Diana Farmer elected chair of the American College of Surgeons Board of Regents

Internationally renowned fetal and neonatal surgeon Diana Farmer has been elected chair of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Board of Regents, the organization’s highest governing body. Her election was announced this week following the annual business meeting of members, which concluded Clinical Congress 2026.

Farmer is a distinguished professor, the Pearl Stamps Stewart Endowed Chair and chair of the Department of Surgery at UC Davis Health. She is also founder and co-director of the Center for Surgical Bioengineering. She is the principal investigator of CuRe (Cellular Therapy for In Utero Repair of Myelomeningocele), the first-of-its-kind clinical trial which combines fetal surgery with stem cells to treat spina bifida.

“We congratulate Dr. Farmer on her appointment as chair of the American College of Surgeons Board of Regents," said Susan Murin, dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine. "Her selection reflects her extraordinary contributions to the field of surgery and her leadership in patient care innovations. This appointment underscores the national impact UC Davis Health leaders have in shaping the future of medicine.”

Farmer has a long history of service to the American College of Surgeons. Her leadership roles have included serving as chair of the ACS Board of Governors and as a member of the Board of Regents.

The American College of Surgeons is dedicated to improving the care of the surgical patient and safeguarding standards of care in an optimal and ethical practice environment. For more information, visit https://www.facs.org