Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Sunnie Wong ('24)

Dr. Sunnie Wong arrived at Stanford General Surgery Residency Program with an MD/PhD from Tulane University. After graduating, she pursued a burn critical care fellowship at the University of Southern California. Today, she is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Indiana University and the recent recipient of the Plastic Surgery Foundation’s Pilot Research Grant.

About the project: My interest in wound healing began during my time as a Stanford Accelerated Surgeon Scientist (SASS) resident. I was fortunate to be recruited into the program by Dr. Marc Melcher, who helped me see how scientific discovery could be integrated into a surgical career. During residency, I became fascinated by the role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in tissue repair and wound healing. 
 
Working closely with Dr. James Dunn, I developed the specific aims for this project and performed some of the preliminary experiments that ultimately laid the foundation for the work funded by the 2026 Plastic Surgery Foundation Pilot Research Grant. I am also deeply grateful to Drs. Mary Hawn and David Spain for their leadership and support of the SASS program, which provided the mentorship and research environment that made this work possible. 
 
This research aligns closely with my clinical practice as a burn surgeon. Every day, I care for patients with complex wounds and challenging healing problems. My laboratory focuses on understanding how a specialized population of regulatory T cells found in visceral adipose tissue (VAT-Tregs) may promote tissue repair and improve wound healing. The long-term goal is to translate these discoveries into therapies that enhance healing and recovery for patients with burns and other complex wounds.

It is especially meaningful that a project that began as an idea during my Stanford residency has now received national funding and serves as the foundation of my independent research program.

What advice do you have for current residents?  One of the best pieces of advice I received was to choose a career that aligns with the questions you are most excited to answer and the patients you are most passionate about serving. Surgical training exposes us to an incredible range of opportunities, and there is rarely a single "right" path. 
 
As a resident, I found it helpful to pay attention to what energized me. The moments I enjoyed most were caring for critically ill patients, operating on complex wounds, and asking scientific questions about tissue repair. Those interests ultimately led me to a career that combines burn surgery, acute care surgery, critical care, and translational research. 
 
I would also encourage residents to seek out mentors who challenge them, support them, and help them envision possibilities they may not have considered for themselves. Many of the opportunities in my career—including research, fellowship training, and academic surgery—were made possible because mentors invested their time and confidence in me. 
 
Like all things in life, careers evolve, and opportunities often arise in unexpected ways. I certainly did not have every step mapped out before graduation. Stay open to new experiences, remain curious, work hard, and keep an eye out for opportunities that align with your values and interests. Sometimes the most rewarding paths are the ones you never planned to take.