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Inaugural Summit · Completed

The Union Summit 2026

Global Plastic Surgery: Education, Innovation & Access. July 10–12, 2026 · Union South, Madison, Wisconsin. Hosted by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

View the Agenda See Speakers
The Inaugural Summit

An incredible three days

What an incredible three days. This is exactly what we hoped The Union Summit could become: not just another meeting, but a community of people who genuinely want to work together to improve reconstructive care around the world.
Brian Christie, MD, MPH — Closing Remarks, The Union Summit 2026
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Program Agenda

The full three-day schedule — sessions, breakouts, meals, and social events.
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Speakers

Keynotes, moderators, and panelists for every session.
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Sponsors

Organizations supporting the 2026 Summit.
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Photos

Photos from the Summit.

Coming soon
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Meeting Summary

A recap of outcomes and next steps.

Coming soon
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Documentary

A short film and documentary covering the Summit, produced by HookVisions.

Coming soon
Program

Full Agenda

The schedule from the inaugural Summit, July 10–12, 2026. All times Central, at Union South, Madison, WI unless noted.

Day 1 — Friday, July 10, 2026

Afternoon / Evening
3:00 – 5:00 PM

Registration

Vendor booths open for early networking

5:30 – 6:00 PM

Welcome Reception

Union South Terrace · with sponsor exhibits

Sponsored by Acera Surgical
6:00 – 8:00 PM

Dinner & Opening Keynote

Union South – Varsity Hall III · Samuel O. Poore, MD, PhD

Sponsored by Acera Surgical

Day 2 — Saturday, July 11, 2026

Morning
7:00 – 8:00 AM

Breakfast

Union South Varsity Hall III · Vendor / sponsor tables open

Sponsored by Sylke
8:00 – 8:30 AM

Keynote 2: The Role of Plastic Surgery in Global Health Equity

Peter Nthumba, MD, MSc

8:30 – 9:40 AM

Session 1: Workforce, Training & Education

Moderator: Greta Davis, MD

9:40 – 10:50 AM

Session 2: Industry in Advancing Global Plastic Surgery

Chair: Christopher Runyan, MD, PhD

10:50 – 11:15 AM

Coffee Break

Vendor interaction

11:15 AM – 12:25 PM

Session 3: Research in Global Plastic Surgery

Moderator: Samuel O. Poore, MD, PhD

Midday
12:25 – 1:25 PM

Lunch

Dedicated sponsor / vendor showcase

Sponsored by Medtronic
Afternoon
1:25 – 2:35 PM

Session 4: Innovation & Technology in Global Surgery

Moderator: Brian Christie, MD

2:35 – 3:45 PM

Session 5: Building Sustainable Infrastructure

Moderator: Phuong Nguyen, MD

3:45 – 4:10 PM

Coffee Break

Vendor interaction

4:10 – 5:30 PM

Specialty Breakout Sessions

Burn · Craniofacial · Aesthetics/Breast · Extremities/Microsurgery

Evening
6:30 – 8:00 PM

Dinner

Mogridge Hall, 7th Floor

8:00 – 11:00 PM

Social Event — Bowling & Karaoke

The Sett Rec, Union South

Day 3 — Sunday, July 12, 2026

Morning
7:00 – 8:00 AM

Breakfast

Varsity Hall III · Vendor interaction

Sponsored by Acumed
8:00 – 8:30 AM

Keynote 3: Lessons from Global Plastic Surgery Initiatives

Faustin Ntirenganya, MD

8:30 – 9:30 AM

Session 6: Advocacy & Policy in Global Surgery

Moderator: Ruben Ayala, MD, MSc

9:30 – 10:30 AM

Session 7: Ethics & Cultural Humility in Global Surgery

Moderator: Amanda Gosman, MD

10:30 – 10:45 AM

Coffee Break

Vendor interaction

10:45 – 11:45 AM

Session 8: Collaborating with NGOs

Moderator: Rita Abbati Albert

Late Morning / Closing
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM

Regional Breakout Groups

Americas · Euroasia · Africa/Middle East

12:45 – 1:00 PM

Closing Remarks & Light Reception

Brian Christie, MD

1:00 PM

Adjourn

Speakers

Keynote Speakers

SP

Samuel O. Poore, MD, PhD

Opening Keynote · Chair, Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Co-Director of the UW Microsurgery and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory. Author of more than 150 peer-reviewed publications; led microsurgical training programs across Vietnam, Egypt, Rwanda, South Africa, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Panama.

PN

Peter Nthumba, MD, MSc

Keynote 2 · Head, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, AIC Kijabe Hospital, Kenya

Vice-Chair of Global Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Founder of EACH Research and leader of the CIEPS Virtual Global Surgery Research Lab; recipient of the Noordhoff Humanitarian Award from ASPS.

FN

Faustin Ntirenganya, MD

Closing Keynote — Lessons from Global Plastic Surgery Initiatives

Bio coming soon.

Speakers

Sessions & Panelists

Every core session, breakout, and the moderators and panelists leading it.

Session 1

Sat, Jul 11 · 8:30–9:40 AM — Workforce, Training & Education
Moderator: Greta Davis, MD — UCSF
  • Andrea L. Pusic, MDHarvard University / Mass General Brigham
  • Kavitha L. Ranganathan, MDShriners Children's Boston / Harvard Medical School
  • Jordan Swanson, MD, MScChildren's Hospital of Philadelphia / UPenn
  • Bahar Bassiri Gharb, MD, PhDCleveland Clinic

Session 2

Sat, Jul 11 · 9:40–10:50 AM — Industry in Advancing Global Plastic Surgery
Chair: Christopher Runyan, MD, PhD — Wake Forest University School of Medicine
  • Declan Brazil, PhDSignature Orthopaedics, Sydney, Australia
  • Michael J. Christie, MD, MPHWalkStrong Foundation, Nashville, TN
  • Joseph A. Molnar, MD, PhDAtrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
  • Fiona Wood, MBBS, FRCS, FRACSBurns Service of Western Australia

Session 3

Sat, Jul 11 · 11:15 AM–12:25 PM — Research in Global Plastic Surgery
Moderator: Samuel O. Poore, MD, PhD — UW–Madison
  • Laura Hoemeke, DrPH, MPH
  • Abraham G. Negussie, MD
  • Peter Nthumba, MD, MScAIC Kijabe Hospital, Kenya
  • Christine H. Rohde, MD, MPH, FACSColumbia University Irving Medical Center

Session 4

Sat, Jul 11 · 1:25–2:35 PM — Innovation & Technology in Global Surgery
Moderator: Brian Christie, MD
  • Aaron M. Dingle, PhDUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
  • David Kulber, MD, FACSCedars-Sinai Medical Center
  • Patrick Sullivan, MDRhode Island
  • Pat Yoon

Session 5

Sat, Jul 11 · 2:35–3:45 PM — Building Sustainable Infrastructure
Moderator: Phuong Nguyen, MD
  • Ataklitie Berhea
  • Laura Cristina Herrera Gomez, MD
  • Nguyen Ngoc Long, MScHong Ngoc Hospital Group, Hanoi, Vietnam
  • Naikhoba Munabi, MD, MPHColumbia University Irving Medical Center
  • Myrthe Simon, MDAmsterdam UMC, Netherlands

Specialty Breakouts

Sat, Jul 11 · 4:10–5:30 PM
  • Burn — Saad Sahi, MDUW–Madison
  • Burn — Pedro Santos
  • Craniofacial — Solomon Obiri-Yeboah, MD, DMD
  • Extremities/Microsurgery — Dao Van Giang, MD, PhDViet Duc University Hospital, Hanoi
  • Extremities/Microsurgery — Adeyiza O. Momoh, MD, FACSUniversity of Michigan
  • Aesthetics/Breast — Sarah Nyakiongora, MDNairobi, Kenya
  • Aesthetics/Breast — Maureen Sullivan, MSN, CANSRhode Island

Session 6

Sun, Jul 12 · 8:30–9:30 AM — Advocacy & Policy in Global Surgery
Moderator: Ruben Ayala, MD, MSc — Operation Smile
  • Matchecane Cossa, MDMaputo Central Hospital, Mozambique
  • Katayoun Madani, MS, MD, FICSSimurgh Global Surgery Institute
  • Girma Tefera, MDUniversity of Wisconsin
  • Alice Umutoni, MD

Session 7

Sun, Jul 12 · 9:30–10:30 AM — Ethics & Cultural Humility in Global Surgery
Moderator: Amanda Gosman, MD — UC San Diego
  • Michael L. Bentz, MD, FACSUniversity of Wisconsin
  • Atenas Bustamante, MD
  • Karel-Bart Celie, MDUniversity of Southern California
  • Emma J. Cordes, MDIndiana University

Session 8

Sun, Jul 12 · 10:45–11:45 AM — Collaborating with NGOs
Moderator: Rita Abbati Albert
  • Mamdouh Aboul-Hassan, MDCairo University
  • Darius Balumuka, MDWestchester Medical Center
  • Julien Klaudt-Moreau, MPH
  • Normy Wieslawa De Pawlikowski, MD
  • Bill Rhodes, MD

Regional Breakouts

Sun, Jul 12 · 11:45 AM–12:45 PM
  • Americas — Normy Wieslawa De Pawlikowski, MD
  • Euroasia — Dao Van Giang, MD, PhD
  • Africa/Middle East — Bill Rhodes, MD
  • Africa/Middle East — Mamdouh Aboul-Hassan, MD
  • Africa/Middle East — Weifeng Zeng, MDUW School of Medicine and Public Health
Thank You

2026 Sponsors

The Union Summit 2026 gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our sponsors.

Leadership

Organizing Committee

The team behind the inaugural Union Summit, alongside co-founders Samuel O. Poore, MD, PhD and Brian Christie, MD, MPH.

Christopher Runyan

Christopher Runyan, MD, PhD

Associate Professor, Residency Program Director & Vice Chief of Education, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery — Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Amanda Gosman

Amanda Gosman, MD

Professor & Chief, Plastic Surgery — UC San Diego School of Medicine · Chief of Plastic Surgery, Rady Children's Hospital
Greta Davis

Greta Davis, MD

Senior Plastic Surgery Resident — University of California San Francisco
Ruben Ayala

Ruben Ayala, MD, MSc

Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer — Operation Smile
Phuong D. Nguyen

Phuong D. Nguyen, MD, FACS, FAAP

Chief Medical Officer & Co-Founder — Nuoy Reconstructive International