Renowned Endocrine Surgeon Robert Udelsman is New Chair of Surgery at Yale School of Medicine

Yale University School of Medicine today announced the appointment of Robert Udelsman as the school’s new chair of surgery.

Udelsman was most recently the Richard Bennett Darnall Professor of Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of endocrine and oncologic surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. His clinical research focuses on outcome research, particularly on innovative techniques for minimizing the trauma of surgery. These are particularly relevant to laparoscopic adrenalectomy and outpatient minimally invasive parathyroidectomy.

“Dr. Udelsman is an exemplary endocrine surgeon and superb leader,” said Yale University School of Medicine Dean David Kessler, M.D. “I am truly excited about his goals for the surgery department. Yale School of Medicine is extremely fortunate to have Dr. Udelsman join our ranks.”

Udelsman plans to transfer his innovative techniques to Yale as he enhances the department’s existing endocrine surgery practice.

“It’s my goal to see surgery at Yale maintain its historic position as a premier department distinguished by an emphasis on the core missions upon which it was designed: patient care, teaching and research,” said Udelsman. “We will train a new breed of surgeons and reinvigorate the hepatic transplantation program.”

“I have a sincere appreciation of the goals achieved by former Yale surgeons and I would like to reemphasize those goals,” Udelsman added. “I am excited, driven and committed to this department.”

Udelsman’s 10-year plan to enhance the surgery department includes rapidly expanding and infusing resources in critical areas, retaining key faculty members whose goals, aspirations and visions are consistent with departmental objectives, and recruiting and creating new areas with significant growth potential.

Udelsman stresses, “Before we can design the future, we must improve the present. I view our mission in the form of a triangle. The apex is patient care and the bases are teaching and research.”

Udelsman completed his medical training at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and his surgical residency and chief residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He has also completed fellowships in surgical oncology at the National Cancer Institute, in endocrinology at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and in gastrointestinal surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.