About SBAS

SBAS Committees

Advocacy Committee – Chair: Linda Barry MD

Mission: Ensure that the organization maintains its social relevance to the minority community (both physicians and general community) by proactively addressing important issues related to minority health, minority health care, and academic achievement, especially in science, medicine, and related fields.

Education/Research Committee – Chair: Fabian Johnston MD

Mission: To establish, enhance and maintain efforts within the organization to improve career development and research opportunities for members who are interested in advancing their academic careers. The committee will work strategically with organizations like NIH, ACS, NCI, AACR.

Finance Committee – Chair: Fiemu Nwariaku

Mission: Ensure that the financial health of the organization (both present and future) is being managed effectively with a keen awareness of the opportunities and threats to SBAS viability.

Committee on Health Disparities – Dineo Khabele MD

Mission: The Society of Black Academic Surgeons recognizes the critical relationship between the health of a patient and access to care. Access to surgical care is affected by many factors. Despite these factors, several studies have shown that where access to care is equal outcome disparities become indiscernible. Optimal access is the key to quality of care.

Informatics Committee – Chair: Hope T. Jackson MD

Mission: To develop effective strategies for utilizing social media, informatics and advanced technology to connect with our constituency, educate the public on our mission, market our organization, and endeavor to remain relevant to our younger and more diverse members

Medical Student Committee – Chair: Donn Spight MD

Mission:

• Address mentorship needs in surgery for medical students
• Support efforts that facilitate the transition from medical school to residency training school to residency training
• Establish a mentoring program for medical students
• Provide helpful information and guidance to medical students interested in surgical careers
• Facilitate the involvement of medical students in SBAS

Membership Committee – Chair: Colin Martin, MD

Mission: To establish an accurate roster of the members and promote enhancement of growth, engagement, and relevance of the SBAS to all constituencies within our organizations

Program Committee – Chair: K Marie Reid MD

Mission: To work with Host institutions and local venues to create an Annual Meeting that highlights and enhances the best and brightest academic contributions submitted to SBAS each year. To provide an educational platform that promotes growth, engagement, collaboration and relevance to all constituencies within our organization. In addition, to create an accurate roster of active members.

Publications Committee – Chair: Erika Newman MD

Mission: To further advance the mission and vision of SBAS through publications and manuscripts, utilizing our collective voice for education, transformative ideas, and global dissemination. This includes review and score manuscripts submitted for presentation at the annual meeting and facilitates timely publication with the American Journal of Surgery.

Resident Committee – Chair: Lara Oyetunji MD

Mission: The Society of Black Academic Surgeons wants to address issues of resident career development in academic surgery. This is a forum for access to resources and contact with senior surgeons to lend guidance on graduate surgical education and career development.

Women in Surgery Committee – Chair: Cherisse Berry MD

Mission: The Society of Black Academic Surgeons wants to enable academic women surgeons to develop their careers and promote the advancement of minority women academic surgeons as leaders. To provide a forum to address the issues of minority women surgeons. To provide mentorship and networking opportunities to enhance minority women’s academic surgical careers.

Committee Member Directory

Young Surgeons Committee – Chair: Erica Sutton MD

Mission: The Society of Black Academic Surgeons recognizes the unique needs of the young minority academic surgeon (under age 45) and the need for mentorship and guidance to the current generation of minority academic surgeons. This is a forum for access to resources and contact with senior surgeons to lend guidance on academic career development and to be a forum to address the issues of young minority academic surgeons