Arghavan Salles, MD, PhD, is a national leader in diversity, inclusion, and equity, having earned a doctorate in these topics at Stanford University. Dr. Salles trained as a minimally invasive and bariatric surgeon.
She has extensive lived experience as a woman of color working in a male-dominated environment.
Dr. Salles completed medical school and residency in general surgery at Stanford prior to completing a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery at Washington University in St. Louis. After staying on faculty in St. Louis for a few years, Dr. Salles moved back to Stanford in 2019 to work with the medical school on issues related to diversity and inclusion. Her research focuses broadly on gender equity, implicit bias, diversity, inclusion, and physician well-being. During the pandemic, Dr. Salles has served as a disaster relief physician, caring for patients with COVID in the ICU. She is a sought-after speaker and has given over 70 national and international invited talks related to gender equity and sexual harassment in medicine.
Dr. Salles is a prolific researcher and writer, having had her work published in prominent medical journals such as JAMA Network Open and JAMA Surgery. She also writes for broad audiences through outlets such as USA Today, TIME Magazine, and Scientific American. She is passionate about helping women and under-represented minorities achieve their full potential at work.
