Lourdes Swentek

HS Associate Clinical Professor, Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care

Biography

Lourdes Swentek, M.D., is Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care at the University of California, Irvine. She received her Doctor of Medicine from Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, and completed her surgical residency at Loma Linda University Health and the University of California, Irvine, followed by a Critical Care fellowship at UC Irvine. Swentek is board certified in both General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.

Swentek's research focuses on oxidative stress pathways and their therapeutic applications, particularly the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway in pancreatitis and islet transplantation. Her work has examined the protective effects of antioxidant therapies in acute and chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic islet preservation, and organ transplantation. She has also contributed to trauma research, including studies on firearm violence trends, pediatric trauma outcomes, and critical care management in surgical patients. Swentek holds a patent for noninvasive fetal and cervical dilation monitoring during labor. She has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications and multiple book chapters.

Swentek serves as Fourth Year Medical Student Clerkship Director at UC Irvine and has participated in several leadership development programs, including the Advanced Leader Academy and UC Visiting Early Career Faculty Mentorship and Sponsorship Program. She is an ATLS Director and ASSET instructor, and provides mentorship through multiple programs including the Summer Healthcare Experience program, Research in Science and Engineering Program, and the Association of Women Surgeons medical student chapter. Swentek volunteers as a surgeon at Lestonnac Free Clinic and has participated in medical service trips to Malawi, Peru, and Guatemala.

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