Our Founder: Ai-Xuan Lê Holterman, MD
Dr. Ai-Xuan Holterman is the founder and president of IPSAC Global — a pediatric surgeon, a researcher, and a professor emerita.
Born in Vietnam, Dr. Holterman left at 17 amid the war. She built a career in the United States & Canada — becoming a board-certified pediatric surgeon, NIH-funded researcher, and Professor of Surgery at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Through it all, she kept asking: how do I give back? She founded IPSAC Global to answer that question.
A surgeon-scientist with research interests in pediatric liver disease, she has published widely and is a member of the American Surgical Association, the American Pediatric Surgical Association, and the Society of University Surgeons.
Now retired from academic surgery, she devotes her time fully to IPSAC's mission — leading surgical exchange trips to Vietnam, overseeing the PASS course across six countries, and sponsoring a clinical trial for biliary atresia in Vietnam and Pakistan.
Our Board
Dr. Marilyn W. Butler is a pediatric general surgeon who currently practices part-time at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, having worked previously in California and Oregon. With an academic career focused on global surgery, she has worked for many years with pediatric surgeons in Vietnam and is committed to supporting colleagues in low- and middle-income countries. In 2010 she founded the Global Paediatric Surgery Network, a clearinghouse for resources and collaborations of pediatric surgeons around the world. She currently serves as Treasurer of the Global Initiative for Children’s Surgery. This year she is also serving as President of the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons.
Marilyn W. Butler, MD
Dr. Hau Le is a UW Health Kids pediatric surgeon and an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Dr. Le specializes in general and thoracic (chest) pediatric surgery, with a clinical focus on pediatric surgical oncology. He is currently studying novel treatments for solid tumors such as neuroblastoma, ergonomics (proper positioning) during surgery and wholistic care for children, newborns and their families. Outside of work, Dr. Le enjoys exercise (especially cycling and yoga), spending time with family and friends and meditation.
Hau Le, MD
Dr. Beierle is a tenured Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and holds the Charles D. McCrary Endowed Chair in Pediatric Surgery. She runs an independently funded research laboratory focused on pediatric solid tumors and cell signaling and has published extensively on this topic. She has robust collaborations with numerous investigators studying novel therapeutics for pediatric solid tumors, fueling her passion for translational research. She is a member of the American Pediatric Surgical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Surgeons, and the American Surgical Association.
Elizabeth Beierle, MD
Tung Nguyen, MD
Mike Chen attended the University of Texas and UT Health Sciences Center in Houston. He trained in general surgery at the University of Florida. He completed fellowships in Transplantation and then Pediatric Surgery. He was on faculty at UMDNJ-Camden from 1996-2000. He joined the faculty at UF in Gainesville from 2000-2009. He was recruited to UAB in September 2009. He is the Director of the Division of Pediatric Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief of the Children’s Hospital. His focus is on providing the best clinical care possible for infants and children and inspiring young surgeons to do the same. He has a strong interest in education as the Director of the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship.