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Nominations Open for the 2026 Nina Starr Braunwald Extraordinary Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery (EWCTS) Awards

We are excited to launch the nomination process for this year’s Nina Starr Braunwald Extraordinary Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery Award. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and Women in Thoracic Surgery (WTS) co-sponsor the Extraordinary Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery Award to recognize women surgeons who have demonstrated excellence in clinical practice and made significant contributions to the specialty, as well as individuals who have championed women in cardiothoracic surgery. The award honors achievements in clinical practice, leadership, mentorship, and advocacy.

The nomination deadline is October 24, 2025.

Nominations Open for the WTS 2026 Officer & Leadership Positions

We are excited to announce that nominations are now open for WTS 2026 Officer & Leadership Positions. Get involved in our organization and help support our mission as the only organization dedicated to the support and advancement of women in the field of cardiothoracic surgery. Nominations close on September 30, 2025 at 11:59 PM PST. The new WTS Leadership members will be announced at the WTS Annual Meeting at the WTS 2nd Annual Conference, on November 5, 2025, in Fernandina Beach, FL.

To nominate yourself or another WTS Member, please log into your WTS Member Portal to access the form.

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Stay up to date with what is going on with the WTS. The Oracle is a great resource to stay up-to-date with the WTS.

You can now view current and past issues of the WTS newsletter, The Oracle. Featured Posts are available and include interviews with WTS members and current events covered by the WTS.

All-Women Team Makes History with Heart Transplant

Led by WTS Member, Dr. Amy Fiedler

An all-women team has made history at the University of California, San Francisco after performing a heart transplant on a female patient in early December. The five-hour procedure is notable since at UCSF, Fiedler told, they only performed about 50 heart transplants last year, and overall, men make up the majority of adult cardiac surgeons in the country. A 2019 STS Thoracic Surgery Practice and Access Task Force Workforce Report showed that, nationwide, women comprise 6.2% of adult cardiac surgeons. Watch the video to the right to learn more about this remarkable milestone for women in the industry!