Prof. David A. Spain is the David L. Gregg, MD Professor and Chief of Acute Care Surgery. His clinical areas of speciality are emergency and elective general surgery, trauma and critical care. His research focus is assessment of clinical care, systems of care and assessment of stress response and PTSD after trauma. He is a past President of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. He is a Councilor of the American Board of Surgery and Director of the Surgical Critical Care Board. He is the editor of the textbook Scientific American's Critical Care of the Surgical Patient. Prof. Spain is also the General Surgery Residency Program Director at Stanford.