Dallas, TX, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) announces its 2026 Board of Directors and Division leadership appointments, whose terms began July 1, 2026. Representing a broad range of expertise across clinical practice, research, education, and physician assessment, these leaders will help support ABOG’s commitment to advancing excellence in women’s health through science and certification.
The 2026 Board and Division appointments include Abimbola Famuyide, MBBS, as President; George Macones, MD, MSCE, as Immediate Past President; Steven Plaxe, MD, as Treasurer; two At-Large Board Members; and six Subspecialty Division Members.
Board Officer Appointments
Abimbola Famuyide, MBBS – President
Dr. Abimbola Famuyide has been appointed President of the ABOG Board of Directors. A leader in women’s health care and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, his career has focused on improving patient care through clinical innovation, surgical excellence, research, and assessment.
He serves as Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, Minnesota, where he is past Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and currently chairs the Personnel Committee. He also holds a joint appointment in the Department of Surgery and serves as a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees.
Dr. Famuyide is board-certified in OB-GYN and holds a focused practice designation in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (MIGS). His clinical practice focuses on the management of benign gynecologic conditions.
“For nearly a century, ABOG has built a well of trust by defining standards of care and advancing the science of women’s healthcare through initial and continuing certification,” Dr. Abimbola said. “I’m incredibly honored to be President, and I look forward to working with the Board, our committed volunteers, and dedicated staff in further strengthening our mission and supporting the future of obstetrics and gynecology.”
In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Famuyide is an accomplished researcher whose interests include outcomes in abnormal uterine bleeding, benign gynecologic endoscopic surgery, and obstetric safety. His leadership extends across the specialty’s national societies, where he is Immediate Past President of the Society of Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology (SASGOG) and Secretary of the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society (AGOS).
His commitment to ABOG spans more than a decade. Dr. Famuyide has served on the ABOG Board of Directors since 2021, previously served on the Qualifying Examination Development Committee from 2020 to 2025, and has been a Specialty Certifying Examiner since 2011.
George Macones, MD, MSCE – Immediate Past President
Dr. George A. Macones will serve as Immediate Past President of the ABOG Board of Directors following his four-year term as President from 2022 to 2026. During his tenure, he helped advance ABOG’s work in certification, assessment, and strengthening standards in obstetrics and gynecology.
Dr. Macones is Executive Vice Dean of Dell Medical School and Chair of the Department of Women’s Health at Dell Medical School in Austin, Texas. He is also a maternal-fetal medicine subspecialist with the Women’s Health clinical partnership between Ascension Seton and UT Health Austin. Board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine, his clinical and research work focuses on improving maternal and fetal outcomes.
Dr. Macones has authored more than 400 publications, with research focused on areas including vaginal birth after cesarean delivery and fetal monitoring. He has held leadership roles with organizations including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Macones’ service with ABOG spans more than two decades. In addition to serving as ABOG President from 2022 to 2026, he previously served as a member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division. He also served on the Certifying Examination Development Committee from 2019 to 2022 and has served as a Subspecialty Examiner since 2003.
Steven Plaxe, MD – Treasurer
Dr. Steven Plaxe has been appointed Treasurer of the ABOG Board of Directors. A gynecologic oncologist and academic leader, he has spent his career advancing the care of patients with gynecologic cancers through clinical practice, research, and national efforts in cancer prevention and treatment. As he begins his new role, Plaxe reflected on the opportunity to serve: "I am privileged to serve ABOG diplomates and candidates who work every day to improve women's health."
Dr. Plaxe is Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine (UC San Diego) and gynecologic oncologist at UC San Diego Health. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of gynecologic cancers, including cancers of the cervix, fallopian tubes, ovaries, uterus, vagina, and vulva. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American College of Surgeons and member of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center.
Throughout his career, Dr. Plaxe has advanced the field of gynecologic oncology through research, education, and national service. He has served as a principal investigator for Gynecologic Oncology Group studies at UC San Diego, contributed to initiatives focused on cancer prevention and control, and authored numerous publications in the specialty.
Dr. Plaxe has supported ABOG’s assessments for more than 25 years. He served on the Board of Directors from 2021 to 2025 as the Gynecologic Oncology Division Chief and contributed to examination development through service on the Certifying Examination Development Committee from 2023 to 2025 and the Qualifying Examination Development Committee from 2024 to 2025. He has served as a Specialty Examiner since 1999 and a Subspecialty Examiner since 2006.
At-Large Board Member Appointments
Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, MD, MS – At-Large Board Member
Dr. Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman has been appointed an At-Large Member of the Board. Her work has centered on improving outcomes for patients with high-risk pregnancies and advancing evidence-based obstetric care through clinical research, education, and leadership.
Dr. Gyamfi-Bannerman is the Samuel S.C. Yen Department Chair and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine (UC San Diego) and perinatologist at UC San Diego Health. Board-certified in OB-GYN and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, her clinical and research expertise includes preterm birth prevention, antenatal corticosteroid use, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, thrombophilias, and other complex pregnancy conditions.
As a National Institutes of Health-funded investigator, she has led multiple clinical trials and authored over 250 publications in peer-reviewed journals, including JAMA, The New England Journal of Medicine, and the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. She has received national recognition for research excellence and has played a prominent leadership role within the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), serving on its Board of Directors and progressing through multiple officer positions before serving as President in 2024 and Immediate Past President in 2025.
Dr. Gyamfi-Bannerman has demonstrated a strong commitment to physician assessment and certification through her service with ABOG. She served as a Specialty Certifying Examiner from 2019 to 2022 and has been a Subspecialty Certifying Examiner since 2020.
Tiffany A. Moore Simas, MD, MPH, MEd, MHCM – At-Large Board Member
Dr. Tiffany A. Moore Simas has been appointed an At-Large Member of the ABOG Board of Directors. Her career has focused on integrating perinatal mental health, obstetric care, research, and education to improve outcomes for patients and families.
Dr. Moore Simas serves as Chair and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UMass Chan Medical School/UMass Memorial Health, with additional appointments in Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Population and Quantitative Health Sciences. She is widely recognized for her leadership in perinatal mental health as the founding obstetric engagement director of the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP) for Moms, the first statewide program of its kind to support obstetric clinicians in addressing perinatal mental health and substance use disorders. She has also led Lifeline for Moms, which advances the integration of obstetric and mental health care through research, education, and collaboration.
Dr. Moore Simas maintains a robust federally funded research portfolio and has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications. In addition to being the current President of the Society for Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology, her leadership service includes prominent roles with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health.
“Serving on the ABOG Board is a privilege and an opportunity to help shape the future of our specialty,” Dr. Moore Simas said. “I am committed to advancing standards that reflect the full scope of modern obstetrics and gynecology, including the integration of mental health, and to supporting in and assuring that clinicians deliver safe, high-quality care to all patients. I look forward to bringing my experience in implementation science and adult education to help ensure that certification and assessment effectively translate into meaningful improvements in clinical practice.”
Her involvement with ABOG spans more than a decade and includes service on the Maintenance of Certification Written Examination Committee in 2013, the Qualifying Examination Development Committee from 2014 to 2019, and as a Certifying Examination Examiner since 2013.
Subspecialty Division Member Appointments
Complex Family Planning (CFP)
Beverly Gray, MD
Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Chief, Division of Women’s Community and Population Health
Fellowship Director, Complex Family Planning
Duke University School of Medicine
Nikki B. Zite, MD, MPH
Professor, Vice Chair of Education and Advocacy
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Tennessee Health Sciences College of Medicine, Knoxville
Gynecologic Oncology
Renata Urban, MD
Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Program Director, Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship
University of Washington School of Medicine
Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM)
Shad Deering, MD, COL(ret) USA, CHSE-A
Professor, University of Virginia School of Medicine
Medical Director, Inova Center for Advanced Medical Simulation
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI)
Lubna Pal, MBBS, FRCOG (UK), MS
Professor, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility
Director, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Program
Director, Menopause Program
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences
Yale School of Medicine
Sara Sinha Morelli, MD, PhD
Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Health
Vice Chair for Academic Affairs
Director, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
Director, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship Program
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
ABOG congratulates these leaders on their appointments and looks forward to their continued contributions in advancing the specialty. Their experience and perspectives will help shape ABOG’s continued work in certification, assessment, and supporting the future of obstetrics and gynecology.
American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology 214-871-1619 communications@abog.org
