UAB Assistant Professor of Gastrointestinal Surgery Kristen Wong, M.D., has been awarded the Carol and Tom R. DeMeester Traveling Fellowship for surgeons.

The fellowship provides surgeons $5,000 in funding for one year, which can be used for travel, lodging, and meals. Fellows are expected to attend the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract meeting to provide a review of their experience during the traveling fellowship.

"The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract is a cornerstone for all gastrointestinal surgeons; receiving this traveling fellowship award will be a great resource for me to expand my clinical knowledge and future research," says Wong.

Wong completed her medical school training at Virginia Commonwealth University. She finished her general surgery residency and an administrative chief resident year at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. Later, she pursued a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery at the University of Wisconsin. Her practice and clinical interests focus on foregut, bariatric, and therapeutic endoscopy.

She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, the Society of Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, and the Association of Women Surgeons.