Three members of the UAB Department of Surgery have been recognized for scholarship and leadership achievements within the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons (SAAS), in connection with their 2026 annual meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Pu receives SAAS Resident/Fellow Development Scholarship, selected for leadership
UAB General Surgery resident Tracey Pu, M.D., received the 2026 Society of Asian Academic Surgeons (SAAS) Resident/Fellow Development Scholarship. In addition, Pu will also serve a two-year term as a member of the SAAS Scholarships Committee.
Through the SAAS Resident/Fellow Development Scholarship, Pu will receive support for continued professional development in academic surgery. Her two-year appointment to the SAAS Scholarships Committee will also allow her to contribute to the organization’s efforts to support and mentor other surgical trainees in addition to promoting career advancement of faculty within academic surgery.
UAB Surgery faculty elected to SAAS leadership roles
Daniel Chu, M.D., MSPH, director of the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery was chosen to serve as SAAS president for the organization's 2027 annual meeting in Hawaii, while Sophie Dream, M.D., MPH, chief of the UAB Section of Endocrine Surgery in the Division of Breast & Endocrine Surgery, has been elected recorder of the organization.
Chu's upcoming service as SAAS president and Dream's election as recorder reflect the department's involvement in the organization's leadership.
In their respective roles, Chu and Dream will contribute to the organization's ongoing efforts to foster professional development, mentorship and leadership opportunities for academic surgeons.
About the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons
The Society of Asian Academic Surgeons (SAAS) was founded to promote the personal and professional development of Asian academic surgeons and to help prepare future generations for leadership in academic surgery. Through mentorship, scholarship, professional development, and research opportunities, the organization works to strengthen representation and advancement within the academic surgical community.