Maria Iliakova, MD FACS

Dr. Iliakova is launching Core Community, a bariatric practice in 2025 offering robotic surgery, endoscopy, and medical management. Check out our podcast, https://corebariatrics.buzzsprout.com/. Dr. Maria Iliakova is a fellowship-trained robotic foregut and bariatric surgeon specializing in AI and telesurgery integration. She is passionate about leveraging technology to improve patient access to surgical care. She founded and leads CURBSIDES, instant video connection for surgeons, developed BariBuddy, the first AI assistant for bariatric patients, and led the robotic surgery program at Mercy Iowa City prior to its merger with the University of Iowa HealthCare system. Dr. Iliakova is Co-Chair of the ASMBS Insurance Committee and actively contributes to the SAGES SDS Taskforce and Robotics Committee. A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, ASMBS, and SAGES, Dr. Iliakova engages in research, presentations, and publications on surgical AI, telesurgery, foregut and bariatric surgery, insurance access, and the business of healthcare. She also holds patent 63/603,410 for an innovative system that stores and sorts surgical tools. Credentials: Fellowship: Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Hackensack University Medical Center Residency: General Surgery, University of Missouri - Kansas City Internship: General Surgery, Carle Foundation Hospital MD: University of Kansas School of Medicine MSc Biochemistry & Bioinformatics, Georgetown University Fulbright Fellowship in genetics & proteomics, Center for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain BS Biology, BA Chemistry, BA Spanish: University of Missouri - Kansas City She is currently completing an MBA at NYU as part of the Andre Koo Tech MBA program, to finish 2025.