PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Carter Lebares is an experienced general surgeon who routinely performs both emergency and elective procedures. She holds an associate professorship at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). As a trailblazer in her field, she founded the Lebares Resilience Lab and serves as the Director of the UCSF Center for Mindfulness in Surgery. Receiving a medical degree from the University of Minnesota and completing her surgical residency at UCSF, she is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a Member of the Academy of Master Surgeon Educators, and Vice Chair of the ACS Committee on Surgeon Wellbeing.
As the Director of the UCSF Center for Mindfulness in Surgery, Dr. Lebares has dedicated over two decades to personal practice and scholarly research in mindfulness meditation, stress management, cognition, and resilience. As the Principal Investigator for the Lebares Resilience Lab, her work is focused on improving stress resilience, mental health, and performance in surgical professionals and trainees, enhancing quality of care and fostering positive outcomes for both patients and healthcare providers.
Her current research awards include funding from the UCSF Health Experience Excellence fund, Clinical Nurse Research Fund, the British Medical Association Foundation, and the Association for Surgical Education Foundation’s CESERT Platinum Award. She has previously secured support from the Physicians Foundation.
Dr. Lebares is an accomplished educator, having completed Mindfulness Teacher Training for Physicians at the University of Rochester and graduating from the Teaching Scholars Program in Medical Education at UCSF. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Healthcare Education through UCSF and Utrecht University, Netherlands.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION & MEDIA COVERAGE
The Resilience Lab, engaged in the innovative work of mindfulness, stress resilience, and well-being in surgery, has been recognized nationwide. This acknowledgment reflects the efforts of our research team, whose presentations, interviews, and podcasts have appeared on various platforms such as Operate with Zen, Present Moment Mindfulness, and the American College of Surgeons Surgeon Well-Being Program. Our insights have been shared at respected institutions like the University of Washington, Stanford University, and the Association for Surgical Education. The lab's continuous work illuminates the crucial role of emotional regulation, well-being, and performance in surgical practice, with the aim to inform and inspire current and future generations.
AWARDS
Bobby Baron, Associate Dean, Continuing Medical Education (left), Dr. Carter Lebares (right)
UCSF Excellence & Innovation in Graduate Medical Education Award
Association of Surgical Education Inaugural Platinum Award, 2021
GRAND ROUNDS AND INTERVIEWS
SOUTHERN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION PODCASTS
PRACTICE OF MEDICINE: PHYSICIAN WELLNESS, SEPTEMBER 28, 2023
THE OPERATIVE WORD FROM JACS
VET MIND WORKS PODCAST
EPISODE 12: MINDFUL AWARENESS WITH DR. CARTER LEBARES, JULY 5, 2023
OPERATE WITH ZEN PODCAST
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS, SURGEON WELL-BEING PROGRAM
ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN SURGEONS, AWS TWEETCHAT
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON GRAND ROUNDS
PRESENT MOMENT MINDFULNESS PODCAST
AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION RESIDENT & STUDENT HEALTH
MINDFULNESS HELPS SURGICAL RESIDENTS CUT STRESS, PERFORM BETTER, JULY 24 2019
MEDICALRESEARCH.COM
CAN MINDFULNESS-BASED TRAINING REDUCE STRESS AND BURNOUT IN SURGEONS?, MAY 27, 2019
UCSF SURGERY GRAND ROUNDS
IMPROVING PERFORMANCE THROUGH MINDFULNESS IN SURGERY, JUNE 13 2018
UCSF SCHOOL OF MEDICINE FACULTY COUNCIL GTRAND ROUNDS
CEDAR SINAI GRAND ROUNDS
STANFORD UNIVERSITY WELLBEING GRAND ROUNDS
CALIFORNIA PACIFIC MEDICAL CENTER, SUTTER HEALTH MEDICINE GRAND ROUNDS
TALKS AND PRESENTATIONS
2023 | Academic Surgical Congress Annual Meeting, abstract Presentation | Investigating Influential Factors and Mechanisms of Well-Being in Surgical Residency using Social Network Analysis | Houston, TX
2023 | Academic Surgical Congress Annual Meeting, Quickshot Presentation | Value Congruence and Flourishing in General Surgery Residents: A Multicenter Study | Houston, TX
2023 | American College of Surgeons, Leadership and Advocacy Summit | A Novel Approach to Understanding Surgeon Burnout and Operationalizing Solutions at Individual Institutions | Washington, DC
2021 | Academic Surgical Congress, Hot Topic Forum | Emotional Regulation in Surgery: Fostering Well-being, Performance, and Leadership | Virtual
2020 | ACS Quality and Safety Conference Virtual Meeting: Quality, Safety, and Wellbeing | Chicago, Illinois
2020 | American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress | Panel Session: Resilience Training for Surgeons | Chicago, Illinois
2020 | American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress | Resilience Training for Surgeons: How to Confront Adversity | Chicago, Illinois
2020 | Academic Surgical Congress Annual Meeting, Hot Topic Forum | Mental Training in Surgery | Orlando, FL
2019 | American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress | How can Mindfulness Improve your Surgical Skills? | San Francisco, CA
2019 | Academical Surgical Congress | Identifying Key Structural and Logistical Factors of a Mindfulness-Based Burnout Intervention | Houston, TX
2019 | Academical Surgical Congress | What Makes the Difference for Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Medical Trainees? | Houston, TX
2019 | Association for Surgical Education (ASE) Annual Meeting | Key Logistical Factors for Mindfulness-Based Burnout Interventions in Surgery | Chicago, IL
2019 | UCSF National GME Course | The opportunities and Barriers to Incorporating Mindfulness in GME Programs | San Francisco, CA
2019 | UCSF National GME Course | Developing Medical Educators of the 21st Century, Learning Environments and Mindfulness: The Inside Matters, Too | San Francisco, CA
2018 | UCSF Osher Center | Mindful Surgeon: Demonstrating the Possibility and Value of Contemplative Cognitive Training in Surgery | San Francisco, CA
2018 | Mind & Life International Symposium of Contemplative Sciences | The Mindful Surgeon: A Pilot Efficacy Trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Resilience Training in Surgery Interns at an Academic Medical Center | Phoenix, AZ
2018 | American College of Surgeons 104th Annual Clinical Congress | The Mindful Surgeon: A Pilot Feasibility and Efficacy Trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Resilience Training in Surgery| Boston, MA
2018 | University of Minnesota Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Grand Rounds | Mindful Surgeon: a pilot RCT of mindfulness based mental training for well-being and performance in surgery interns | Minneapolis, MN
2017 | American College of Surgeons 103rd Annual Clinical Congress | Burnout in US Surgery Residents: Do Year of Training and Mindfulness Matter | San Diego, CA
2017 | University of Minnesota Department of Surgery, Grand Rounds | Surgeons, Stress and Cognition: The Role of Mental Training | Minneapolis, MN
MEDIA COVERAGE
