Transplant Surgeon Dr. Robert Montgomery Receives 2024 ACS Jacobson Innovation Award

Robert A. Montgomery, MD, DPhil, FACS, a distinguished transplant surgeon renowned for pioneering domino-paired kidney donations and leading the world’s first successful porcine-to-human kidney xenotransplant, is the recipient of this year’s ACS Jacobson Innovation Award. 

Dr. Montgomery, the H. Leon Pachter, MD, Chair and Professor of Surgery at NYU Langone Health and Director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute in New York, New York, received the award in the program’s 30th year, joining a cohort that includes Francis DeBois, MD, who revolutionized the treatment of gallbladder disease with a mini-laparotomy for cholecystectomy; transplantation pioneer Thomas Starzl, MD, FACS; and M. Judah Folkman, MD, FACS, who founded the field of angiogenesis and developed angiogenesis inhibitors.

“The College is the thing that connects all of us together,” Dr. Montgomery said. “So, to be recognized by that gigantic community—and there are so many luminaries in that community—is a really big deal.” 

Dr. Montgomery has been a pioneering force in organ transplantation, leading teams that completed the first three-way paired kidney donations and the first two-way, three-way, four-way, five-way, six-way, and eight-way domino-paired kidney donations. He also co-led the first 10-way open-chain kidney donations and performed the first chain of transplants started by an altruistic donor.

In addition, Dr. Montgomery also developed the laparoscopic procedure for live kidney donation, which is now the global standard, and has played a major role in recent xenotransplantation breakthroughs that may one day alleviate organ transplant shortages.

Read more about Dr. Montgomery, his medical innovations, and the advice he has for young surgeon-scientists.