Integrated Cardiothoracic Surgery Resident Dr. Matt Duda Receives Prestigious Teaching Award

Matthew Duda, MD, integrated cardiothoracic surgery resident and postdoctoral research fellow with the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford, was awarded the Jason Han Trainee Teaching Award from the Thoracic Surgery Medical Student Association (TSMA). The highly respected award is given annually to an outstanding resident or fellow pursuing cardiothoracic surgery in recognition of their commitment to medical student education and mentorship.

At Stanford, Dr. Duda is committed to mentoring trainees at all levels, including residents, medical students, and interns. This dedication extends across the clinic, operating room, and research lab, and a number of those students nominated him for the award. He views mentorship as a collaboration, and believes that being a part of a team of students and residents/fellows who work together is essential to providing the best possible care for patients. Dr. Duda finds great joy in “seeing a trainee master a new concept or technique,” which inspires him to take every opportunity he can to teach trainees and continue to learn and grow as a mentor.

Dr. Duda graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his medical training at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to medical school, Dr. Duda was a high school chemistry teacher with Teach for America in Los Angeles. “The experience honed my teaching skills and deepened my commitment to teaching throughout my career in medicine,” he said “Teaching is fundamental to medicine in general, and to surgery in particular, and guiding trainees towards their goals is an extremely rewarding aspect of our profession.”

He feels extremely humbled and grateful to have received the TSMA Jason Han Trainee Teaching Award. As a trainee who is still learning himself, he said that “it’s difficult to feel deserving of the recognition from my own trainees, especially considering the awesome trainees who have already been recognized for this award.” Serendipitously, the award’s namesake, Dr. Jason Han, was Dr. Duda’s first mentor in cardiothoracic surgery years ago as a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Dr. Duda has received past awards during his first three years in the Integrated Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program. In early 2026, he was awarded the Victor A. McKusick Fellowship from the Marfan Foundation for his contributions to the study of molecular mechanisms that influence aortic aneurysm formation in Marfan syndrome, reflecting his work in Dr. Michael Fischbein’s lab. He also earned the Philip E. Oyer, MD, PhD, Award for Outstanding Achievement on the American Board of Thoracic Surgery In-Service Training Examination in 2024 and 2026.

“I would like to thank our program, Chair Dr. Joseph Woo, Dr. Fischbein, and all the cardiothoracic surgery faculty for teaching me and empowering me to teach others as part of my training,” he concluded. This is the second time the relatively new TSMA Jason Han Trainee Teaching Award was given to a Stanford cardiothoracic surgery resident, with Aravind Krishnan, MD receiving it in 2024.