News & Events: Resident Research

The UCSF Department of Surgery is pleased to host the 34th annual J. Engelbert Dunphy Resident Research Symposium, to be held virtually on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, beginning at 7:00am PDT. The program will showcase the research of residents, fellows, and medical students in the Department of Surgery, and honors the life and accomplishments of J. Engelbert Dunphy, M.D., a legendary surgeon and former chair of the UCSF Department of Surgery. The symposium will feature the 2021 Dunphy Professor Jayme Locke, M.D., MPH, who will present the Keynote Lecture, "Surgery, Science & Advocacy: [...]

Mignote Yilma, M.D., a general surgery resident, was accepted into the National Clinician Scholars Program (NCSP) at UCSF, starting in the 2021-22 academic year. The NCSP is a prestigious two-year post-doctoral fellowship that trains scholars in community-partnered research, implementation and dissemination sciences, and health system transformation. The goal of the program is to train healthcare leaders to work in diverse settings and cultivate health equity. As one of five NCSP Scholars, Dr. Yilma will work with a mentorship team from a variety of disciplines and will participate in formal [...]

Zachary Matthay, M.D., a general surgery research resident, received the basic science award at the Northern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Resident Research Competition, held virtually on October 21st, 2020. His presentation, titled "Leveraging the Catecholamine Response after Trauma: An Opportunity to Enhance Platelet Dependent Hemostasis?" examined the relationships between catecholamine surges after injury with platelet dependent hemostasis and viscoelastic clot strength in a cohort of trauma patients. The translational research study was [...]

Hillary Braun, M.D., a general surgery research resident, was recently named to the Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group (DICG). The DICG is an international organization of transplant professionals whose purpose is to "promote, implement and uphold the Declaration of Istanbul so as to combat organ trafficking, transplant tourism and transplant commercialism and to encourage adoption of effective and ethical transplantation practices around the world". Dr. Braun's research time has been spent, in part, investigating the impact of travel for transplantation on the liver transplant system [...]

A recent study published in the British Journal of Surgery by Nichole Starr, M.D., MPH and a team of researchers at Lifebox, showed a dramatic reduction in the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs) after implementing Clean Cut, a quality improvement program that helps surgical teams address the causes of SSIs. The study, Outcomes Following Implementation of Clean Cut, an Adaptive, Multimodal Surgical Infection Prevention Program for Low Resource Settings: A Prospective Quality Improvement Study, showed a 35% reduction in the risk of SSI, based on the outcomes of more than 2,000 operations [...]

Hillary Braun, M.D., a general surgery research resident, was named the 2020 Bruce A. Luxon Emerging Liver Scholar by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The Emerging Liver Scholars program selects 20 medicine or surgery residents who are interested in the study of liver diseases to participate in a curated program at the AASLD's annual Liver Meeting, which will be held virtually this year November 13-16, 2020. In addition to participation in the Emerging Liver Scholars program, Dr. Braun also received the distinction of being selected as the 2020 Bruce A. Luxon [...]

Nichole Starr, M.D., MPH, a general surgery research resident, was awarded an NIH Fogarty Global Health Scholars Fellowship for the 2020-21 year. Dr. Starr will spend her fellowship year at Addis Ababa University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia under the mentorship of Milliard Derbew, M.D., Tom Weiser, M.D., MPH, Andi Tenner, M.D., MPH, and Doruk Ozgediz, M.D., MSc. Her research will focus on building and implementing trauma quality improvement programs in Ethiopian public hospitals. Dr. Starr's team will establish trauma registries at three hospitals in the city of Addis Ababa to collect and [...]

      Mark Barry, M.D. Zachary Matthay, M.D.  Adam Wallace, M.D. Ava Yap, M.D.. M.H.Sc.  UCSF Surgery residents were well-represented as awardees of the UCSF CTSI Spring 2020 Resident Research Funding Award. Mark Barry, M.D., Zachary Matthay, M.D. (General Surgery research residents), Adam Wallace, M.D. (Plastic Surgery research resident), and Ava Yap, M.D.. M.H.Sc. (General Surgery PGY3 resident) were all recipients of this highly competitive award. Dr. Barry's award will support his project, "Mitigating Vascular Dysfunction and Lung Injury in Trauma with Human [...]

Mark Barry, M.D., a soon to be general surgery research resident, has received a UCSF Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) award. Dr. Barry has been mentored and supported in his work by Shibani Pati, MD, PhD and Deborah Stein, MD. Dr. Barry will begin his dedicated research years in July 2020.  The StARR Program seeks to recruit, support and train outstanding clinical residents with the potential to become successful clinical and translational researchers. With funding from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), StARR supports UCSF residents for a contiguous [...]

Patricia Conroy, M.D., a soon to be general surgery research resident, has been awarded a CTSI TL1 Postdoctoral Fellowship. Dr. Conroy has been mentored and supported in her work by Kim Kirkwood, MD and Charles Craik, PhD. Dr. Conroy will begin her dedicated research years in July 2020.  The CTSI TL1 postdoctoral fellowship seeks to train exceptional postdoctoral fellows and provide them with the methodologic, analytic, leadership and team science skills required to conduct transformative early translational research. Fellows receive advanced didactic training relevant to the conduct of [...]

Zachary Matthay, M.D., a general surgery research resident, received the prestigious Ernest E. Moore Basic Science Research Prize from the Western Trauma Association for his investigations and manuscript on "Dynamic Effects of In-Vivo and In-Vitro Calcium on Platelet Behavior". The award was given during the 50th Annual Western Trauma Association Meeting, held February 23-28, 2020 in Sun Valley, Idaho. He is the 2nd recipient of this award, which was developed to encourage and support basic science research in trauma and is the highest basic science honor for residents within the field of [...]

Zachary Matthay, M.D., a general surgery research resident, received second place in the American College of Surgeons Region IX Committee on Trauma Resident Research Competition, held at Cedars Sinai Medical Center on December 7th, 2019. His presentation, titled "Dynamic Effects of Calcium on Platelet Behavior after Injury," identified important relationships between calcium concentrations, platelet function and transfusion requirements in trauma patients. The translational research study was conducted at ZSFG with the mentorship of Lucy Kornblith, M.D., and the support of her research time. [...]

Zachary Matthay, M.D., a rising PGY-3 and soon to be general surgery research resident, has been awarded a CTSI TL1 Postdoctoral Fellowship. Dr. Matthay has been mentored and supported in his career by Lucy Kornblith, M.D., Peter G. Stock, M.D., Ph.D., M. Margaret Knudson, M.D. and Pamela Derish, M.A. The CTSI TL1 postdoctoral fellowship seeks to train exceptional postdoctoral fellows and provide them with the methodologic, analytic, leadership and team science skills required to conduct transformative early translational research. Fellows receive advanced didactic training relevant to the [...]

Hillary Braun, MD, a third-year (PGY-3) general surgery resident at UCSF, has been awarded a prestigious two-year resident research scholarship by the American College of Surgeons for 2019-2021. The scholarships are supported by the generosity of Fellows, Chapters, and friends of the College, to encourage residents to pursue careers in academic surgery.  Dr. Braun's research will focus on  the impact of domestic and international travel for transplantation on disparities in U.S. solid organ transplantation with the goal of generating data to inform national policy around these issues.  Dr. [...]

Michael Zobel, M.D, a third-year (PGY-3) general surgery resident at UCSF, has been awarded a prestigious two-year resident research scholarship by the American College of Surgeons for 2018-2020. The scholarships are supported by the generosity of Fellows, Chapters, and friends of the College, to encourage residents to pursue careers in academic surgery. Dr. Zobel's research is focused on targeting novel genes to suppress metastasis in neuroblastoma, as well as the role of the tumor micro-environment and the immune system in this process.  Beginning in summer 2018, Dr. Zobel will be a [...]

From developing sensors to detect pressure ulcers to conducting pre-clinical studies for novel magnetic therapies, Isabelle Chumfong, MEng, MD, and Claire Graves, MD took the unconventional route during their research years, electing to pursue cutting-edge research through the Innovation Pathway, one of five such pathways open to surgery and visiting residents during their research years.  The purpose of the resident research program is to encourage trainees to hone their skills as physician-scientists by asking critical questions and gaining the expertise needed to pursue answers to them. [...]

The 30th Annual J. Engelbert Dunphy Resident Research Symposium was held on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at UCSF Mission Bay Hospital, Oberndorf Auditorium.  The symposium showcases the laboratory research of residents, fellows and medical students in the Department of Surgery, and honors the life and accomplishments of J. Engelbert Dunphy, M.D., a legendary surgeon and former Chair of the UCSF Department of Surgery. Winners for the best presentations were awarded at the conclusion of the program. Pictured from left to right: John Roberts, Catharine Juillard, Steve Wisel, Yvonne [...]

Jennifer Kaplan, M.D., a research resident in the UCSF General Surgery Residency Program, won the John Halverson Young Investigator Award at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery held in conjunction with "ObesityWeek", for the abstract and presentation: "The Benefit and Cost Effectiveness of Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Stems Largely From Resolution of Metabolic Disease, Not Just Weight Loss", co-authored by Dr. Kaplan and UCSF faculty in the Departments of Surgery and Medicine.   The Haverson award is given for "demonstrated excellence in [...]

An abstract by UCSF General Surgery research resident Dr. Jessica Cohan, "Surgical Decision Making in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: The Patient Perspective", was recently selected for the category  "Best of DDW" (Digestive Disease Week) by the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT). Dr. Cohan will be presenting during the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract's Plenary Session on May 18th from 8:00am to 9:30am. Click here for more information on DDW 2015! In addition, it will be highlighted as part of the Best of DDW session on Tuesday, May 19th from 2:00-4:00 pm in [...]

The 28th Annual J. Engelbert Dunphy Resident Research Symposium was held on March 11, 2015 at Toland Hall. Jennifer Grandis, MD,  Associate Vice Chancellor of Clinical and Translational Research, Director of Clincial and Translational Science Institute, and Professor of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, gave the keynote presentation.  Left to right: Bian Wu, Carlie Thompson, Peter Stock, Gavitt Woodard, Jennifer Grandis, Nancy Ascher, Jessica Cohan, Lily Cheng, Benjamin Howard 2015 Presentation Winners Best Basic Science Presentation Gavitt Woodard, M.D. Best [...]

The online physician network Doximity and U.S. News & World Report ranked UCSF's General Surgery Residency Program, led by Linda M. Reilly, M.D., among the top 2% in the U.S. out of more than 250 accredited general surgery residency programs. The goals of the surgical residency program are two-fold. The first is to prepare residents to become safe, qualified, board-certified surgical practitioners. The second is to train residents to be future teachers and leaders in surgery. A review of graduates from the past 30 years indicates that greater than 80% continue in fellowship [...]

Second-year General and Plastic Surgery residents (pictured left to right) Jeremy Sharib, M.D., Kelly Mahuron, M.D., Rachel Lentz, M.D., Nicole Conkling, M.D., Yeranui Ledesma, M.D., Anamaria Robles, M.D., Evan Werlin, M.D., Jarrett Moyer, M.D., Courtney Green, M.D., Daniel Balkin, M.D, Ph.D, and Hubert Luu, M.D. were the recipients of surgical loupes at the annual "Historical Perspectives" from the Department of Surgery Grand Rounds. A set of loupes was gifted to each resident in honor of a distinguished alumnus of the UCSF Surgery Residency training program, many of whom were present at the [...]

A research paper by general surgery resident Emily Huang, M.D. (pictured right), entitled "From Novice to Master Surgeon: Improving Feedback with a Descriptive Approach to Intraoperative Assessment," was chosen by the Association for Surgical Education (ASE) Program Committee as a Paper of Distinction. The paper, written in collaboration with Hueylan Chern, M.D., Edward Kim, M.D., and Patricia O'Sullivan, Ed.D, was presented at the ASE 2014 Annual Meeting. Dr. Huang's paper was one of three whose scientific rigor and presentation quality was recognized by the ASE Program Committee.

General surgery residents Bian Wu, M.D. (left), Evan Werlin, M.D. (center) and Victoria Lyo, M.D. (right), coached by Matthew Y.C. Lin, M.D., Assistant Professor Surgery, Division of General Surgery, were winners of the the first laparoscopic competition held at the Northern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons educational meeting on May 17, 2014. The event was a regional competition between teams consisting of three residents from UCSF, Stanford, UC Davis, UCSF East Bay and UCSF Fresno. The surgical techniques were variations on tasks from the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic [...]

Lucy Kornblith, MD, a research fellow in the UCSF General Surgery Residency Program and member the Cohen Lab led by her research mentor, Mitchell J. Cohen, M.D., was recently awarded the Earl Young Award for 2014 from the Western Trauma Association. (Last year the award went to another UCSF General Surgery resident, Matt Kutcher, MD.) The Earl Young Award, the most prestigious for resident research in trauma, is the result of a highly competitive process to determine the top resident paper/presentation at WTA's annual meeting. Dr. Kornblith's esteemed work consisted of biologically and [...]

The annual 26th Annual J. Engelbert Dunphy Resident Research Symposium was held on April 5, 2013. The award for "Best Abstract" went to Robert Bell, MD with runners-up Jessica Beard, MD, MPH and Randi Smith, MD MPH.  Xiaoti Xu, MD received the award  for "Best Quick Shot".  Jack Harbell, MD and Cristina O'Donohue, MD received Honorable Mention certificates for their presentations.