Member Spotlight

The Member Spotlight highlights IHPBA members whose contributions to the Association and to the field of HPB surgery are both significant and inspiring. Previous honorees have included Professor Rowland Ndoma-Egba, a pioneering HPB surgeon from Nigeria, and Dr. Asara Thepbunchonchai, an early career surgeon from Thailand. This year, we are delighted to focus on a long-standing member from the Americas Region who has made exceptional contributions to the field, Dr Martin Dib.

Read Dr Dib’s responses to our questions about his motivations and inspirations:

How long have you been a member of IHPBA, and what initially motivated you to join?
I have been an active member of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA) since my fellowship graduation in 2016. I was initially motivated to join by IHPBA’s truly global mission and its commitment to advancing HPB surgery through education, research, and international collaboration. Coming from Latin America and training across multiple healthcare systems and countries, IHPBA represented a professional home where global perspectives and academic rigor converged.

Why is IHPBA membership important to you, and what aspects have been most meaningful?
IHPBA membership is important to me because it fosters a global HPB community grounded in excellence, collaboration, and equity. The most meaningful aspects have been participation in international scientific meetings, involvement in committee work, particularly within the Research Committee, and engagement in educational and consensus-driven initiatives that promote knowledge exchange across regions and practice environments.

Has your involvement with IHPBA contributed to your career development or professional success?
Yes, significantly. Through IHPBA, I have developed long-standing academic collaborations, mentorship relationships, and research partnerships that have shaped my career. Committee involvement, abstract review activities, and participation in educational initiatives have helped refine my academic focus while allowing me to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of HPB surgery at a global level.

From your perspective, why should surgeons and healthcare practitioners in the HPB specialty consider joining IHPBA?
IHPBA offers unparalleled access to global expertise, high-quality education, and a collaborative international network. For surgeons and allied healthcare professionals at any career stage, IHPBA provides opportunities for mentorship, leadership development, and meaningful international engagement that directly translate into professional growth and improved patient care worldwide.

Biographical Statement

Dr. Martín J. Dib is a hepatopancreatobiliary and transplant surgeon at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, where he serves as Director of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Director of Living Donor Liver Transplantation. Originally from Chile, Dr. Dib completed advanced surgical training in Boston and Toronto, followed by his initial faculty years at the University of Wisconsin, where he began developing his academic focus in transplant and HPB surgery.

He subsequently returned to his home country of Chile, where he served for six years as Chief of Transplant at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. During this period, he developed and led the only adult-to-adult living donor liver transplant program in the country, performing more than seventy living donor liver transplants. Under his leadership, the program established the first minimally invasive and laparoscopic living donor hepatectomy program in Latin America, significantly expanding access to transplantation while prioritizing donor safety and innovation.

Dr. Dib has been an active member of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association since 2016, serving on the Research Committee, and a long-standing contributor to the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, including several years as a member of the AHPBA Education and Training Committee. He is one of the founders of the Latin American AHPBA-accredited HPB and Transplant Fellowship, the first structured, multinational fellowship of its kind in the region, with rotations in Brazil, Mexico, and Chile.

In parallel, Dr. Dib has played a leading role in AHPBA surgical outreach and education missions in Peru and Ecuador, integrating complex HPB and transplant surgery with local training and capacity building. Across his career, he has mentored more than 30 surgical trainees in North and Latin America and has served as an invited speaker in more than 13 countries worldwide. His professional mission centers on advancing HPB surgery through innovation, leadership, and equitable access to high-quality care.

Published on Wednesday 4th February 2026