CHICAGO — Renowned urologist and regenerative medicine pioneer Anthony Atala, MD, FACS, has been elected 2026–2027 President-Elect of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
His election was announced during the ACS Annual Business Meeting of Members on September 29, which concluded ACS Clinical Congress 2026 in Washington, DC.
Dr. Atala is the G. Link Professor and Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the professor of urology at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
A practicing pediatric urologist, Dr. Atala is internationally recognized for his work in regenerative medicine. At the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, he leads a team of hundreds of researchers working to develop regenerative medicine technologies, including engineered tissues and organs.
His research has contributed to more than 18 technologies that have been used clinically, including applications involving muscle, urethral, and skin tissues. Dr. Atala also has helped advance 3D bioprinting technologies designed to produce tissues for potential clinical use.
“The ACS has been an important professional home throughout my career, and I am deeply honored to serve as President-Elect,” Dr. Atala said. “I look forward to working with colleagues across every surgical specialty to support surgeons, encourage responsible innovation, and advance high-quality care for surgical patients.”
Dr. Atala earned his medical degree and completed his urology residency at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. He later completed a clinical and research fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts.
His contributions to medicine and scientific innovation have earned numerous honors, including election to the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine in 2011. In 2022, the ACS presented Dr. Atala with the Jacobson Innovation Award, which recognizes surgeons who have developed innovative techniques or technology that have had a significant impact on patient care.
Dr. Atala has served in ACS leadership roles for more than 25 years. His service began with the Advisory Council for Urology in 2001 and has included six years on the ACS Board of Governors and nine years on the ACS Board of Regents. He served as Chair of the Board of Regents from 2023 to 2024.
Throughout his ACS service, Dr. Atala also has contributed to work involving health policy, finance, research, and member services.
“Dr. Atala brings an exceptional combination of clinical expertise, scientific innovation, and longstanding service to ACS,” said Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, Executive Director & CEO of ACS. “His collaborative leadership and commitment to improving surgical care will be tremendous assets as he serves as President-Elect.”
Vice-Presidents-Elect
Steven D. Wexner, MD, FACS, was elected First Vice-President-Elect of ACS.
Dr. Wexner is physician executive director and system chair for colorectal surgery at MedStar Health and professor of surgery at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC.
He has served in ACS leadership roles for nearly three decades, including on the Advisory Council for Colon and Rectal Surgery, Board of Governors, and Board of Regents. He served as Vice-Chair of the Board of Regents from 2020 to 2021.
Dr. Wexner also played a significant role in the development of the ACS National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer, which establishes multidisciplinary standards for the care of patients with rectal cancer. He currently serves as the program’s Immediate Past Chair.
Before joining MedStar Health, Dr. Wexner was director of the Ellen Leifer Shulman and Steven Shulman Digestive Disease Center at Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston. He chaired the institution’s Department of Colorectal Surgery for more than 30 years and remains emeritus chair.
Steven M. Roser, DMD, MD, FACS, was elected Second Vice-President-Elect.
An oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. Roser is the Delos Hill Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, a professor of surgery, and residency program director for oral and maxillofacial surgery at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Roser has a longstanding commitment to global surgical care and has participated in humanitarian programs that provide procedures such as cleft palate repair. His work has included affiliations with the Missions Abroad Program of Healing the Children Northeast in Central and South America and the Emory Haiti Alliance in Haiti’s Central Plateau.
He received the 2026 International Surgical Volunteerism Award as part of the ACS/Pfizer Surgical Volunteerism and Humanitarian Awards.
Dr. Roser’s ACS leadership has included serving as Chair of the Advisory Council for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Chair of the Advisory Council Chairs. He currently serves on the Committee on Global Engagement through ACS H.O.P.E. (Health Outreach Program for Equity in Global Surgery), the College’s initiative focused on advancing equitable access to surgical care worldwide.
