Atul Gawande

Atul Gawande practices general and endocrine surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, where his research has directly shaped modern patient safety protocols. He is also a staff writer for The New Yorker, where many of his surgical safety ideas first reached a wide audience.

"The Checklist Manifesto" argues that simple surgical checklists can dramatically reduce complications and deaths in operating rooms. The concept was tested in a World Health Organization study across multiple countries and showed significant reductions in surgical mortality.

Gawande served as CEO of Haven, the healthcare joint venture formed by Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, and Berkshire Hathaway aimed at reducing employee healthcare costs. The venture disbanded in early 2021 after struggling to achieve its ambitious goals.

Gawande specializes in general and endocrine surgery, meaning his clinical work involves operating on glands such as the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands. He combines this surgical practice at Brigham and Women's Hospital with public health research and writing.