Dr. Carter Lebares is a gastrointestinal and bariatric surgeon who specializes in treating gastrointestinal disease, particularly of the esophagus and stomach, using minimally invasive surgery, such as robotics and surgical endoscopy. Her expertise includes treatments for reflux disease, obesity, early esophageal or gastric cancer, esophageal motility disorders, hernias, gallbladder disease and some kinds of biliary disease.

Lebares' research interests include resilience and mindfulness in surgery, mindfulness and nutrition in metabolic syndrome and obesity, the neuroendocrine and cognitive effects of stress on learning and performance, and endoscopic surgery for diseases of the esophagus and stomach.

Lebares received her medical degree from the University of Minnesota and completed a surgical residency there. She also completed a surgical residency at UCSF. She completed a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery and surgical endoscopy at the IRCAD Institute of the University of Strasbourg in France.

Lebares is a member of the American College of Surgeons. She received the University of Minnesota Foundation's Metropolitan – Mount Sinai Award for future excellence in 2008, the University of Minnesota's Gaviser-Hays Award for compassion in surgery in 2013 and the surgical resident teaching award from the UCSF Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators in 2013.