Honors

Four of our faculty members – Natasha Corbitt, M.D., Ph.D.; Shelby Holt, M.D.; Emina Huang, M.D.; and Melissa Kirkwood, M.D. – were honored as women in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) at UT Southwestern. Their portraits are displayed on the Celebrating Breakthroughs Together wall that is near room D1.600.

Gary Iwamoto, Ph.D., a professor in our anatomy section, was honored by being chosen as a marshal for commencement ceremonies of the UT Southwestern Medical School class of 2022.

Awards

Brett Arnoldo, M.D., won the Professor Award from the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation. The award is given to just 10 Texas educators each year. Recipients are chosen for their scholarly achievement and dedication to students and the teaching profession.

Jacqueline Byrd, M.D., won the award for Highest Scoring Student or Trainee Abstract in the surgical and perioperative interest group at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting in Washington, D.C. Her winning presentation was How Do We Define the Surgical Safety Net? (coauthor: Waljee JF)

Geoffrey Hespe, M.D., won the Best Quick Shot Award at the annual meeting of the Plastic Surgery Research Council in Toronto, Canada. His winning presentation was Understanding the Immune Cell Niche at the Injury Site and Draining Lymph Node Following Musculoskeletal Trauma (coauthors: Chowdary AR, Bancroft A, Hwang C, Barnes S, Nunez JH, Pagani CA, Huber A, Levi B).

Chase Pagani, B.A., a member of the Levi lab, won the Peter Gingrass Award for Best Medical Student/Non-Resident Presentation at the annual meeting of the Plastic Surgery Research Council in Toronto, Canada. His winning presentation was The Effect of Lymphatic Proliferation in Extremity Trauma and Aberrant Wound Healing.

Zhuan Zhou, Ph.D., became the second recipient of our 2022 Faculty Research Pilot Award. His winning proposal was The Impact of Neuroplastin on Ferroptosis Defense and Cancer Treatment. Dr. Zhou will use the award to explore the role of neuroplastin in iron-dependent programmed cell death, which has particular relevance for pancreatic cancer. 

Announcements

Sitaram Chilakamarry, M.D., and Jennifer Crane, RN, helped the rectal cancer center at Clements University Hospital become accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC). The NAPRC was created by the American College of Surgeons and other medical societies to promote high-quality, multidisciplinary care for rectal cancer. 

Natasha Corbitt, M.D., Ph.D., was appointed to the publications committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Ryan Dumas, M.D., was selected to be an examiner for the American Board of Surgery.

Emina Huang, M.D., our executive vice chair of research, was selected to lead the colorectal cancer translational research program at the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her duties will include promoting research, clinical trials, funding, advocacy, and outreach efforts related to colorectal cancer, with a focus on DFW patients. 

Benjamin Levi, M.D., and colleagues wrote a review article on heterotopic ossification that is now the most-cited paper to have appeared in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research Plus. 

John Zuniga, D.M.D., Ph.D., led workshops on “Orofacial Pain: Neurosensory Examination and Tests Algorithms” and “Trigeminal Nerve Repair With Nerve Allografts” at the annual meeting of the Spanish Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Pain and Craniomandibular Disorders in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Presentations

Sarah Cairo, M.D.

(coauthor: Ryan M)

Using Virtual Reality to Plan the Resection of a Complex Sternal Mass

Annual congress, International Pediatric Endosurgery Group

June 3, 2022  Miami, Florida

Melanie Hafford, M.D.

Expectations and Medical Management for Pregnancy After Bariatric Surgery

Annual meeting, American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

June 8, 2022  Dallas, Texas

Sergio Huerta, M.D.

The VASQIP Calculator Is a Poor Predictor of Morbidity and Mortality in Octogenarian and Nonagenarian Veterans Undergoing Major Lower Extremity Amputations

Anesthesia grand rounds, VA Medical Center

June 29, 2022  Dallas, Texas (virtual) 

Robert Tower, Ph.D.

Parallels and Deviations in Mesenchymal Progenitor Cell Activation in Regenerative and Fibrotic Injuries

Annual meeting, Plastic Surgery Research Council

June 8-12, 2022  Toronto, Canada

John Zuniga, D.M.D., Ph.D.

Wisdom Teeth, Implants, Endodontics and Trigeminal Lesions in the Dental Practice

Annual meeting, Spanish Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Pain and Craniomandibular Disorders

June 17-18, 2022  Santiago de Compostela, Spain

The Best Treatment Options for Trigeminal Nerve Injuries

Annual meeting, Spanish Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Pain and Craniomandibular Disorders

June 17-18, 2022  Santiago de Compostela, Spain

View recent publications for the Department of Surgery here.