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Newsmakers of the Week MARCH 21, 2025 | The Indian Eye 27

VASUNDHARA NAIK June 30, pending approval by the
Iowa Board of Regents.
Lawyer appointed as As the chair and department

Judge of the Superior Court of executive officer, Dudeja will

Justice of Ontario oversee all aspects of the de-
partment, representing faculty

and serving as the spokesper-
son within the Carver College
of Medicine, UI Health Care,
and in interactions with prac-

titioners across the state and
nation.

An expert in pancreatic cancer
and other hepatobiliary cancers,
Dudeja currently serves as a ten-
ured professor and the director of
the Division of Surgical Oncology in
the Department of Surgery at The
University of Alabama at Birming-
ham (UAB). His research primarily
focuses on understanding the pathobiology of pancreatic cancer and pancre-
atitis, with the goal of developing innovative treatment strategies for these
challenging diseases.
“I’m honored and excited to join the University of Iowa Health Care
team,” says Dudeja. “I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to
he Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of provide exceptional surgical care, train the next generation of surgeons, and
Canada, recently announced the appointment of Vasundhara Naik as a
TJudge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, Family Court, in Ot- continue research to find innovative cures. Together, we will carry forward
Dr. Denise Jamieson’s vision to help Iowans and build upon the strong foun-
tawa. Her appointment meets the highest standards of excellence and integrity. dation set in the department by Dr. Ronald Weigel.”
Vasundhara Naik, Founding Partner at Robins Naik LLP in Ottawa, replac-
He is dedicated to translating laboratory discoveries into clinical appli-
es Justice D.L. Summers (Ottawa), who resigned effective December 16, 2024. cations and currently serves as the principal investigator of two multi-institu-
Justice Vasundhara Naik was born and raised in India, earning her B.A.
LL.B. (Hons.) from the National Law School of India University. She was tional clinical trials aimed at evaluating novel therapies for pancreatitis. His
laboratory is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the
called to the Bar in New Delhi, India in 1998. She completed an LL.M. in Department of Defense, and Veterans Affairs merit awards.
Human Rights and Intellectual Property Law from Lund University, Sweden, Dudeja completed his residency in general surgery at the University of
in 2003. She was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 2010. Minnesota and completed fellowship training in surgical oncology at the Me-
Justice Naik began her legal career in New Delhi with a human rights
and criminal defense firm, later specializing in intellectual property law at a morial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He earned his medical
degree from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
boutique firm. She also served as in-house counsel for Cisco Systems in India
and as Brand Protection Manager in Singapore. Prior to her appointment to
the Bench, she was a founding partner at Robins Naik LLP in Ottawa. She has To read more about Indian diaspora and Global Indians, log on to and follow
practiced primarily in family, child protection, and adoption law. our website www.TheIndianEYE.com
Justice Naik was a panel lawyer for Legal Aid Ontario and the Office
of the Children’s Lawyer. She has taught Trial and Family Advocacy at the
University of Ottawa and served on the board of the Community Legal Ser-
vices Ottawa Clinic. She volunteered on the Ottawa Superior Court of Justice
Child, Youth and Family Services Act Bench and Bar Subcommittee and was
the Past President of the Child Protection Defence Bar Association of Otta-
wa. She has been involved with Indigenous organizations, women’s shelters,
and grassroots initiatives, offering pro-bono services to marginalized clients,
including those facing language barriers.

VIKAS DUDEJA
Academic named Chair of Deptt.

of Surgery in Carver College

ikas Dudeja, MBBS, FACS, has been appointed chair and department
executive officer of the Department of Surgery in the University of
VIowa Carver College of Medicine. He will begin in his new role on

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