Professor Juan Carlos Puyana, O’Brien Chair of Global Surgery at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, has received the 2026 ACS/Pfizer Academic Global Surgeon Award, recognising more than three decades of work to strengthen trauma care, surgical education and health systems around the world.

The award, presented by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), honours Prof. Puyana’s sustained international collaboration and contribution to advancing sustainable surgical care, particularly in resource-limited settings across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The six 2026 award recipients were formally recognised at the ACS Clinical Congress in Washington, DC, where Prof. Puyana joined fellow honourees to share insights from his work in humanitarian and global surgery.

Prof. Puyana is an internationally recognised trauma surgeon, critical care specialist, educator and humanitarian. He leads the RCSI Institute of Global Surgery in its work to improve access to high-quality essential surgical care for underserved populations.

Throughout his career, Prof.Puyana has developed long-term international partnerships focused on building sustainable local surgical capacity and strengthening local health systems. His work has contributed to the development of trauma programmes, blood transfusion services, trauma registries and national treatment protocols in low- and middle-income countries.

Education and mentorship have been central to Prof. Puyana’s approach to global surgery. Through global health research and training programmes supported by the US National Institutes of Health, he has mentored more than 25 international trainees who have gone on to leadership positions across hospitals, academic departments, trauma programmes, registries and ministries of health in Latin America and Africa.

His wider contribution to global surgery includes leadership within the Panamerican Trauma Society, teaching Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) and Definitive Surgical Trauma Care programmes internationally, and advocating for more equitable access to safe surgical care.

The ACS/Pfizer Surgical Volunteerism and Humanitarian Awards recognise surgeons whose leadership, dedication and service have made a lasting contribution to patients, healthcare professionals and communities around the world. The awards are administered through the ACS Health Outreach Program for Equity in Global Surgery (ACS H.O.P.E.).

This award recognises Prof. Puyana’s sustained commitment to combining research, education and international collaboration to build local capacity and improve surgical care for patients and communities worldwide.