2022
Twentieth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Wednesday May 11, 2022 – The Oaklander Hotel/Microsoft Teams Live Event
Keynote Lecture: “Chasing Cure of a GI Cancer”
Ronald P. DeMatteo, MD, FACS, John Rhea Barton Professor of Surgery; Chair, Department of Surgery, Penn Medicine
Best Research Presentation Award
- Christof Kaltenmeier, MD (Tohme)-Surgical stress promotes long-term transcriptomic and epigenetic changes in the bone marrow derived cells leading to cancer growth
Runner-up Awards:
- Shravan Leonard-Murali (Kammula)- The metastatic transcriptome predicts response to adoptive transfer of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in uveal melanoma
- Sidrah Khan (Mollen)-Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase (cGAS) is a Key Regulator of Mitochondrial Dynamics in the Intestinal Epithelium during Inflammation
Short Presentation Award
- Nijmeh Alsaadi (Neal/Scott)-Effect of Irrigation Fluid Composition on Hemostasis in Mouse Bleeding Models
- Hao Liu (Molinari)-Higher Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tumor Burden is Associated with Greater Liver Transplant Survival Benefit
- Abdulrahman Hammad (Zureikat)-Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Surgically Resected Pancreatic Carcinoma with Node Negative Disease following Neoadjuvant Therapy: A Multi-institutional Analysis
2021
Nineteenth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Wednesday May 12, 2021 –University Club, Ballrooms A & B / Microsoft Teams Live Event
Keynote Lecture: “What We Become”
Yolonda L. Colson, MD, PhD, Hermes C. Grillo Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital
Program and Schedule (PDF)
Best Research Presentation Award
- Sidrah Khan, MD: Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase (cGAS) Regulates Beclin-1 Mediated Crosstalk between Autophagy and Cell Death During Intestinal Inflammation (Best oral presentation – 10 minute talk)
Runner-up Awards
- Hamza Yazdani, MD: The Protective Effect of Exercise in Liver Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in a Murine Orthotopic Liver Transplant Model
- Caroline Rieser, MD: Social Barriers to Cytoreduction and Chemoperfusion for Appendiceal Cancer with Peritoneal Metastases: Unequal Access and Unequal Outcomes
Short Presentation Awards
- AP Deeb, MD: Non-trauma Center “Pit Stop” Associated with Worse Survival After Severe Injury
- Jandie Schwartz, DO: Cutting Instruments to Cut Costs A Simple Initiative with Breast Surgical OR Trays that Resulted in Substantial Savings
- Christof Kaltenmeier, MD: Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Promote the Upregulation of Lipid Metabolic Pathways in Cancer Cells
2020
Eighteenth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Wednesday May 6, 2020 – Microsoft Teams Live Event
Keynote Lecture: “Bench-to-Bedside: 1) Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia; 2) Chronic Pancreatitis; 3) Diabetes Mellitus”
George K. Gittes, Benjamin R. Fisher Chair of Pediatric Surgery; Professor of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatrics; and Chief of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Surgeon in Chief Emeritus and Scientific Codirector of Research, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Director, Richard King Mellon Foundation Institute for Pediatric Research
Program and Schedule (PDF)
Best Research Presentation Award
- Rafael Ramos-Jimenez, MD: Microbiome and Macrophage Function Mediate the Benefits of Plant-based Nutrition in Murine Colitis (Mentor: M. Morowitz, MD)
Runner-up Awards
- Anthony Cyr, MD, PhD: Identification of Temporal Plasma Metabolomic Response Patterns Following CLP in Young and Aged Mice (Mentor: Brian Zuckerbraun, MD)
- Ranjeet Kalsi, DO: Pancreatic Intraductal Infusion of Adeno-Associated Virus in Non-human Primates to Treat Diabetes Mellitus (Mentor: G. Gittes, MD)
Short Talk/Poster Award Winners
- Hamza Yazdani, MD: Exercise Training Decreases Hepatic Injury and Cancer Metastases via Changes in Immune Response to Liver Ischemia/Reperfusion (Mentor: Samer Tohme, MD)
- Lauren Huckaby, MD: Modeling Aortic Wall Stress from Computed Tomography- and Echocardiogram-Derived Biomechanical Parameters for Clinical Risk Prediction (Mentor: T. Gleason, MD)
- Vernissia Tam, MD: The Impact of Robotic Surgery On Functional Recovery Following Pancreatic Surgery: A Prospective Study (Mentor: Amer Zureikat, MD)
2019
Seventeenth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Wednesday May 8, 2019
Keynote Lecture: “New Approaches to Pancreatic Cancer Immunotherapy”
George Miller, MD, H. L. Pachter Professor, Departments of Surgery and Cell Biology; Leader, Cancer Immunology Program, New York University School of Medicine
Oral Presentation Award Winners
- Best presentation: Ranjeet Kalsi, MD (PI: Gittes Lab) - “Chemical Pancreatectomy as a Revolutionary Treatment for Chronic Pancreatitis”
Runners-up:
- Anthony Cyr, MD, PhD (PI: Zuckerbraun Lab) - “Metformin Rescues Age-Associated Decline in Mitochondrial and Immunologic Function in Murine and Human Lymphocytes”
- Catherine Go, MD (PI: Bryan Tillman, MD) - “A Three-Tier Rescue Stent as a Comprehensive Solution to Non-Compressible Hemorrhage”
Poster Award Winners
- Quality/Education/Epidemiology: Patrick Varley, MD (mentor: Daniel Hall, MD, MDiv, MHSc) - “Implementation of the Risk Analysis Index as a Prospective Frailty Screening Tool Within a Multi-Practice, Multi-Hospital Integrated Healthcare System”
- Epidemiology/Clinical Outcomes: Kristina Nicholson, MD (mentor: Linwah Yip, MD) - “Microscopic Extrathyroidal Extension of BRAFV600E Status Improve PTC Recurrence Prediction by AJCC 8th Edition Staging”
- Basic Science I: Rafael Ramos-Jimenez, MD (mentor: Michael Morowitz, MD) - “Traumatic Brain Injury in Adult Mice Results in Decreased Gut Commensals and Microbiome Diversity”
- Basic Science II: Christof Kaltenmeier (mentors: David Geller, MD & Samer Tohme, MD) “Neutrophil Extracellular Trap as a Biomarker for Overall and Recurrence-Free Survival in Patients with Primary Hepatic Cancers”
2018
Sixteenth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Wednesday May 2, 2018
Keynote Lecture: "Considerations on the Creative Process in Clinical Problem Solving"
Elliot L. Chaikof, MD, PhD, Surgeon-in-Chief of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Program and Schedule (PDF)
Oral Presentation Award Winners
- Best presentation: Chenxuan Yang, MS (Melanie Scott, MD, PhD, mentor) – “Gasdermin D is Hepatoprotective in Models of Non-Infectious Injury”
Runners-up:
- Kristina Nicholson MD (Linwah Yip, MD, mentor) – “Preoperative Molecular Testing Can Safely Reduce Diagnostic Surgery for Cytologically Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules”
- Nandan Nath, MD (Edith Tzeng, MD, mentor) – “Preoperative Exercise Therapy Protects the Liver from Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury”
Poster Presentation Award Winners
- Joshua Brown, MD (Jason L. Sperry, MD, MPH, mentor) – “Identifying Patients with Time-Sensitive Injuries: When Is Mortality Associated with Increasing Prehospital Time?”
- Brandon Smith MS (Vu T. Nguyen, MD, mentor) – “Systematic Review of the Cost and Burden of Applying to Plastic Surgery Compared to other Specialties”
- John Griepentrog, MD (Matthew Randall Rosengart, MD, MPH, mentor) – “Blue Light Improves Survival After Pneumonia by Augmenting Circadian Protein Expression”
- Hongji Zhang, MD (Allan Tsung, MD, mentor) – “Preoperative Exercise Therapy Protects the Liver from Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury”
2017
Fifteenth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Wednesday May 10, 2017
Keynote Lecture: "Gut Integrity In Sepsis"
Craig M. Coopersmith, MD, FACS, FCCM, Professor & Vice Chair, Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine; Director, 5E Surgical ICU; Associate Director, Emory Critical Care Center
Program and Schedule (PDF)
Oral Presentation Award Winners
- First Place: Jennifer L. Miller-Ocuin, MD, “Inhibition of Autophagy Improves Pathologic and Biomarker Response to Pre-Operative Gemcitabine/Nab-Paclitaxel in Potentially Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: A Phase II Randomized Controlled Trial”
Runners-up:
- Joshua Brown, MD, MSc, “Speed Isn’t Everything: Identifying Patients Who May Benefit from Helicopter Transport Despite Faster Ground Transport”
- Mitch Dyer, MD, “Platelet-Derived HMGB1 Promotes DVT Formation via Neutrophil Extracellular Traps”
- Katie Sun, PhD, “Cardiolipin Functions as Intracellular DAMP to Activate Caspase 11 After Hemorrhagic Shock”
Poster Presentation Award Winners
- Daniel Brown (Epidemiology/Outcomes)
- Shaun Siow, MD (Quality Improvement)
- Vikas Sud (Basic Science)
- Joseph Fusco (Basic & Translational Sciences)
2016
Fourteenth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Keynote Lecture: "Trauma Care: A Case Study in Translating Research into Policy"
Avery B. Nathens, MD, PhD, FRCS(C), Surgeon-in-Chief, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center; Professor of Surgery, University of Toronto; DeSouza Chair in Trauma Research
Program and Schedule (PDF)
Oral Presentation Award Winners
- First Place: Mitchell Dyer, MD, “Improved Hemostasis Following Trauma Using Platelet-mimicking Intravenous Synthetic Hemostat Nanotechnology “
Runners-up:
- Samer Tohme, MD, “Hypoxia Mediates Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma to Promote Tumor Growth via HMGB1 and TLR9 Interaction”
- Jennifer Miller, MD, “PAD4-Mediated NETosis Leads to Increased Carcinogenesis in Murine Pancreatic Cancer Models through an HMGB1-Dependent Mechanism”
Poster Presentation Award Winners
- Xianghong Zhang, MD, "CaMKI Regulates Mitophagy through PINK1/Parkin during Sepsis"
- Joshua Brown, MD, "Comparing the Air Medical Prehospital Triage Score to Current Practice for Helicopter Triage of Trauma Patients: A Cost-effectiveness Analysis"
- Patrick Varley, MD, "Utility of Lymph Node Yield as a Quality Metric for Node-negative Pancreatic Head Adenocarcinoma"
2015
Thirteenth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Keynote Lecture: “The Challenges and Rewards of Translational Research - One Surgeon's Journey”
Melina R. Kibbe, MD, FACS, FAHA, Professor and Vice Chair of Research; Edward G. Elcock Professor of Surgical Research, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University
Program and Schedule (PDF)
Oral Presentation Award Winners
- First Place: Michal Radomski, MD, "Complement Inhibition Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of an Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus"
Runners Up:
- Kellie Cunningham, MD, "Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor g Coactivator 1α (PGC1α) Helps Maintain the Intestinal Barrier and Protect against Inflammation in Experimental Colitis"
- Samer Tohme, "The Role of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Promoting Metastatic Cancer Following Surgical Stress"
Poster Presentation Award Winners
- Stephanie Downs-Canner, "The Tumor-Driven Conversion of TH17 cells into Tregs"
- Hai Huang, "DAMPs-activated Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Exacerbates Sterile Inflammatory Liver Injury"
- Patrick Varley, "Unexplained Heterogeneity in Late Survival for Early Stage Pancreatic Cancer"
2014
Twelfth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Keynote Lecture: “Small Molecules for Small Patients: A Surgical Journey into the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Necrotizing Enterocolitis”
David J. Hackman, MD, PhD, FACS, Watson Family Professor of Surgery; Associate Dean for Medical Student Research; Professor of Surgery and Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Co-director, Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Program and Schedule (PDF)
Oral Presentation Award Winners
- First Place: Brian Boone, MD, "Neutrophil Autophagy Promotes Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NET) in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Contributing to Tumor Growth and Metastases"
Runners up:
- Qian "Katie" Sun, MD, PhD, "HMGB1 Protects Hepatocytes from Cell Death by Activating Caspase-1 and Up-Regulating Autophagy after Redox Stress"
- Shahab Shaffiey, MD, "Generation of an Artificial Intestine and Validation in a Dog Model"
Poster Presentation Award Winners
- Khalid Almahmoud, "Impact of Severity on Dynamic Inflammation Networks Following Blunt Trauma"
- Mostafa Ramadan, "B cells play an organ protective role in Trauma + Hemorrhagic Shock"
- Alexandra Dreyzin, "Long-Term Outcomes and Predictors in Pediatric Liver Re-Transplantation"
- Hongpeng Jia, "Deletion of HMGB1 from the Intestinal Epithelium Exacerbates Experimental Necrotizing Enterocolitis in the Newborn Gut but Protects the Lung from Inflammation"
2013
Eleventh Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Keynote Lecture: “Regenerative Medicine: Current Concepts in Pancreatic Cancer”
Anthony Atala, MD, Director, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine; W.H. Boyce Professor and Chair, Department of Urology Wake Forest School of Medicine
Oral Presentation Award Winners
- First Place: Yousef El-Gohary, MA, MD, MRCS, "Direct Evidence that Pancreatic Ducts are a Source for New Beta Cells during the Juvenile Period and During Regeneration”
Runners up:
- Kent Zettel, MD, “DC Play an Unexpected Role in TLR4 Dependent Inflammation and Organ Damage Following Hemorrhagic Shock with Tissue Trauma”
- Rami Namas, MD, MRCS, “Circulating Biomarker Networks Differentiate Susceptibility to Infection Following Trauma in Humans”
Poster Presentation Award Winners
- Sean Whelan, "Lipopolysaccharide Induced Autophagy and Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Hepatocytes/Liver are Dependent on Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species, Nrf-2 Signaling"
- Rob Klune, IL-23 Activation of NKT Cells Contributes to Early Damage Following Hepatic I/R Injury"
- Shahab Shaffiey, "In Vitro and In Vivo Growth of Intestinal Stem Cells using a Novel Scaffold"
2012
Tenth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Keynote Lecture: "Advancing Translational Research in Pancreatic Cancer"
Diane M. Simeone, MD, Lazar J. Greenfield Professor of Surgery; Molecular and Integrative Physiology Chief, Division of HPB and Advanced Gastrointestinal Surgery, University of Michigan Healthy System
2011
Ninth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Keynote Lecture: "Memory, Surgery, and Surgical Research"
Daniel R. Meldrum, MD, FACS, FAHA, Professor of Surgery and Physiology, Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine
2010
Eighth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Keynote Lecture: "Enhancing Vein Graft Patency: From the Molecular to the Obvious"
Colleen M. Brophy, MD, Professor of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, Vanderbilt University
2009
Seventh Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Keynote Lecture: "Liver Translational Research: The Bench Work Does Matter"
David A. Geller, MD, Professor of Surgery; Codirector, UPMC Liver Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh
2008
Sixth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Keynote Lecture: "VEGF and VEGF Receptors in CRC: Beyond Angiogenesis"
Lee M. Ellis, MD, FACS, Professor of Surgery and Cancer Biology; William C. Liedtke Jr. Chair in Cancer Research; Chair, Ad Interim, Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
2007
Fifth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Keynote Lecture: "How Microbial Pathogens Sense Host Stress and Respond Accordingly"
John C. Alverdy, MD, FACS, Professor of Surgery; Director, Minimally Invasive/Bariatric Surgery, University of Chicago
2006
Fourth Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Keynote Lecture: Reparative and Regenerative Medicine: A Surgeon's Perspective"
Michael T. Longaker, MD, MBA, FACS, Deane P. and Louise Mitchell Professor; Director, Children's Surgical Research Program; Deputy Director, Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine; Director, Program in Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine
2005
Third Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Keynote Lecture: "Why Are You Killing My Patient?"
Michael B. Yaffe, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2004
Second Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Keynote Lecture: "The Inflammatory Reflex"
Kevin J. Tracey, MD, Professor and Director, Center for Patient-Oriented Research; Program Director, General Clinical Research Center, North Shore-LIJ Research Institute
2003
First Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day
Keynote Lecture: "Hyperosmolar Solutions for Fluid Resuscitation during Critical Illness"
Ori D. Rotstein, MD, Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto