Carter Lebares

Dr. Carter Lebares is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she serves in the Division of General Surgery and directs the UCSF Center for Mindfulness in Surgery. As a gastrointestinal and bariatric surgeon, she specializes in treating gastrointestinal diseases of the esophagus and stomach using minimally invasive techniques including robotics and surgical endoscopy.

Dr. Lebares received her medical degree from the University of Minnesota and completed surgical residencies at both the University of Minnesota and UCSF. She furthered her training with a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery and surgical endoscopy at the IRCAD Institute of the University of Strasbourg in France.

Her primary research interests focus on resilience and mindfulness in surgery, examining how mindfulness and nutrition impact metabolic syndrome and obesity, and studying the neuroendocrine and cognitive effects of stress on surgical learning and performance. She also conducts research on endoscopic surgery for esophageal and stomach diseases. Dr. Lebares has established herself as a leading researcher in the application of mindfulness techniques to reduce burnout and improve performance among surgical professionals.

Analysis of Dr. Lebares' recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on mindfulness-based interventions for surgical professionals, with particular focus on stress resilience training, burnout prevention, and psychological well-being in surgical training environments. Her work spans both clinical applications of mindfulness in surgical practice and systematic evaluations of well-being interventions across multiple surgical specialties and training programs.

• University of Minnesota Foundation's Metropolitan – Mount Sinai Award for future excellence (2008)
• University of Minnesota's Gaviser-Hays Award for compassion in surgery (2013)
• Surgical resident teaching award from the UCSF Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators (2013)

Dr. Lebares has been actively involved in clinical trials focused on enhancing stress resilience among surgical faculty and trainees. Her work on the "Enhanced Stress Resilience Training for Faculty" (NCT03516877) and "Mindful Mental Training for Surgeons to Enhance Resilience and Performance Under Stress" (NCT03141190) demonstrates her commitment to developing evidence-based interventions to improve surgical performance and well-being. She has also established the Lebares Resilience Lab, which focuses on developing and testing interventions to enhance resilience among healthcare professionals.

As Director of the UCSF Center for Mindfulness in Surgery, Dr. Lebares leads a multidisciplinary team dedicated to researching and implementing mindfulness-based approaches to improve surgical performance, reduce burnout, and enhance patient care. Her lab collaborates with surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to develop and test interventions that can be integrated into surgical training and practice.