatric urologist from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has been named the new Chair of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Board of Regents. The announcement of his election to a one-year term came following the ACS Clinical Congress 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Dr. Atala, the George Link, Jr. professor and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM), and the W.H. Boyce professor and chair of urology at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, is recognized for his groundbreaking work in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to chair the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons. The ACS is the largest organization of surgeons in the world and has been setting the gold standard for surgical quality since its founding in 1913,” said Dr. Atala. “I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues as we continue to work collectively to improve the care of the surgical patient and to serve our 90,000 members as they strive to deliver the highest quality of surgical care.”
As Chair, Dr. Atala will work in concert with ACS Executive Director & CEO, Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, and will chair the Board of Regents' Finance and Executive Committees. The Board, comprised of 24 members, shapes policies, and supervises the overall management of the College. The varied backgrounds and expertise of the Board members allow for a broad representation of the surgical community and its multifaceted perspectives on current issues.
A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons since 1996, Dr. Atala has served as a member and Chair of the Advisory Council for Urology, a member of the Board of Governors, and has been a strong and thoughtful contributor to the ACS Surgical Forum and Surgical Research Committee. He presented the prestigious Martin Memorial Named Lecture during the ACS Clinical Congress in 2010 entitled, Regenerative Medicine: New Approaches to Health Care.
Dr. Atala's innovations in regenerative medicine have earned him numerous accolades and a reputation as a pioneer in the field. He received the 2022 Jacobson Innovation Award of the ACS. This international surgical award from the ACS honors living surgeons who are innovators of a new development or technique in any field of surgery.
In addition to his role with the ACS, Dr. Atala has been an active member and leader in several professional and governmental organizations, contributing his expertise to the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute's Advisory Board, and founding multiple societies dedicated to the advancement of regenerative medicine. He has published more than 800 peer-reviewed journal articles and holds over 300 national and international patents.
Dr. Atala received his medical degree from the University of Louisville, where he also completed his surgical residency. He further specialized in pediatric urology during a fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
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