Congratulations to Dr. Nathaniel R. Evans, III on being awarded the 2025 American Surgical Association Surgical Leaders Fellowship Grant, which is offered in partnership annually with the Society of University Surgeons.

Nathaniel R. Evans III, MD, FACS, FCCP is professor of Surgery, the inaugural chief of the Division of Thoracic and Esophageal Surgery at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, and Jefferson Health System lead for Thoracic and Esophageal Surgery. Dr. Evans is chief of cancer services for the Center City division of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and clinical lead for the center’s lung cancer program and multidisciplinary clinic. He also serves as associate director for Surgical Services in the Jane and Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute. 

Under his leadership, Jefferson has become a leader in minimally invasive and robotic thoracic surgery, and provides thousands of patients in the Philadelphia area and beyond with the highest quality care for lung cancer, esophageal cancer, and other diseases of the chest.

Dr. Evans leads a research team that studies early detection and treatment of lung cancer and ways to improve outcomes and the patient experience following lung surgery and esophageal surgery. He also conducts research to identify and alleviate disparities in healthcare, which includes a project funded by a $2.8 million grant to assess and improve lung cancer screening in vulnerable populations.

Dr. Evans is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the Society of Black Academic Surgeons, and the Society of University Surgeons. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Chest Physicians. Jefferson recognized him as a distinguished educator with the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2020 singled him out as a skilled and accomplished surgeon with the Outstanding Clinician Award for Surgical Specialties. He was the 2022 recipient of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College Deans Award for Faculty Mentoring and the Jefferson Award for Achievement in Medicine.