Colin A. Martin, MD, a specialist in intestinal rehabilitation surgery and an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in surgery, has been named director of the Division of Pediatric Surgery in the Department of Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He also will serve as surgeon-in-chief at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. He will begin in his new role Sept. 5.
Martin is an associate professor of surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Heersink School of Medicine and surgical director of the Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation at Children’s of Alabama and UAB. He also serves as the surgery department’s vice chair for diversity, equity and inclusion and co-director of the department’s Pre-College Research Internship for Students from Minority Backgrounds.
In addition to his work in the operating room and the lab, Martin is a leader in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in surgery. In a recent study examining gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery departments, he showed that hospitals with higher-ranked departments had a greater degree of diversity in their faculty and were more likely to emphasize diversity in their mission statements than hospitals with lower-ranked departments. Another study revealed that female and Black surgeons tended not to receive national leadership opportunities commensurate with their accomplishments.
Martin earned his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 2003. He completed his general surgery residency at the University of Cincinnati and a postdoctoral research fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital before completing his pediatric surgery fellowship at Vanderbilt University.
