AI in Surgical Leadership, Combat Neuro-Trauma Will Be Explored in Named Lectures

Globally renowned surgeons, figures in healthcare, and prominent thought leaders will headline the annual slate of Named Lectures, one of the most popular features of Clinical Congress. This year’s eight lectures provide an opportunity to hear unique, expert perspectives on a variety of relevant topics that any conference attendee will find valuable.

All lectures will be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing soon after the live presentations. 

Access the Meeting Platform for more details about all Clinical Congress 2026 sessions.

Sunday, September 27

Martin Memorial Lecture

Curiosity and Innovation: The Promise of Wonder

9:00–9:30 am

Ralph V. Clayman, MD, FACS, Orange, CA

Olga M. Jonasson lecture—Special Event

A Moderated Conversation

10:00–11:00 am

Ketanji Brown Jackson, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, DC

Charles G. Drake History of Surgery Lecture

Evolution of Combat Neuro-Trauma from Cushing to Ukraine

12:45–1:45 pm

Rocco A. Armonda, MD, Bethesda, MD

Herand Abcarian Lecture

The Changing Landscape of Colorectal Oncology: Refining and Redefining the Surgeon's Role

2:30–3:30 pm

Julio E. Garcia-Aguilar, MD, PhD, FACS, New York, NY

Monday, September 28

John H. Gibbon Jr., Lecture

Beyond the Summit—Performance, Leadership, and Artificial Intelligence in Surgery

8:00–9:00 am

Thomas K. Varghese Jr., MD, MS, MBA, FACS, Salt Lake City, UT

Scudder Oration on Trauma

The Last Preventable Death: Will the Digital Transformation Change Injury Care Forever?

12:45–1:45 pm

Michael F. Rotondo, MD, FACS, Rochester, NY

Distinguished Lecture of the International Society of Surgery

Advanced Flexible Endoscopic Surgery in GI Tract: From ESD, POEM, Third Space Endoscopy, and EFTR

2:30–3:30 pm

Haruhiro Inoue, MD, PhD, Tokyo, Japan

Tuesday, September 29

John J. Conley Ethics and Philosophy Lecture

Responding to Patients Who Have Been Harmed by Their Healthcare: Implementing the Modern Ethical Paradigm

9:45–10:45 am 

Thomas H. Gallagher, MD, MACP, Seattle, WA