Tanuja Damani, MD, a nationally renowned expert in the fields of advanced robotic and foregut surgery, has been named the new chief of the Division of General Surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. With more than 15 years of experience in the field, Dr. Damani joined NYU Langone in 2019 as the surgical director of NYU Langone’s Center for Esophageal Health. Dr. Damani currently serves as the section chief of esophageal and foregut surgery and recently launched the institution’s inaugural minimally invasive and robotic surgery fellowship.

“We are thrilled to continue supporting Dr. Damani’s leadership as she works to provide outstanding care to patients with the highest level of surgical skill, compassion, and commitment to advancing the field,” said Robert Montgomery, MD, DPhil, the H. Leon Pachter, MD, Professor of Surgery and chair of the Department of Surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “Her expertise and passion for collaboration will allow the Division of General Surgery to continue bringing these techniques and methods into the future, revolutionizing patient experience.”

During her tenure, the Center for Esophageal Health team has worked collaboratively to advance clinical and academic excellence alongside gastroenterology, pulmonology, and lung transplant, bariatric, thoracic, and otolaryngologic surgical teams. She helped develop a new complex hernia and Abdominal Core Health Program led by robotic surgeon Flavio Malcher, MD, where a multidisciplinary team of abdominal wall, plastic, and bariatric surgeons; physical therapists; and wound specialists aim to treat hernias, restore abdominal core health, and improve overall quality of life.

“I am excited to continue advancing the field of robotic and foregut surgery while centering patient care and empowerment in my clinical practice,” said Dr. Damani. “I am humbled to work alongside and lead the incredibly talented faculty within the Division of General Surgery. Together we continue to provide the highest level of care and cutting-edge surgery for common conditions like gallstones and hernias to highly specialized multidisciplinary treatments for esophageal and foregut disorders and gastric cancer.”

Dr. Damani travels nationally to train surgeons in robotic and foregut surgery and regularly presents at major national society meetings. She is a champion for women in surgery and gives invited talks around the country on mentorship, sponsorship, gender equity, and work–life integration in surgery. She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is on several committees of the Society of Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons and American Foregut Society. She has a bachelor’s in molecular biology and graduated summa cum laude from Long Island University, received her doctor of medicine at the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, and completed general surgery residency training at Loyola University and fellowship training in minimally invasive surgery at the University of California, San Francisco.