A Message of Remembrance and Gratitude for Dr. Carroll Harmon

Dear Jacobs School community,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the sad news of the sudden passing of Carroll McWilliams (Mac) Harmon, MD, PhD, on Feb. 11. He was a cherished member of our faculty in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo and an extraordinary leader in pediatric surgery.

Dr. Harmon served the Western New York community in numerous leadership roles, including as the John E. Fisher Chair in Pediatric Surgery in the Jacobs School, chief of surgery at Kaleida Health, and surgeon‑in‑chief at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. Through these roles, his leadership spanned both clinical care and academic medicine, helping to shape the future of pediatric and thoracic surgery throughout the region and beyond. He actively saw patients through UBMD Pediatric Surgery, part of the faculty practice plan of the Jacobs School.

Throughout his 12 years of service at UB, Dr. Harmon built and led the Healthy Weigh program, which became widely known for its effectiveness, popularity, and its success in helping families address all forms of obesity and weight management.

He mentored countless trainees, and advanced innovative surgical approaches that improved the lives of children and families throughout our community. He was widely respected for his exceptional clinical skill, his thoughtful and collaborative leadership, and his commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care.

Dr. Harmon was also recognized nationally for his pioneering work in minimally invasive surgery and the treatment of adolescent obesity. In 2011, he served as president of the International Pediatric Endosurgery Group, an organization dedicated to advancing minimally invasive surgery for children.

Before and after joining UB, he played a pivotal role as a principal investigator of the National Institutes of Health–funded Teen Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery study, a major multi‑year effort that helped establish national standards for evaluating the safety and long‑term outcomes of bariatric surgery in adolescents.

His leadership in this field continued as he co‑led the first national clinical study examining weight‑loss surgery in severely obese teenagers, culminating in a landmark New England Journal of Medicine publication showing substantial and sustained improvements in weight, metabolic health, and quality of life following surgery. His work not only transformed clinical understanding of adolescent obesity but also underscored the profound impact of this issue on Western New York’s youth, where he worked tirelessly to expand care and research.

Beyond his professional achievements, Dr. Harmon was known for his humility, warmth and generosity. He was a steady, guiding presence whose quiet confidence and deep integrity inspired all who had the privilege of working alongside him. His loss will be felt profoundly across our school, our partner hospitals, and the broader Western New York health care community.

On behalf of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, I extend our sincere condolences to Dr. Harmon’s family, friends, colleagues, and the many individuals whose lives he touched. We will share information about memorial arrangements as soon as it becomes available.

Please keep Dr. Harmon’s loved ones and all who worked closely with him in your thoughts, and continue to support one another by using the resources available to our community.

His legacy of excellence, compassion, and service will remain a lasting part of who we are.

With deepest sympathy,

Allison Brashear, MD, MBA
Dean, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Vice President for Health Sciences, University at Buffalo
President and CEO, UBMD Physicians' Group