Vlad Valentin Simianu, MD, MPH, FACS, FASCRS

Scott R. Steele, MD, MBA, FACS, FASCRS, FPSCRS (Hon.)

Dr. Vlad (“Val”) Simianu is a staff surgeon at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, WA. He was born in Romania and spent his first 7 years of life there. His parents, both chemists, came to the United States in 1991, and ultimately the entire family became citizens. They settled in Carmel, IN, where he stayed for both college—graduating with biochemistry and Spanish majors at Indiana University—and medical school. He met his wife, Lauren, while at Indiana University School of Medicine, and they couples matched to the University of Washington for—he as a General Surgeon, and she as a Pediatrician—finishing in 2017. Along the way, he received his Masters of Public Health degree from the University of Washington School of Public Health with a focus on Health Services. He subsequently completed a Colorectal Fellowship at the University of Minnesota prior to going to Seattle where he has been ever since.

Dr. Simianu is an active educator and researcher. At Virginia Mason, he is the lead for the surgical residents' robotics curriculum and serves as the lead investigator and surgeon for several local and national studies spanning the spectrum of colorectal care. He is the Medical Director for Colon and Rectal Disorders at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health's Center for Digestive Health and Medical Director of the Colorectal Cancer Service Line at Virginia Mason's Floyd and Delores Jones Cancer Institute. Since 2023, he has served as the Virginia Mason Medical Director of clinical research.

Dr. Simianu is also dedicated to improving the quality of surgical care in Washington state, and serves as the Associate Medical Director, Colorectal, of the Surgical Care Outcomes Assessment Program (SCOAP). Dr. Simianu is an active member of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, currently serving on the Clinical Practice Guidelines committee and Research Foundation. He is also an associate editor for the Disease of Colon and Rectum. Vlad's main clinical interests are focused around developing multidisciplinary teams and programs for colorectal cancer, diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and pelvic floor care at Virginia Mason.

He and Lauren live in Seattle. She is the medical director of the PICU at Seattle Children's and they have one daughter, Olivia, who was born in 2020. Outside of medicine, he enjoys mountaineering, skiing, and hiking with his family. On behalf of the readers and staff of Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery, I want to sincerely thank Dr. Simianu for serving as a Guest Editor and for providing us with an incredible issue on contemporary considerations in colon cancer surgery.

Publication History

Article published online:
26 December 2024