Sonia Ramamoorthy Named  Director of Physician Wellness

Sonia Ramamoorthy, M.D., professor and chief of colon and rectal surgery at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine was recently appointed as the new director of Physician Wellness at UC San Diego Health.

Ramamoorthy has served with distinction as the interim director of Physician Wellness, where her deep and personal commitment to clinician well-being has already made a meaningful impact. Her appointment to this permanent role reflects her exceptional leadership and vision for a culture of wellness, resilience, and professional fulfillment across our health system.

In her new role, Ramamoorthy will lead strategic initiatives to promote physician wellness. She will work collaboratively with departments and stakeholders to ensure that wellness remains a core institutional priority.

A trailblazing surgeon, educator, and wellness advocate, Ramamoorthy 2024–2025 president of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) — the premier colorectal society representing nearly 5,000 surgeons across the U.S. and Canada. She is the fourth female and the first Asian female president in the society’s 125-year history. Her leadership within ASCRS includes founding the Leadership and Professional Development Program (Surgical Leadership Institute) and the New Tech Symposium, among many other contributions.

At UC San Diego Health, Ramamoorthy has also served as chair of the Board of Governors for the Physician Group, where she has led initiatives to promote innovation, mentorship, and equity in surgery. She leads the colorectal cancer team at Moores Cancer Center, and is a nationally recognized expert in open, minimally invasive, and robotic colorectal procedures — being the first surgeon in San Diego to perform robotic colorectal surgery. From 2021–2024, she Ramamoorthy also served as the faculty representative to the UC Regents Health Services Committee, providing faculty perspectives on health-related matters.

A professor in the Department of Surgery at the School of Medicine, Ramamoorthy is a dedicated educator and researcher. Her work focuses on colorectal and anal cancer, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and pelvic floor disorders. She has authored numerous publications and is a passionate innovator in minimally invasive surgery and translational oncology. She was recently elected to the American Surgical Association, the oldest and most prestigious surgical organization in the country.

Ramamoorthy earned her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine, completed her general surgery residency and research fellowship at UC San Diego, and her colon and rectal surgery fellowship at Washington University’s Barnes-Jewish Hospital. She is board certified in both general surgery and colon and rectal surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (FASCRS).