Wendy Brown

Professor Wendy Brown is a leading academic surgeon at Monash University, serving as Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery within the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. She is based at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, where she holds multiple leadership roles, including Director of the Oesophago-Gastric-Bariatric Unit, Program Director of Surgical Services at Alfred Health, Clinical Director of the Australia and New Zealand Bariatric Surgery Registry, and Clinical Lead of the Victorian Upper GI Cancer Registry.

Her educational background includes an MBBS (Hons), PhD from Monash University, and fellowships FRACS and FACS. She has held numerous national and international leadership positions in surgical societies and guideline development bodies.

Professor Brown’s research is centered on bariatric and upper gastrointestinal surgery, with a focus on improving patient outcomes, understanding the physiology of weight loss, and advancing surgical techniques. Her work spans clinical trials, registry development, robotic surgery, and health policy. She has published extensively in high-impact journals and leads multiple funded research projects.

Her recent scholarly output shows a strong trend in patient-centered outcomes, surgical innovation (especially robotic systems), cancer survival analysis, and national registry development. Her work increasingly integrates real-time patient-reported outcomes and digital health tools to enhance clinical care quality.

• Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS)
• Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS)
• Past President, Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand
• Past President, Australia & New Zealand Gastro Oesophageal Surgery Association
• Member, Lancet Commissioners Report on Obesity (2022–2023)
• Contributor, NHMRC Obesity Management Guidelines (2023)

Professor Brown has advised and collaborated with numerous researchers and surgical teams. She has led major research grants, including the Bi-national Bariatric Surgery Registry and projects funded by Johnson & Johnson and the Australian Department of Health. She is a Primary Chief Investigator on multiple active national studies focused on perioperative care, robotic surgery, and cancer outcomes. She has served on assessment teams for the Australian Medical Council and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, contributing to surgical education and accreditation.

She leads the Centre for Obesity Research and Education and is deeply involved in national policy through roles on the Victorian Perioperative Consultative Council, Medicare Review Advisory Committee, and Safer Care Victoria working groups. Her leadership extends to global initiatives, including the Global Registry Committee and the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders.