Faculty

Pronounced: uh-hoo-jaa

• William H. Carmalt Professor of Surgery & Pathology
• Chair, Department of Surgery Yale School of Medicine
• Surgeon-in-Chief
• Yale New Haven Health

Leadership & Innovation

Dr. Nita Ahuja serves as the William H. Carmalt Chair of Surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, Chief of Surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital, and Chair of the Yale Medicine Family Practice Plan, the first woman to hold these roles. She is an internationally recognized surgeon-scientist and leader in translational epigenetics and oncology, celebrated for her pioneering research and commitment to advancing physician-scientists.

A member of the National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Ahuja has authored over 250 publications in high-impact journals and leads an NIH-funded laboratory investigating epigenetic regulation in cancer. Her groundbreaking discovery of the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) in cancer has had profound implications for cancer prognosis and therapy. Her lab has also developed noninvasive methylation biomarkers for early cancer detection and is advancing a bedside blood test for early-stage pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Ahuja has been a pivotal member of the Stand Up to Cancer Dream Team since 2008, driving clinical trials for combinatorial epigenetic therapies and advancing strategies to reverse chemoresistance and enhance immunotherapy. Her leadership at Johns Hopkins, where she served as Vice Chair of Research and Division Chief of Surgical Oncology, demonstrated her ability to lead multidisciplinary research teams and translate bench discoveries to patient care. She continues to champion junior faculty development as Chair of the AAMC Council of Faculty and Academic Societies, a prominent, national role she has held since 2022.

Department of Surgery

The Yale School of Medicine Department of Surgery boasts a rich 212-year history of innovation, encompassing 11 surgical divisions, ~156 faculty, and over 100 trainees in five residencies and 12 fellowships. Its programs span Yale New Haven Health’s seven service lines, delivering world-class surgical care and education.

Since her appointment as Chair in 2018, Dr. Ahuja has led transformative initiatives, including the expansion of trauma and cardiac surgery programs statewide and a tripling of research funding to $17M, propelling the department’s Blue Ridge ranking from #42 to #16. The department has rebounded from COVID with ~24,000 surgeries, 157,000 clinical visits, and

$160M in revenue in FY2023. Efforts to promote diversity have resulted in 33% URiM representation among residents and significant leadership appointments focused on equity.

The department’s current priorities include enhanced alignment with Yale New Haven Health, philanthropic support, and the development of destination programs.