From Karachi to leading liver transplants in America: Dr Saulat Sheikh

KARACHI: A Pakistani surgeon who began her medical journey in Karachi has reached another landmark in international medicine after being appointed Surgical Director of the Liver Transplantation Program at the University of Alabama (UAB) Comprehensive Transplant Institute in the United States.

The appointment marks a major career milestone for Dr Saulat Sheikh, an alumna of Aga Khan University (AKU) and recipient of the university's prestigious Best Graduate Award. It also highlights the growing global impact of Pakistani medical professionals occupying leadership positions at some of the world's leading healthcare institutions.

A journey from Karachi to global transplant leadership

Dr Saulat Sheikh's appointment represents years of clinical excellence, academic achievement and surgical innovation in one of medicine's most demanding specialties.

Since joining the UAB Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in July 2020, she has played a central role in expanding liver transplantation services while also leading the institution's Living Donor Liver Transplant Programme.

Her promotion to Surgical Director reflects both her clinical expertise and her leadership in advancing transplant care across the American Southeast.

Breaking transplant barriers in the United States

Before assuming her new leadership role, Dr Sheikh had already helped rewrite Alabama's transplant history.

She led Alabama's first adult living donor liver transplant, a landmark procedure that expanded access to life-saving treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease.

She also performed the first paediatric split-liver transplant within the UAB health system in more than a decade, restoring an advanced surgical capability that had been unavailable for years.

These achievements established her among the leading transplant surgeons in the region and strengthened UAB's reputation for innovation in organ transplantation.

A vision for the future of transplantation

Commenting on her appointment, Dr Sheikh said she was honoured to build upon UAB's longstanding reputation for excellence.

"UAB's Comprehensive Transplant Institute has long been known for its legacy of excellence, and I look forward to our team's continued contribution to that narrative. I'm grateful to each of my mentors and colleagues for their support and for the mission we all strive to uphold in furthering the field of transplantation."

Her remarks reflect a commitment not only to advancing surgical outcomes but also to mentoring future specialists and expanding access to high-quality transplant care.

A proud moment for Pakistani medicine

Dr Sheikh's achievement is being celebrated as another example of Pakistani physicians making significant contributions to global healthcare.

From earning the Best Graduate Award at Aga Khan University to leading groundbreaking transplant procedures in the United States, her journey underscores the international calibre of Pakistani medical education and the growing influence of Pakistani clinicians in academic medicine.

Her appointment is expected to inspire young doctors and medical students aspiring to build careers in highly specialised surgical disciplines while representing Pakistan on the global stage.

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