Professor David Watters - Biography

Professor David Watters is Alfred Deakin Professor of Surgery at Deakin University in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. He is also Director of Surgery at Safer Care Victoria (SCV) and has just finished a two-year role in leading the Perioperative Learning Health Network supporting the Victorian Surgical Recovery and Reform Process post pandemic. He is committed to improving perioperative care before, during and after surgery and is keen to support all disciplines involved across the patient journey.

At the University Hospital Geelong, he specialises in general, colorectal and endocrine surgery. He is a Past President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (2015-2016), having spent nine years on their Council from 2007. In 2022, he completed a three-year term as Chair of the inaugural Victorian Perioperative Consultative Council (2019-2022). He chaired the General Surgical sub-committee for the MBS Review (2017-2018) and has been a member of the Clinical Implementation Reference Group to support Prosthesis Reform.