Liliana Bordeianou, MD, Named Chair of the Department of Surgery

The UC Irvine School of Medicine is pleased to announce the appointment of Liliana Bordeianou, MD, MPH, as the new chair of the Department of Surgery, effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Bordeianou joins UC Irvine from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, where she has practiced for two decades and currently serves as chair of the MGH Colorectal Surgery Program, co-chair of the MGH Center for Pelvic Floor Disorders, and academic director of the Mass General Brigham Division of Colorectal Surgery. She is a professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and the first and only colorectal surgeon to attain the rank of full professor at Harvard.

As chair, Bordeianou will lead the Department of Surgery across its clinical, research and educational missions, working closely with faculty, trainees and staff to build on the department’s many strengths and advance its national and international reputation. She will also collaborate with colleagues across the School of Medicine and UCI Health to foster innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and continued growth in surgical care, research and education.

An internationally recognized colorectal surgeon and clinician-scientist, Bordeianou has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and has served as a national investigator for several pivotal clinical trials and consensus-building initiatives. Her academic work focuses on pelvic floor disorders associated with childbirth, pelvic organ prolapse and aging, as well as improving quality of life for survivors of colorectal and pelvic cancers. Her clinical expertise includes complex re-operative and multivisceral surgery, minimally invasive robotic and laparoscopic colorectal procedures, advanced reconstructive surgery, and sphincter preservation and reconstruction.

A highly regarded educator and mentor, Bordeianou has delivered more than 400 invited lectures worldwide. She recently completed her tenure as secretary general of the International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons and continues to serve on its executive board. Her contributions to clinical care, education and collaboration have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Nathaniel Bowditch Award for her leadership in implementing Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathways across the Mass General Brigham Colorectal Surgery Collaborative.

Bordeianou earned her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and her Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She completed her general surgery residency at MGH and her fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at the University of Minnesota.

Dean Michael J. Stamos, MD, extends his sincere gratitude to Robert Redfield, MD, for his service as interim chair of the Department of Surgery leading up to Bordeianou’s arrival in January.