Professor David Watson

General & Upper GI Surgeon

Professor David Watson graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1984 and undertook training in general surgery before undertaking fellowships in oesophago-gastric surgery at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the Royal Hallamshire Hospital (Sheffield, England). He has received the John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the James IV Travelling Fellowship.

Professor Watson leads clinical and laboratory research addressing benign and malignant oesophageal disease and integrating laboratory, clinical and population research streams. He has published more than 450 papers and book chapters, led the development of Australian national guidelines for the management of oesophageal and gastric cancer, and contributed to national guidelines for the management of Barrett’s oesophagus.

Special interests

• Oesophageal and Gastric Surgery
• General surgery
• Advanced laparoscopic surgery
• Diagnostic endoscopy
• Therapeutic endoscopy
• Endoscopic ultrasound
• Surgery for gastro-oesophageal reflux and hiatus hernia
• Surgery for Oesophageal and Gastric cancer

Qualifications and memberships

• Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, University of Adelaide
• Doctor of Medicine, University of Adelaide
• Doctor of Philosophy, Flinders University
• Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
• Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences
• Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh
• Member, Australia and New Zealand Gastric and Oesophageal Surgery Association
• Member, International Society for Disease of the Esophagus
• Member, Society of Surgery of the Alimentary Tract
• Member, International Society for Surgery

Significant appointments

• Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor, Flinders University
• Head of Surgery, Flinders University
• Senior Consultant Surgeon, Flinders Medical Centre
• Clinical Director, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Clinical Trials Network Australia and New Zealand (CTANZ)
• Founding President, Australia and New Zealand Gastric and Oesophageal Surgery Association (ANZGOSA), 2006-2010
• President, International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus (ISDE), 2020-21
• Council member, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, 2016-2019