The Department of Surgery of the Keck School of Medicine of USC has appointed Yuri Genyk, MD, professor of clinical surgery, as chief of the division of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery and abdominal organ transplantation, effective Sept. 14.

Robert R. Selby, MD, professor of surgery, will be stepping down from his role as the previous chief to focus on further growth and recognition of the division and on mentoring young surgeons. Selby was recruited from The University of Pittsburgh to start the liver transplant program in 1995 and has been chief of the division for 23 years. In his career, Selby has trained more than 50 transplant surgeons who currently practice in programs throughout the world.

“Dr. Selby has been an incredible mentor and teacher,” Genyk said. “He is an exemplary surgeon who personally invested in my growth and development.”

Genyk has been with Keck Medicine for 20 years. He was appointed surgical director of the pediatric liver and intestinal transplant program of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) in 2000 and became surgical director of Keck Medicine’s liver transplant program in 2009. He was named director of abdominal organ transplantation in 2016.

Shortly after Genyk joined the USC faculty, the liver transplant team pioneered living-donor liver transplantation at CHLA and Keck Medical Center. They remain the only two living-donor liver transplantation programs in the region. Genyk also pioneered intestinal and multi-visceral transplantation programs at CHLA and laparoscopic donor nephrectomy for kidney transplantation and pancreas transplantation at Keck Medical Center.

Most recently, Genyk has used his expertise in transplantation to dramatically expand the boundaries of pancreatic resection, bringing new hope to pancreatic cancer patients.

“Yuri has been a tremendous asset to the Department of Surgery as a surgeon, a teacher, and an enthusiastic researcher,” said Vaughn A. Starnes, MD, Distinguished Professor of Surgery and chair of the Department of Surgery. “I look forward to seeing him take the division to the next level.”

— Lex Davis