Haile Debas, MD
Professor Emeritus
Surgery
School of Medicine

A gastrointestinal surgeon by training, Dr. Debas chaired the UCSF Department of Surgery (1987-2003), and is the Maurice Galante Distinguished Professor of Surgery, Emeritus. He also was the Founding Director of the University of California Global Health Institute from 2009 to 2016.

A native of Eritrea, Dr. Debas received his MD from McGill University and completed his surgical training at the University of British Columbia and post-doctoral fellowship at UCLA. He has held faculty positions at UBC, UCLA, and the University of Washington. Under his stewardship, the UCSF School of Medicine became a national model for medical education, an achievement for which he was recognized with the 2004 Abraham Flexner Award for Distinguished Service to Medical Education by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

Dr. Debas’s prescient grasp of the implications of fundamental changes in science led him to create several interdisciplinary research centers that have been instrumental in reorganizing the scientific community at UCSF. He played a key role in developing UCSF’s new campus at Mission Bay. In 2012, he was awarded the UCSF Medal for his academic and leadership contributions to the University.

Dr. Debas has held leadership positions with numerous membership organizations and professional associations, including serving as president of the American Surgical Association and Chair of the Council of Deans of the AAMC. He served for two terms as a member of the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy of the National Academy of Sciences; served four years on the Advisory Committee to the Director of the National Institutes of Health; and was a member of the United Nations’ Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa.

Dr. Debas is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He currently serves as Chair pro-tem of the Board of Trustees of the Aga Khan University and previously served on the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He was instrumental in the creation of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, where he served as Founding Chair of the Board of Directors (2009-2012). Dr. Debas was a lead editor of the Essential Surgery volume of Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (DCP3), published by the World Bank in 2015.

• Access to safe surgery.
  BMJ global health 2018 Debas HT
• Universal health coverage and intersectoral action for health: key messages from Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition.
  Lancet (London, England) 2017 Jamison DT, Alwan A, Mock CN, Nugent R, Watkins D, Adeyi O, Anand S, Atun R, Bertozzi S, Bhutta Z, Binagwaho A, Black R, Blecher M, Bloom BR, Brouwer E, Bundy DAP, Chisholm D, Cieza A, Cullen M, …
• Global Surgery 2030: a roadmap for high income country actors.
  BMJ global health 2016 Ng-Kamstra JS, Greenberg SLM, Abdullah F, Amado V, Anderson GA, Cossa M, Costas-Chavarri A, Davies J, Debas HT, Dyer GSM, Erdene S, Farmer PE, Gaumnitz A, Hagander L, Haider A, Leather AJM, Lin Y, …
• Building Evidence for Global Surgery One Experience at a Time.
  JAMA surgery 2015 Debas HT
• A New Master's Degree in Global Health: Reflections on a 5-year Experience.
  Annals of global health 2015 Dandu M, Baltzell K, Nelson K, Gulati S, Debas HT, Ziegler JL
• Systematic Review of Surgical Literature from Resource-Limited Countries: Developing Strategies for Success.
  World journal of surgery 2015 Pauyo T, Debas HT, Kyamanywa P, Kushner AL, Jani PG, Lavy C, Dakermandji M, Ambrose H, Khwaja K, Razek T, Deckelbaum DL
• The Emergence and Future of Global Surgery in the United States.
  JAMA surgery 2015 Debas HT
• Can diaspora-led organisations play a prominent part in global surgery?
  The Lancet. Global health 2015 Ahmed F, Ahmed N, Keogh B, Nicholson D, Debas HT, Farmer PE
• Essential surgery: key messages from Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition.
  Lancet (London, England) 2015 Mock CN, Donkor P, Gawande A, Jamison DT, Kruk ME, Debas HT, DCP3 Essential Surgery Author Group
• Commentary: Academic surgery and global health.
  Surgery 2012 Debas HT
• Educating enough competent health professionals: advancing educational innovation at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania.
  PLoS medicine 2012 Kaaya EE, Macfarlane SB, Mkony CA, Lyamuya EF, Loeser H, Freeman P, Kirumira EK, Pallangyo K, Debas HT
• Specialization in health care.
  JAMA 2012 Johns MM, Debas HT, Miller RH
• Partnering on education for health: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences and the University of California San Francisco.
  Journal of public health policy 2012 Pallangyo K, Debas HT, Lyamuya E, Loeser H, Mkony CA, O'Sullivan PS, Kaaya EE, Macfarlane SB
• The University of California Global Health Institute opportunities and challenges.
  Infectious disease clinics of North America 2011 Debas HT, Coates TJ
• Message to the UAEU conference on "Global Health and the UAE: Asia-Middle East Connections": the university's vital role in global health.
  Asia-Pacific journal of public health 2010 Debas HT
• Essential surgery at the district hospital: a retrospective descriptive analysis in three African countries.
  PLoS medicine 2010 Galukande M, von Schreeb J, Wladis A, Mbembati N, de Miranda H, Kruk ME, Luboga S, Matovu A, McCord C, Ndao-Brumblay SK, Ozgediz D, Rockers PC, Quiñones AR, Vaz F, Debas HT, Macfarlane SB
• Human resource and funding constraints for essential surgery in district hospitals in Africa: a retrospective cross-sectional survey.
  PLoS medicine 2010 Kruk ME, Wladis A, Mbembati N, Ndao-Brumblay SK, Hsia RY, Galukande M, Luboga S, Matovu A, de Miranda H, Ozgediz D, Quiñones AR, Rockers PC, von Schreeb J, Vaz F, Debas HT, Macfarlane SB
• Increasing access to surgical services in sub-saharan Africa: priorities for national and international agencies recommended by the Bellagio Essential Surgery Group.
  PLoS medicine 2009 Luboga S, Macfarlane SB, von Schreeb J, Kruk ME, Cherian MN, Bergström S, Bossyns PB, Denerville E, Dovlo D, Galukande M, Hsia RY, Jayaraman SP, Lubbock LA, Mock C, Ozgediz D, Sekimpi P, Wladis A, …
• Applying innovative educational principles when classes grow and resources are limited: Biochemistry experiences at Muhimbili University of Allied Health Sciences.
  Biochemistry and molecular biology education : a bimonthly publication of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2008 Omer S, Hickson G, Taché S, Blind R, Masters S, Loeser H, Souza K, Mkony C, Debas H, O'Sullivan P
• Think globally, act locally, and collaborate internationally: global health sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.
  Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 2008 Macfarlane SB, Agabian N, Novotny TE, Rutherford GW, Stewart CC, Debas HT
• University partnership to address the shortage of healthcare professionals in Africa.
  Global public health 2008 Tache S, Kaaya E, Omer S, Mkony CA, Lyamuya E, Pallangyo K, Debas HT, Macfarlane SB
• The problem of heavy reliance on international medical graduates to supply the surgical workforce in the United States.
  Surgery 2006 Debas HT
• Surgery in developing countries: essential training in residency.
  Archives of surgery (Chicago, Ill. : 1960) 2005 Ozgediz D, Roayaie K, Debas H, Schecter W, Farmer D
• American Surgical Association Blue Ribbon Committee Report on Surgical Education: 2004.
  Annals of surgery 2005 Debas HT, Bass BL, Brennan MF, Flynn TC, Folse JR, Freischlag JA, Friedmann P, Greenfield LJ, Jones RS, Lewis FR, Malangoni MA, Pellegrini CA, Rose EA, Sachdeva AK, Sheldon GF, Turner PL, Warshaw AL, …
• Residency training in surgery in the 21st century: a new paradigm.
  Surgery 2004 Pellegrini CA, Warshaw AL, Debas HT
• Research: a vital component of optimal patient care in the United States.
  Annals of surgery 2004 Jones RS, Debas HT
• Surgical education in the United States: portents for change.
  Annals of surgery 2004 Brennan MF, Debas HT
• Panel on surgical practice.
  Archives of surgery (Chicago, Ill. : 1960) 2003 Debas HT, Freischlag JA, Schecter WP, Warshaw AL, Pacific Coast Surgical Association
• The UCSF Academy of Medical Educators.
  Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 2003 Cooke M, Irby DM, Debas HT
• Impact of the health care crisis on surgery: perspective of the dean.
  Archives of surgery (Chicago, Ill. : 1960) 2001 Debas HT
• Medical education and practice: end of century reflections.
  Archives of surgery (Chicago, Ill. : 1960) 2000 Debas HT
• Manpower and training in the 1990s.
  The American surgeon 1997 Debas HT
• Molecular insights into the development of the pancreas.
  American journal of surgery 1997 Debas HT
• The merger of Stanford's and UCSF's clinical enterprises: impact on education.
  JAMA 1996 Bauer EA, Debas HT
• Neuroendocrine tumors: common presentations of uncommon diseases.
  Comprehensive therapy 1995 Kirkwood KS, Debas HT
• Neuroendocrine gut neoplasms. Important lessons from uncommon tumors.
  Archives of surgery (Chicago, Ill. : 1960) 1994 Debas HT, Mulvihill SJ
• A role for calcitonin gene-related peptide in protection against gastric ulceration.
  Annals of surgery 1994 Gray JL, Bunnett NW, Orloff SL, Mulvihill SJ, Debas HT
• Tachykinins contract the circular muscle of the human esophageal body in vitro via NK2 receptors.
  Gastroenterology 1993 Huber O, Bertrand C, Bunnett NW, Pellegrini CA, Nadel JA, Debas HT, Geppetti P
• Tachykinins mediate contraction of the human lower esophageal sphincter in vitro via activation of NK2 receptors.
  European journal of pharmacology 1993 Huber O, Bertrand C, Bunnett NW, Pellegrini CA, Nadel JA, Nakazato P, Debas HT, Geppetti P
• Impact of the changing economy and new technology on surgical practice and education.
  Investigative radiology 1993 Debas HT
• Clinical and functional characterization of high gastroesophageal reflux.
  American journal of surgery 1993 Patti MG, Debas HT, Pellegrini CA
• Esophageal manometry and 24-hour pH monitoring in the diagnosis of pulmonary aspiration secondary to gastroesophageal reflux.
  American journal of surgery 1992 Patti MG, Debas HT, Pellegrini CA
• Control of dumping symptoms by somatostatin analogue in patients after gastric surgery.
  Archives of surgery (Chicago, Ill. : 1960) 1991 Gray JL, Debas HT, Mulvihill SJ
• The effect of somatostatin on experimental intestinal obstruction.
  Annals of surgery 1988 Mulvihill SJ, Pappas TN, Fonkalsrud EW, Debas HT
• Measurement of prostaglandin E2 in interstitial fluid from the dog stomach after feeding and indomethacin.
  Gastroenterology 1983 Bunnett NW, Walsh JH, Debas HT, Kauffman GL, Golanska EM