Chief of General Thoracic Surgery Named President of Society of University Surgeons
University of Utah Health’s Department of Surgery is thrilled to announce that Thomas Varghese Jr, MS, MD, MBA, FACS, MAMSE, was installed as the 85th President of the Society of University Surgeons (SUS) on February 6, 2024, at the 19th Academic Surgical Congress meeting. The SUS is dedicated to promoting excellence and leadership in academic surgery, a mission Varghese has championed throughout his career.
Varghese serves as the Chief of the Section of General Thoracic Surgery in University of Utah Health’s Department of Surgery, Chief Value Officer at Huntsman Cancer Institute, and Associate Chief Medical Quality Officer at Huntsman Cancer Hospital. An experienced health services researcher, he helped create the American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) Strong for Surgery program, and is the co-PI of the National Cancer Institute RO-1 funded clinical trial on the role of exercise for elective lung cancer surgical patients. In addition, as a former Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship and Residency program director, Varghese helped launch integrated thoracic surgery residencies at the University of Washington and University of Utah.
Varghese is a leader with a robust track record of mentoring and sponsoring medical students, residents, fellows, junior faculty, post-doctoral research graduates and PhD students for the past 16 years. After a rigorous peer-review process, in 2023 he was inducted as a Member of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators, a global cadre of renowned master surgeon educators who advance the science of surgical education and training.
The Department of Surgery is proud to support Varghese as he takes on the new role of SUS president, elevating the mission of both SUS and U of U Health. All Department of Surgery faculty, staff, and trainees are encouraged to attend the 2025 Academic Surgical Congress meeting in Las Vegas, where Varghese will give his SUS Presidential Address on February 11, 2025.