Michelle Nguyen, MD, MPH, FACS, is an abdominal transplant surgeon at Mayo Clinic Arizona, where she specializes in liver, kidney, and pancreas transplantation, as well as living kidney donation. With expertise that spans high-volume surgical practice, translational science, and national education leadership, Dr. Nguyen is advancing the future of transplant care through innovation, mentorship, and precision.
She was nominated for The Alliance 40 Under 40 by Dr. Amit Mathur, Professor of Surgery at Mayo Clinic. “Dr. Nguyen is a dynamic leader engaged in transplant innovation, education, and cutting-edge clinical practice,” Mathur wrote. “Her efforts are already changing practice and hold transformative potential for the field.”
At Mayo Clinic, Dr. Nguyen is leading the development of a robotic kidney transplant program, expanding surgical options and improving recovery outcomes for patients. Her research focuses on improving graft viability and organ utilization through normothermic machine perfusion (NMP). She is the first author of the landmark study, “Improved Outcomes and Resource Use With Normothermic Machine Perfusion in Liver Transplantation,” published in JAMA Surgery, and has helped establish Mayo Clinic Arizona as one of the country’s leaders in this emerging field.
Dr. Nguyen was awarded the Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation Endowment to study predictive biomarkers for liver graft viability in NMP-preserved allografts. She also serves as the site Principal Investigator in a collaborative study with the Terasaki Institute of Biomedical Innovation, developing real-time diagnostic tools to enhance transplant decision-making.
In addition to her clinical and research achievements, Dr. Nguyen serves as Vice-Chair of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) Fellowship Training Committee, where she shapes the national curriculum for abdominal transplant fellows and mentors the next generation of surgical leaders.
Michelle Nguyen’s work bridges scientific advancement and compassionate care. Through technical excellence, trailblazing research, and educational leadership, she is redefining what’s possible in transplant surgery — and setting a powerful example for the field’s future.