Leigh Neumayer, MD, MS, FACS, has been named the new chair of surgery at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville. She is board-certified in surgery and surgical critical care. She has published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and co-authored a patient education book, “Meet Virginia, Biography of a Breast.” She was the principal investigator for the world’s largest randomized trial comparing open and laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, the results of which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
She has designed, conducted, and published several clinical trials for the treatment of breast cancer. She remains involved in investigations to identify new markers and targets for breast cancer treatment. She is on the editorial board of the Annals of Surgery and the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. She has served in many leadership positions for the American College of Surgeons, including chair of the Board of Regents, and has been president of four national organizations (Association of Women Surgeons, Association of VA Surgeons, Association for Surgical Education and Society of Clinical Surgery).
She is a senior director of the American Board of Surgery and serves as the secretary of the Western Surgical Association and treasurer of the Arizona Medical Association. Leigh earned her Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering at CSU. Her medical degree is from Baylor College of Medicine (Houston), and she completed a general surgery residency at the University of Arizona. She holds a Master of Science in clinical research design and statistical analysis from the University of Michigan.