Nomination: Itzel Vela Sarmiento
Place of work: Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico
Having trained in general and endoscopic surgery, Itzel went on to train in oncologic surgery at Mexico’s National Institute for Oncology.
She not only trained there but pushed and helped from within to transition GI cancer surgical treatment from exclusively open to MIS and focused on rectal cancer MIS, robotic and TaTME rectal surgery.
She is a referent in her field and has elevated the standard of care for patients.