We’re extremely proud of our Professional Development and Research Training Program, which has continued to grow and expand since its inception in 2002. Many of our surgery trainees have achieved recognition on the national level for their clinical, academic and research activities. Our general surgery residents continue to meet and surpass expectations on a daily basis, contributing immensely to the scientific foundation for surgical practice.
Our Program By the Numbers
Since 2002, 79 residents have completed our Professional Development and Research Training Program. Of them, 4 residents completed three years of research training, 61 completed two years, and 18 completed one year. Additionally, our graduates have given 780 scientific presentations and received 117 research awards, including 41 NIH and 18 national awards from professional societies.
Our current trainees have authored 398 publications to date (an average of 14 publications per resident) of which 136 are first-authored. These current trainees have been awarded 3 industry/society awards, and 15 have received NIH T32/TL1 support.
The Department of Surgery Professional Development and Research Training Program includes attainment of an advanced degree through The Ohio State University College of Medicine Master of Medical Science Program (MMSP) or other advanced degree path.
Trainee Presentations
Our current group of trainees has presented their research findings on a variety of topics – more than 150 times across the country. The subject matter of their presentations address a diversity of topics including:
- Ruth Ackah - Enhancing Surgical Clerkship Students’ Practice of Health Systems Science: A Needs Assessment
- Dathe Benissan-Messan - A novel tissue-engineered, gene therapy based treatment for the treatment for volumetric muscle loss
- Natalie Eisert - Quantitative assessment of skeletal muscle perfusion using a novel first-pass PET imaging technique: Application in pig model of hind limb ischemia and translation to PAD patients
- Jing Han - Antibody-suppressor CD8+ T cells ameliorate antibody-mediated rejection following kidney transplant in mice
- Anahita Jalilvand - Protein Pump Inhibitor Metabolism Is Altered In A Significant Portion Of Bariatric Candidates And May Be Associated With Early Marginal Ulceration After Gastric Bypass
- Steven Sun - Effect of immune checkpoint blockade on myeloid derived suppressor cell populations in patients with melanoma
- Amblessed Onuma - Patient Preferences on the Use of Technology in Cancer Surveillance After Curative-Intent Surgery
- Anghela Paredes - Suicide and Suicidal Ideation in Medicare Beneficiaries with Pancreatic Cancer
- Michael Villarreal - Leaving against medical advice following EGS: Who does it? Can it be prevented?
Trainee Publications
- Ruth Ackah - Survey of public attitudes towards imminent death donation in the United States, Am J Transplant 2020
- Dathe Benissan-Messan - Multi-cellular functions of MG53 in muscle calcium signaling and regeneration, Frontiers in Physiology 2020
- Anahita Jalilvand - Loss of Antigen Presentation in Adipose Tissue Macrophages or in Adipocytes, but Not Both, Improves Glucose Metabolism, J Immunol 2019
- Ingrid Woelfel - Approaches to the Salvage of Axillary Bilateral Femoral Bypass in Patients with Claudication due to Demand Ischemia, Ann Vasc Surg 2019
- Steven Sun - Association of myeloid derived suppressor cells with resistance to checkpoint blockade immunotherapy in urothelial carcinoma, J Clin Onc 2020
- Apeksha Dave - Evaluating the ACS NSQIP Risk Calculator in primary pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor: Results from the US Neuroendocrine Tumor Study Group, J Gastrointest Surg 2019
- Adrian Diaz - Elective surgery in the time of COVID-19, Am J Surg 2020
- Ahmad Hamad - Disparities in Stage Specific Guideline Concordant Cancer Directed Treatment for Patients with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma, JOGS submitted 2020
- Jing Han - Combined liver-lung transplantation: Indications, outcomes, current experience and ethical issues, Transplant Rev 2019
- Greg Metzger - Telemedicine: Patient-provider clinical engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, J Gastrointest Surg 2020
- Kelli Patterson - Early postoperative functional assessment predicts non-home discharge after pulmonary lobectomy, Ann Thorac Surg 2020
Department of Surgery Grand Rounds
A further opportunity for our trainees is to present their findings during grand rounds. The research presentations of these residents are just a sampling of the wide variety of academic topics covered during this activity:
Amblessed Onuma, MD, MS
“Preoperative exercise decreases the effects of surgical stress”
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Kejal Shah, MD, MS
“Scaffold Mediated Contributions to Stenosis in Tissue-Engineered Vascular Grafts”
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Anghela Paredes, MD, MS
“Variability In Inpatient Opioid Utilization Following Hepatopancreatic Surgery”
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Anahita Jalilvand, MD, PhD
“Post-Graduate Reflections: The Need for a PhD during Surgical Residency”
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Natalie Eisert, MD, MS
“PET/CT Imaging of Peripheral Arterial Disease”
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Michael Villarreal, MD, MBA
“The Value of an MBA”
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Steven Sun, MD, MS
“Targeting Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells to Improve Cancer Therapy”
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Adrian Diaz MD, MPH
“The Space Between Us: Health, Geography, and Policy”
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Greg Metzger MD, MSE
“Leveraging The Principles of Cognitive Systems Engineering To Optimize Healthcare Delivery”
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Grant Award Winners
Every year, many of our residents receive grants to support their research training. Some of our resident award winners include:
| Recipient | Academic Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Hanna Labiner, MD |
2021 | |
| Nitin Sajankila, MD (Nationwide Children's Hospital) |
2021 | |
| Ingrid Woelfel, MD | 2020 and 2021 |
|
| Steven Sun, MD, MS |
2019 and 2020 | |
| Dathe Benissan-Messan, MD, MS | 2019 and 2020 | |
| Jing Han, MD | 2019 and 2020 | |
| Amblessed Onuma, MD, MS |
2018 and 2019 |
|
| Clifford Akateh, MD, MS |
2018 | |
| Jenny Barker, MD, PhD | 2017 | |
| Anahita Jalilvand, MD, PhD |
2016 and 2017 | |
| Taehwan Yoo, MD, MS | 2015 and 2016 | |
| Christopher McQuinn, MD, MS | 2015 | |
| Eliza Beal, MD, MS | 2014 | |
| Ekene Onwuka, MD, MS | 2014 |
| Recipient | Academic Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Shaylyn Bennett, MD, MS | 2015 | |
| Shayna Brathwaite MD, MS | 2014 and 2015 | |
| Justin Huntington, MD, MS | 2013 | |
| Nicholas Latchana, MD, MS | 2013 and 2014 | |
| Sara Mansfield, MD, MS | 2013 and 2014 | |
| Robert Plews, MD, MS | 2013 |
| Recipient | Academic Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea Horwood, MD | 2017 |
| Recipient | Academic Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Rita Shelby, MD | 2017 and 2018 | |
| Nakesha King, MD, MS | 2016 | |
| Ekene Onwuka, MD, MS | 2016 |
| Recipient | Academic Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Zakko, MD, MS | 2018 and 2019 | |
| Joseph Drews, MD, MS | 2017 and 2018 | |
| Amy Collins, MD, MS | 2009 |
| Recipient | Academic Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Ahmad Hamad, MD |
2021 | |
| Kara Rossfeld, MD, MS | 2013 and 2014 |
| Recipient | Academic Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Shaylyn Bennett, MD, MS | 2014 | |
| Jon Wisler, MD, MS | 2010 |
| Recipient | Academic Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Adrian Diaz, MD, MS, MPH (Michigan National Clinical Scholars, University of Michigan) |
2019 - 2021 | |
| Melissa Hornor, MD, MPH (ACS/JAHF James C. Thompson Geriatrics Clinical Scholar in Residence) |
2016 and 2017 | |
| Eliza Beal, MD (AASLD Emerging Liver Scholars Program) |
2015 | |
| Michelle Nguyen, MD (AAMC Clinical Care Innovation Award, AAMC Learning Health System Pioneer Award) |
2015 | |
| Daniel Lodwick, MD, MS (Society of University Surgeons, Karl Storz Award) |
2014 | |
| Amy Collins, MD (American Association for Cancer Research, AACR-FNAB Fellows Grant for Translational Pancreatic Cancer Research) |
2010 | |
| Thomas Pham, MD (Folkert Belzer MD Research Award, The National Kidney Foundation, American Society of Transplant Surgeons) |
2009 | |
| Peter Nau, MD (AHPBA Research Award) |
2008 | |
| Meghan Forster, MD (SIS Grant) |
2006 |
Travel Award Winners
These competitively selected awards cover the trainees’ travel costs when presenting their research at conferences out of town. A sampling of surgery resident travel award winners are listed below.
NIH/NMA Travel Award
Clifford Akateh, MD, MS (May 2018)
The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma
Anghela Paredes, MD, MS (July 2018)
The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma
Michael Villarreal, MD, MBA (July 2019)
The American Association of Immunologists
Jing Han, MD (February 2020)
American Association of Immunologists
Christopher McQuinn, MD, MS (April 2016)
Nationwide Children's Hospital Intramural Travel Award
Daniel Lodwick, MD, MS (October 2015)
AASLD Young Investigator Travel Award
Eliza Beal, MD, MS (August 2016)
OSUWMC Trainee Research Day Travel Award
Robert Plews, MD, MS (April 2013)
Tyler Spata, MD, MS (April 2013)
AASLD Emerging Liver Scholar Resident Travel Award
Eliza Beal, MD, MS (2016)
Thomas Pham, MD, MS (August 2012)
Department of Surgery Annual Research Conference Winners
Our trainees’ abstracts reflect a broad collection of basic/translational, clinical/health services and surgical education research topics. Members of the Department of Surgery Research Council reviewed and scored abstracts and selected oral and poster presentations based on the quality of the science, novelty and diversity of the topic.
Our winners for the 25th Annual Research Conference were selected by a panel of faculty judges including our 2020 Zollinger Visiting Professor, Elliot Chaikof, MD, PhD, Johnson & Johnson Professor of Surgery, Chair, Roberta and Stephen R. Weiner Department of Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston.
Oral and Poster Presentation Winners
Dathe Benissan-Messan, MD, MS
Jing Han, MD
Amblessed Onuma MD, MS
Michael Villarreal, MD, MBA
Our winners for the 24th Annual Research Conference were selected by a panel of faculty judges including our 2019 Zollinger Visiting Professor, Henri Ford, MD, MHA, FACS, dean and chief academic officer at the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami.
1st Place Oral Presentation Winner
Rita Shelby, MD, MS
2nd Place Oral Presentation Winner
Dathe Benissan-Messan MD, MS
1st Place Poster Presentation Winner
Anahita Jalilvand, MD, PhD
2nd Place Poster Presentation Winner
Jason Zakko, MD, MS
1st Place Oral Presentation Winner
Amitava Das, PhD
2nd Place Oral Presentation Winner
Anahita Jalilvand, MD
2nd Place Oral Presentation Winner
Natalia Higuita-Castro, PhD
3rd Place Oral Presentation Winner
Rita Shelby, MD
1st Place Poster Presentation Winner
Joseph Drews, MD, MS
1st Place Oral Presentation Winner
Maria H.H. Balch, MS
Abstract Title: Robot-Assisted Mechanical Therapy Protects Against Stroke-Induced Skeletal Muscle Injury
Faculty Advisor: Cameron Rink, PhD
2nd Place Oral Presentation Winner (tie)
Amitava Das, PhD
Abstract Title: Overcoming Antibiotic Resistance in Wound Biofilm Infection
Faculty Advisors: Chandan K. Sen, PhD and Sashwati Roy, PhD
Christopher J. McCulloh, MD
Abstract Title: The Efficacy of Stem Cells in Protecting the Intestines from Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Faculty Advisor: Gail E. Besner, MD
3rd Place Oral Presentation Winner
Anahita D. Jalilvand, MD
Abstract Title: Changes in Adipocyte Driven Inflammation after Bariatric Surgery in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue (SAT)
Faculty Advisors: Willa A. Hsueh, MD and Bradley R. Needleman, MD
1st Place Poster Presentation Winner
Eliza W. Beal, MD, MS
Abstract Title: Improved Preservation During Normothermic Ex-vivo Liver Perfusion with Delta Opioid Agonist (D-Ala2, D-Leu5) Enkephalin (DADLE)
Faculty Advisors: Sylvester M. Black, MD, PhD and Carl R. Schmidt, MD