Department of Surgery Leadership
Chair
Dr. John Stewart IV – Professor and Chair of Surgery
Dr. Stewart serves as the Surgeon in Chief for ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ and directs the clinical vision, mission, and strategies for the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ’s department of surgery.
Dr. Stewart served as the founding director of the Louisiana State University- Louisiana Children's Medical Center Cancer Center, where he held the rank of professor of surgery at the Louisiana State University New Orleans School of Medicine. Under his leadership, Dr. Stewart set the overall direction for multidisciplinary cancer care and cancer clinical research programs at LSU Health New Orleans and LCMC Health.
Before he arrived at LSU, Dr. Stewart served as the deputy director for the University of Illinois Cancer Center and physician executive for oncology services for the University of Illinois Health System. He was also a member of the initial class of Presidential Scholars for the University of Illinois. Dr. Stewart’s previous leadership roles include serving as the chief of surgery at the Durham VAMC, vice chair in the Wake Forest School of Medicine Department of Surgery, and associate dean for clinical research and innovation at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Dr. Stewart received his medical degree from Howard University and completed his general surgery residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He completed fellowships in surgical oncology, tumor immunology, and molecular oncology at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Stewart has established a national profile in education, scientific research, and cancer care delivery to underserved populations. His clinical interests are in general surgical oncology, focusing on melanoma, tumor immunotherapy, and peritoneal surface malignancies.
Dr. Stewart serves as a director for the American Board of Surgery, the chair of the American College of Surgeons Advisory Council for General Surgery, and a member of the Halsted Society Board of Directors. Best Doctors, Top Doctors, and Top Surgeons have recognized Dr. Stewart for his patient care achievements. In addition, the National Cancer Institute, Amgen, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have funded his research efforts.
He has published over 100 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, including Cancer, Annals of Surgery, JAMA Surgery, the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the Journal of Immunotherapy, Annals of Surgical Oncology, the Journal of Surgical Research, Transplantation, Surgery, and Cancer Gene Therapy.
Executive Vice Chair
Dr. Valentine Nfonsam – Professor and Executive Vice Chair of Surgery
Dr. Nfonsam graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago and completed his surgery residency training at UT Southwestern in Dallas and the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, New York. He did a research fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, and completed a two-year fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at the University of South Florida, Tampa. He was program director of the general surgery residency at the University of Arizona for 9 years.
Dr. Nfonsam is a member of national and international societies, including the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS), the Western Surgical Association (WSA), and the American College of Surgeons (ACS). He holds leadership positions within several organizations, including the Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS), the Society of Surgery in the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) Board of trustees, and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (ASCRS).
He served for two years as President of the American College of Surgery (ACS) Arizona Chapter, and he is currently a member of the Board of Governors of the ACS, a Councilor of the American Board of Surgery (ABS), and a member of the ACS Health Policy Advisory Group.
Dr. Nfonsam’s clinical specialties include colorectal and gastrointestinal surgery, gastrointestinal oncology, and laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery. His research focuses on colorectal cancer, especially in the young, in addition to disparities in colorectal cancer.
Vice Chair
Dr. Christine Castater – Vice Chair of Operational Diversity, Inclusive Excellence, Equity, and Belonging
Dr. Christine Castater decided to pursue medicine after being a victim of violence. She finished her BA, MD, and MBA all at the University of Connecticut; General Surgery Residency at the University of California San Francisco-East Bay; and Trauma and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at Emory University/Grady Hospital. Dr. Castater is a trauma and critical care surgeon at Grady Memorial Hospital, the medical director for the acute care surgery wards, a diversity and inclusion champion for the Morehouse School of Medicine department of surgery, and the newly selected assistant clerkship director for the Morehouse surgery clerkship.
Her research interests include trauma-informed care, violence prevention, healthcare disparities, diversity and inclusion, and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other things, and she has spoken numerous times on post-traumatic stress disorder and on her path from trauma thriver to trauma surgeon. Dr. Castater is on many national committees devoted to violence prevention, diversity, and inclusion; she serves as a mentor for many students and residents; and she advocates for equity within graduate medical education. Dr. Castater’s board certification affiliations include ABMS Surgery and ABMS Surgical Critical Care. Her honors include:
- Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (AΩA) Inductee, 2024
- ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Teaching Competition: First Place Winner, 2023
- Wellstar Kennestone Research Day Poster Competition Winner, 2022
- Administrative Trauma Fellow, Emory University, 2020
- UCSF East Bay General Surgery Intern of the Year, 2015
- University of Connecticut School of Medicine Student Affairs Award, 2014
- University of Connecticut School of Medicine Health Career Opportunity Programs Bridge Mentoring Award, 2014
- University of Connecticut School of Medicine Jennifer Smith Scholarship Award, 2014