BLOG: Sharing surgical research on the global stage at International Surgical Week

by Afra Jiwa | PhD Student, Medical Informatics

As I enter the third year of my PhD, I have been seeking an opportunity to share results for the Enhanced Monitoring Using Sensors after Surgery study (EMUs) - an international cohort study exploring the use of wearable sensors to detect postoperative deterioration. International Surgical Week (ISW) is a biennial gathering of surgeons from around the world, and its international audience made it seem like the perfect forum for this work. The 2026 conference was attended by more than 2,000 delegates and was held in Mexico City over five days in April.

I noticed that the programme overlapped with several of my research interests, including AI, surgical simulation, and global surgery. I was particularly excited because my presentation session was being moderated by a respected colleague, and several of my international colleagues were also attending.

Programme

The first day began with an opening address from Professor Leppäniemi, the ISW President. His talk, which offered advice to future generations of surgeons, was both insightful and funny. The subsequent Martin Allgöwer Lecture was delivered by my primary supervisor, Professor Harrison. He presented projects that our team had been working on, and it was amazing to see first-hand how the work was received by a global audience. Throughout the rest of the week, I watched attendees seek out Professor Harrison to congratulate him on his work. It was exciting to know that elements of my own project were being discussed on such a large scale.

I also attended several talks within the Global Surgery stream, where I learnt about policy changes and new work in the field. Towards the end of the week, I gave an oral presentation on the EMUs study, which explores the use of wearable data to predict complications across differently resourced settings. The session was well received, and I was glad to be part of a group of peers whose presentations were equally stimulating. I particularly enjoyed hearing from a colleague in Nigeria whose study findings built on preliminary work that we had undertaken together.

Building an academic network

The event included a comprehensive social programme, but I chose to spend the evenings with new friends and colleagues. My PhD programme included a two-year fellowship with the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change at Harvard Medical School. A group of new faculty members and fellows were attending the conference. It was a valuable opportunity to meet others within the PGSSC network, develop new relationships, and strengthen connections between my two institutions.

Enjoying Mexico City

Last, but certainly not least, there was also time to experience the city. Academic global surgery requires cultural context, and visiting different places can provide intangible insights that are difficult to replicate. Mexico City was outstanding. From its food and architecture to its art, the culture was truly inspiring. One highlight was visiting Frida Kahlo’s house in Coyoacán and learning more about her life.

I had a wonderful week in Mexico City at International Surgical Week. A big thank you to the CMVM Small Grants Team and the Caledonian Heritable Fund, which provided sponsorship for me to attend the conference and to the surgical informatics team at the CMI for developing the EMUs study.