Grand Rounds Speaker | Dr. Lillian Kao

May 1, 2025

The SUNY Downstate Department of Surgery was privileged to host Dr. Lillian Kao, MD, MS, FACS, Professor and Division Director of Acute Care Surgery, Interim Division Director of Immunology & Organ Transplantation, and Jack H. Mayfield, MD Chair in Surgery at McGovern Medical School and UT Health Houston. Dr. Kao is an accomplished academic surgeon who applied evidence-based research to improving outcomes in acute care patients. Dr. Kao earned her medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School, completed residency training at the University of Washington Medical Center, and continued at the University of Washington Medical Center for advanced GI fellowship. She later completed a Surgical Critical Care fellowship at UTHealth Houston LBJ Hospital. She obtained an MS in Clinical Research at UTHealth Houston and an MBA with a focus in Medical Management at UMass Amherst.  

Dr. Kao’s Grand Rounds presentation was entitled “Building a Trauma Research Program | Harnessing the Power of Learning Trauma Systems.” Dr. Kao’s incredible talk laid a foundation for creating a patient-centered research program in trauma and acute care. She emphasized the power of innovation, importance of quality, and the role of learning in transforming trauma systems. She also discussed strategies for obtaining stakeholder support. She concluded with a vision to pave the way for a more effective and compassionate approach to trauma care.