UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery Clinical Instructor and Associate Clerkship Director Margaux N. Mustian, M.D., MSPH, is the recipient of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) 2023 Health Care Disparities Research Award.

Dr. Mustian received the award for her proposal, “Understanding the Socioecological Factors that Impact Access and Quality of Bariatric Surgery in the Rural Deep South.”

The Health Care Disparities Research Award is $20,000 per year for two years paid directly to the recipient’s home institution. This will be used for clinical trial infrastructure, purchase of large administrative datasets for conducting research, formal training in clinical research and biostatistics, and principal investigator salary support during their research time.

Dr. Mustian will present a progress report to the SSAT leadership at the Annual Meeting in 2024, as well as an oral report at the 2025 SSAT Annual Meeting, following the total award period.

“I am deeply honored to have been selected by the committee for this prestigious award. I look forward to getting started on our project addressing surgical disparities in the Deep South, alongside a great team, including my research mentor, Dr. Daniel Chu,” says Dr. Mustian.

About the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT)

The SSAT is a global community leading the advancement of the science and practice of gastrointestinal surgery.

They strive to foster and stimulate surgical leadership in patient care, teach and research diseases and functions of the alimentary tract while encouraging training and funding opportunities.