Dr. Catherine Juillard, professor-in-residence of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, has been named the recipient of the 2024 American College of Surgeons/Pfizer Academic Global Surgeon Award. She was honored at several events during the ACS Clinical Congress 2024, which was held in San Francisco from October 19–22.

Juillard, a trauma and critical care physician, focuses her research on surgical health disparities, such as improving access to surgical care in low- and middle-income countries. Her projects include working with partners to strengthen trauma systems in Cameroon and Uganda.

“Surgery is often left out of global health initiatives because it’s mistakenly thought of as a high-cost intervention,” Juillard said. “Our team believes that surgery is not something reserved for the rich; it is an essential part to strengthening any health system, especially in low-resource settings, where it is most needed.”

The award recognizes surgeons who are committed to giving back to society by making significant contributions to surgical care through organized educational activities.