Department of Surgery welcomes new Division Chief of Abdominal Transplant Surgery, Dr. Ramesh Batra
College of Medicine - Tucson Department of Surgery
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson Department of Surgery is pleased to welcome Ramesh Batra, MD, MA, FRCS, FACS, as division chief of Abdominal Transplant Surgery, effective July 1, 2025.
Dr. Batra is an accomplished transplant surgeon, academic leader, and clinical innovator with a diverse background in liver and kidney transplantation, living donor transplantation, transplant ethics, and medical technology innovation. He joins the University of Arizona from Yale University School of Medicine, where he served as Director of both the Liver Transplant Program and Living Donor Liver Transplantation at Yale New Haven Hospital.
Dr. Batra brings over a decade of surgical experience across leading institutions, including the Mayo Clinic, Loyola University Medical Center, and the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS). He is a recognized leader in transplant medicine, serving in national leadership roles such as Chair of Surgery and Liver Transplantation for the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), and has received multiple accolades, including the 2023 American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) Rising Star in Transplantation Award and the 2025 DARPA Gold Award for Innovation.
In addition to his clinical accomplishments, Dr. Batra’s current research focuses include machine learning applications in organ allocation and improving access to transplantation across underserved populations. Dr. Batra’s appointment ushers in a new era for the Division of Abdominal Transplant Surgery, as he brings a vision centered on multidisciplinary collaboration, surgical excellence, and innovation in transplantation science.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Batra to the Department of Surgery,” said Geoffrey Gurtner, MD, Chair of the Department. “His experience and passion for advancing transplant care will be transformative for COM-T and Banner - University Medical Center Tucson. I would also like to extend my gratitude to both BUMC-T, Dean Abecassis, and Dr. Richard Orlandi for making this recruitment possible.”