An uplifting speech titled "Maximizing Your Potential: Building a Research Career in Academia" by keynote speaker Jose Antonio Diaz, MD, Research Associate Professor of Surgery, Director, Division of Surgical Research Section of Surgical Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, kicked off the Renaissance School of Medicine's/Department of Surgery's Annual Research Day in May at Stony Brook's MART Auditorium. Dr. Diaz' speech was bookended by opening remarks from A. Laurie Shroyer, PhD (Research Committee Chair) and Apostolos Tassiopoulos, MD, FACS (Professor and Chairman of Surgery), and by research presentations and a research poster contest from our residents and their faculty mentors.
The research presentation session was opened by Niharika Singh, MD (mentored by Helen Hsieh, MD) whose topic was "Improved Post-Operative Outcomes with ERAS Protocol in the Pediatric Ambulatory Surgical Population." Dr. Singh was followed by:
- Presenter: Samuel Greenberg, Medical Student (mentored by Thomas Bilfinger, MD; Henry Tannous, MD; A. Laurie Shroyer, PhD) - "Single-Center Versus Multi-Center Surgeons' Mitral Valve Repair - Adjusted Clinical Outcomes"
- Presenter: James Metkus, MD (mentored by Lukas Czerwonka, MD) - "Preoperative Vitamin D Levels' Effect on Length of Stay in Postoperative Thyroidectomy Patients"
- Presenter: Amir Teimouri-Dereshgi, MD (mentored by Ankit Dhamija, MD) - "The Impact of Weight-Reducing Bariatric Surgery on Post-Operative Need for Surgical Valvular Intervention in Patients with Pre-Existing Valvular Heart Disease"
- Presenter: Josue Gutierez, MD (mentored by Angela Kokkosis, MD; Nicos Labropoulos, PhD) - "Clinical Outcomes of Intravascular Ultrasound-Confirmed Symptomatic Transplant Renal Artery Stenosis After Endovascular Treatment"
The presenters and their mentors were conferred with awards by Dr. A. Laurie Shroyer, Dr. Tassiopoulos, Dr. Henry Tannous and Dr. Aaron Sasson.
During a break in the presentations, the Research Poster Contest participants presented to Judges Kenneth Shroyer, MD, PhD; Elliott Bennett-Guerrero, MD; and Ute. Moll, MD. Poster presenters included:
- Presenter: Ila Sethi, MD (mentored by Randeep Jawa, MD) - "Blunt Bowel and Mesenteric Injury: Accuracy of CT-Based Scoring Systems"
- Presenter: Camilo Martinez, MD (mentored by Nicos Labropoulos, PhD, and Dr. Tassiopoulos) - "Degree of Progressive Dilation of the External Iliac Artery After Endovascular Stent Placement"
- Presenter: Patrick Jasinski, MD (mentored by Dr. Tassiopoulos) - "Improved Radiation Exposure and Efficiency for Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair in Hybrid Operating Rooms"
- Presenter: Gurtej Singh, PhD (mentored by Alexander Dagum, MD) - "Regeneration of Skin's Microvascular Networks Through the Process of Vasculogenesis and Angiogenesis"
Dr. Gurtej Singh and Dr. Dagum were honored as the winners of the poster competition. The poster competition committee was co-chaired by Tara Huston, MD; and Nicos Labropoulos, PhD.
Surgery Faculty and Resident Teaching Awards were also presented to Nicholas Ahn, MD (Outstanding Faculty Teaching Scholar) and Ross Weller, MD (Outstanding Resident Teaching Scholar) by A. Laurie Shroyer, PhD; Dr. Tassiopoulos, MD; and Gurtej Singh, PhD. A list of all the day's award recipients can be found here.
Special thanks to the Research Committee (A. Laurie Shroyer, PhD, Chair; Thomas Bilfinger, MD, ScD, Co-Chair; Lukas Czerwonka, MD, Member; Tara Huston, MD, Co-Chair, Poster Session; Randeep Jawa, MD, Member; Aleksandra Krajewski, MD, Member); Nicos Labropoulos, PhD, Co-Chair, Poster Session; Aaron Sasson, MD, Co-Chair) and the Research Day Coordinators (Kathy O'Brien and Andreea Fodor, PhD) for helping to create a memorable event filled with excellent presentations and important, innovative surgical research.