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Faculty Mentors and Research Descriptions

Mohammad Ali  Abbass

Mohammad Ali Abbass

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Gastrointestinal)

@abbassmohd on Twitter

Dr. Abbass's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Colorectal cancer, inherited colorectal cancer syndromes, genetic counseling in colon cancer

Extended Description of Research

My research is focused on standardizing access to genetic counseling and testing to allow us to identify patients that harbor predisposing pathogenic mutations to inherited colorectal cancer. Mutations carry different risks in each family and individual and we are trying to understand the factors affecting phenotype-genotype correlations. Standardizing clinical care and follow-up for such patients not only allows for better overall outcomes but also helps us answer these questions better as well.

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Hasan B Alam

Hasan B Alam

Professor of Surgery (Trauma and Critical Care) and Cell and Developmental Biology

@DrHasanAlam on Twitter

Dr. Alam's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Translational
Research Interests

Hemorrhage, shock, sepsis, traumatic brain injury, novel treatments

Extended Description of Research

Injuries are the leading cause of death among young people. In fact, more young Americans die of injuries than all other causes combined. My research focuses on improving outcomes following lethal insults by focusing on hemorrhagic shock, traumatic brain injuries, resuscitation techniques, novel cell preservation strategies, modulation of response to lethal insults, therapeutic hypothermia, hemorrhage control, and development of new treatments for sepsis. This research is funded by large federal grants from the National Institutes of Health as well as by the US Department of Defense. My lab has published over 300 papers and submitted more than a dozen patents. Residents/students in the lab routinely publish over 20 papers resulting from their research time, and have won numerous awards, grants, and scholarships.

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Murad  Alam

Murad Alam

Professor of Dermatology (Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery), Medical Social Sciences (Outcome and Measurement Science), Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and Surgery (Organ Transplantation)

Dr. Alam's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Global Health
  • Consensus and guidelines
Research Interests

Rare skin cancers, developing clinical practice guidelines, qualitative research on surgery under local anesthesia, clinical outcomes after Mohs surgery and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, core outcome set development

Extended Description of Research

I perform outcomes research on skin cancer and minimally invasive/noninvasive cosmetic procedures. Methods include randomized control trials, multicenter cohort studies, retrospective studies, qualitative research and thematic analysis, core outcome set and guidelines development, and production of appropriate use criteria.

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Amir M Alhajjat

Amir M Alhajjat

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Pediatric General Surgery) and Pediatrics

@amirhajjat on Twitter

Dr. Alhajjat's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Translational
Research Interests

Fetal immunology, fetal infections

Extended Description of Research

My lab studies fetal immunology and development. That includes how the fetal immune system reacts to exposure to infectious agents or hematopoietic transplants and whether this exposure leads to tolerance or rejection.

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Diego M Avella Patino

Diego M Avella Patino

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Thoracic Surgery)

@AvellaPatinoMD on Twitter

Dr. Avella-Patino's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Basic Science
Research Interests

Lung cancer immunology and immunotherapy

Extended Description of Research

I developed a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) animal model for lung cancer with metastatic potential and preservation of all the human immune cellular components of the parental tumors without the development of graft versus host disease. This innovative platform allows me to investigate the tumor immunology of human lung cancer, to characterize the mechanisms of action of cancer immunotherapy, including the genetics, and translate it into more effective immunotherapy. I am also developing a new line of research to study the interface between the anti-cancer immune response related to lung cancer and the necessary immunosuppression for allogenic lung transplantation.

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Ankit  Bharat

Ankit Bharat

Professor of Surgery (Thoracic Surgery) and Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)

@ankitbharatmd on Twitter

Dr. Bharat's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Basic Science
Research Interests

Lung transplant, transplantation

Extended Description of Research

My research is focused on lung preservation, transplant immunology, and airway biology, achieved through collaboration with the Kovler Comprehensive Transplant Center and the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.

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Anand  Brahmandam

Anand Brahmandam

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Vascular Surgery)

@andybrahm on Twitter

Dr. Brahmandam's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Education
  • Translational
Research Interests

Device design, novel therapeutics, and advanced imaging for aortic disease and peripheral artery disease

Extended Description of Research

My research interests include device design, clinical outcomes in vascular surgery, surgical education/practice management and the application of novel therapeutic technology in vascular surgery, specifically aortic diseases and peripheral artery disease

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Akhil  Chawla

Akhil Chawla

Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery (Surgical Oncology)

@MDAKhilChawla on Twitter

Dr. Chawla's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Translational
Research Interests

Clinical trials, clinical outcomes, translational research

Extended Description of Research

I am actively involved in the design and implementation of clinical trials on an institutional and national level and am principal investigator of multiple oncology clinical trials within Northwestern Medicine and nationally. I am also involved in clinical outcomes research using large national datasets. I have a strong interest in translational laboratory research as director of the Northwestern Medicine Surgical Oncology Tumor Bank, Biorepository and Translational Research Laboratory in the West Region. My primary areas of focus include biomarker and response assessment of systemic therapies in gastrointestinal malignancies. For the purposes of research mentorship, my research effort is ideal for a dedicated trainee interested in learning to write clinical trials, with significant education and involvement in the field of clinical trial development and implementation. In addition, trainees are easily involved in clinical outcomes data projects and translational research in my lab.

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Dina M Elaraj

Dina M Elaraj

Associate Professor of Surgery (Surgical Oncology)

Dr. Elaraj's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Hyperaldosteronism, adrenal tumors, clinical outcomes, quality improvement

Extended Description of Research

I am currently working on several research projects involving patients with adrenal tumors and adrenal hormone excess. These include a prospective study examining hormone and radiographic outcomes of patients with incidental adrenal masses, outcomes of patients with hyperaldosteronism who have undergone adrenal vein sampling, and a quality improvement project involving screening patients with hypertension for hyperaldosteronism if they meet endocrine society clinical practice guidelines criteria to be screened.

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Marco Fredrick Ellis

Marco Fredrick Ellis

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery)

Dr. Ellis's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Education
  • Translational
Research Interests

Post-mastectomy pain syndrome, cranioplasty and scalp reconstruction, gender surgery outcomes, autologous breast reconstruction, neurotization

Extended Description of Research

My research interests include post-mastectomy pain syndrome (evaluating novel surgical techniques to reduce chronic pain, including nerve transfer and neural interfaces), cranioplasty and scalp reconstruction (examining collaborative approach to hostile scalp wounds, neuroplastic surgery), gender surgery outcomes (measuring patient reported outcomes in facial and gender surgery), autologous breast reconstruction (examining outcomes in breast re-sensitization after mastectomy), and neurotization.

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Mark K Eskandari

Mark K Eskandari

Professor of Surgery (Vascular Surgery), Medical Education and Radiology

Dr. Eskandari's Faculty Profile

Dr. Eskandari's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Clinical outcomes, open and endovascular surgical care

Colin K Franz

Colin K Franz

Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Neurology - Ken and Ruth Davee Department

@ColinFranzMDphd on Twitter

Dr. Franz's Faculty Profile

Dr. Franz's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Translational
Research Interests

Nerve injuries, axon regeneration, precision medicine, ultrasound, neuromuscular medicine, induced pluripotent stem cells, neuroscience

Extended Description of Research

As a PM&R-physician and scientist with sub-specialty certifications in neuromuscular and electrodiagnostic medicine, the focus of my clinical and research agendas are highly integrated. I study as well as take care of patients with traumatic neurological injuries, neuropathy, diaphragm muscle weakness, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. My lab uses a combination of cellular, molecular, bioengineering and electrophysiological techniques and employs small animal (in vivo) and human stem cell-based (in vitro) models of nerve degeneration and regeneration. In addition, I conduct various clinically focused studies ranging from a neurotrauma patient registry to partnerships with biotechnology companies on nerve injury diagnostics and treatment modalities.

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Robert D Galiano

Robert D Galiano

Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) and Dermatology

Dr. Galiano's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Optimizing wound healing, molecular patterns of scar recovery, improving facial and body aesthetics, tissue engineering, minimization of keloid scarring, assessing adverse effects from surgery, and ethnic differences in surgical outcomes

Extended Description of Research

My long-term research goals include understanding the mechanisms underlying impaired wound healing in humans, improving scarring in patients, and restorative surgery via tissue engineering approaches. My research has a heavy focus on skin biology. I have the privilege of approaching problems in wound healing, biofilm formation, scarring, and tissue engineering from both a clinical vantage as well as from a basic science perspective. I have also made a commitment to clinical translational research by laying the groundwork for a Clinical Trials Division in Plastic Surgery, with a variety of industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated clinical trials underway. My interests are to understand how we can integrate plastic surgery techniques and wound healing biology to engineer complex tissues and organs and how we can utilize novel technologies to enhance healing in chronic wound states, scarring in aesthetic patients, and optimize plastic surgery outcomes.

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Seth D Goldstein

Seth D Goldstein

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Pediatric General Surgery)

@sethgoldsteinmd on Twitter

Dr. Goldstein's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Translational
Research Interests

Translational engineering research and pediatric surgical clinical outcomes

Extended Description of Research

My research endeavors leverage a background in engineering to develop translational technologies for both diagnostic devices as well as for surgeon visual field augmentation in the operating room. For example, I have an ongoing clinical trial of infrared spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool for necrotizing enterocolitis. Furthermore, I am working to develop fluorescent contrast agents and instruments that will interface with the infrared detection available on the newest generation of laparoscopic visualization systems.

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Kathleen L Grady

Kathleen L Grady

Professor of Surgery (Cardiac Surgery) and Medicine (Cardiology)

Dr. Grady's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Heart failure, heart transplantation, ventricular assist devices, health-related quality of life, psychosocial outcomes, patient adherence, patient decision-making, caregiver burden, patient education, health literacy and palliative care

Extended Description of Research

My main interest is health-related quality of life of advanced heart failure patients who undergo heart transplantation or durable mechanical circulatory support as destination therapy (i.e., permanent) and their caregivers. I have two prospective, longitudinal, multi-site, NIH funded (NIA and NHLBI) R01 grants in this area of interest. I am also working with colleagues to submit an R01 grant application to NHLBI on a robust form of patient and caregiver education (simulation-based mastery learning) for patients after mechanical circulatory support implantation and their caregivers.

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Karen J Ho

Karen J Ho

Associate Professor of Surgery (Vascular Surgery)

@karenholab on Twitter

Dr. Ho's Faculty Profile

Dr. Ho's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Microbiome and vascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, vascular surgery, clinical outcomes after vascular surgery

Extended Description of Research

My research involves animal and cell-based models of arterial injury and remodeling; mechanisms of gut microbe regulation of arterial inflammation, restenosis and atherosclerosis; microbe-derived metabolomics in peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and gene and stem cell therapy for PAD. We welcome students and trainees from all levels of training.

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Seok Jong  Hong

Seok Jong Hong

Research Associate Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery)

Dr. Hong's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Translational
Research Interests

Wound healing, hypertrophic scar, dermatitis, muscle regeneration

Extended Description of Research

I perform basic and translational research in cutaneous wound healing and use in vivo and in vitro models to understand the mechanisms of wound healing. Furthermore, I have developed a muscle-derived, decellularized extracellular matrix-based scaffold and isolated and characterized novel muscle progenitor cells that are highly proliferative but readily form mature muscle upon differentiation in vitro. I am investigating if these tools will promote regeneration of skeletal muscle.

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Yue-Yung  Hu

Yue-Yung Hu

Associate Professor of Surgery (Pediatric General Surgery)

@yueyunghu on Twitter

Dr. Hu's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Education
Research Interests

Resident well being, resident mistreatment, surgical education, pediatric surgery quality improvement, pediatric surgery institutional variation in care

Extended Description of Research

My research interests include the SECOND Trial, which is a cluster randomized controlled trial of 212 residency programs focused on well-being. The intervention is benchmarked program-specific data on resident well-being/learning environment + toolkit of program-level interventions. Data are both quantitative (ABSITE survey) and qualitative. Balancing measures include educational outcomes and patient outcomes. I am also the Surgeon Champion at Lurie. We're starting several QI projects including SSI reduction and antibiotic stewardship. I also dabble in some administrative data work (e.g., PHIS).

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Eric S Hungness

Eric S Hungness

Professor of Surgery (Gastrointestinal) and Medical Education

Dr. Hungness's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Education
Research Interests

Foregut surgery outcomes, surgical education, esophageal physiology, laparoscopic common bile duct exploration simulation

Extended Description of Research

I have a longstanding clinical interest in minimally invasive foregut surgery, including bariatric surgery. I have one of the largest experiences in the world in Per-Oral Esophageal Myotomy (POEM) for the treatment of achalasia and esophageal motor disorders. Research related to these interests include clinical outcomes, esophageal physiology, and the use of novel devices (EndoFLIP) to improve surgical outcomes. I am also the surgical director of Northwestern Simulation, which is focused on the use of simulation-based mastery learning (SBML) in the acquisition of minimally invasive surgical skills, with an emphasis on laparoscopic common bile duct exploration. Research efforts around this his resulted in the development of a now commercially available novel simulator and an established SBML curriculum that has demonstrated improved clinical outcomes and cost savings.

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Thomas H Inge

Thomas H Inge

Professor of Surgery (Pediatric General Surgery) and Pediatrics

@drtominge on Twitter

Dr. Inge's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Pediatric obesity, bariatric surgery outcomes

Extended Description of Research

I am a surgeon and clinical researcher focused on understanding the outcomes of surgical interventions for pediatric severe obesity. My research goals are to better understand the long term consequences, both benefits and risks, of surgical treatment. I have a highly collaborative approach and my interests span the spectrum of health complications of obesity.

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Dinesh  Jaishankar

Dinesh Jaishankar

Research Assistant Professor of Surgery (Organ Transplantation)

Dr. Jaishankar's Faculty Profile

Dr. Jaishankar's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Translational
Research Interests

Solid organ transplantation, bioengineering, nanotherapeutics, donor organ pre-conditioning strategies, endothelial cell biology, immunometabolism

Extended Description of Research

The Comprehensive Transplant Immunobiology Laboratory (CTIL) is dedicated to investigating novel innovations in solid organ transplant research. Our research focus includes all aspects of transplantation spanning donor organ management to allograft tolerance induction. In addition, we are also investigating techniques that will lead to the next era of transplantation, including bioengineering and targeting cell-specific immunometabolism.

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Bin  Jiang

Bin Jiang

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Vascular Surgery) and McCormick School of Engineering

Dr. Jiang's Faculty Profile

Dr. Jiang's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Translational
  • Engineering
Research Interests

PAD, AAA, vascular calcification, diabetic vascular complications, COVID-19 induced vascular injuries

Extended Description of Research

We are a joint research program of vascular surgery and biomedical engineering, where a diverse group of engineers, scientists and clinicians work together with the common goal of serving patients with vascular diseases and training the next generation researchers. Our research interests include microvascular regeneration (using a combination of stem cell technology, advanced biomaterials design, and non-invasive cell tracking to engineer the regeneration of microvascular networks to attenuate local tissue ischemia), macrovascular engineering (engineering functional arteries as vascular replacements that are resistant to thrombosis, intimal hyperplasia, calcification and other degenerative changes), and novel disease models (engineering a variety of human disease models with patient-derived stem cells and animal surgeries to understand the mechanism of the disease and to develop effective therapeutic strategies).

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Julie K Johnson

Julie K Johnson

Adjunct Professor of Surgery (Surgical Oncology)

@JulieJKJohnson on Twitter

Dr. K. Johnson's Faculty Profile

Dr. K. Johnson's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Education
Research Interests

Clinical quality improvement, improvement science, implementation science, qualitative research methods, coproduction

Extended Description of Research

My research has focused on building a series of collaborative relationships to improve the quality and safety of health care through research, clinical improvement, and teaching. As a researcher, I use qualitative research methods to better understand processes of care and the effect of the care process on clinical teams, teamwork, and patients and families. I have had the opportunity to live and work in three countries (the United States, the Netherlands, and Australia). This has given me a unique perspective on international health systems, in addition to building a strong network of international research colleagues and ongoing opportunities. More recently, my research has focused on coproduction, understanding processes of care from the patient and family perspective, and designing and improving healthcare services in partnership with people who receive the services. I am the Scientific Director of the Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center (SOQIC).

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Sumanas W Jordan

Sumanas W Jordan

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery)

Dr. Jordan's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Electroconductive scaffolds for nerve and muscle engineering, transgender health, gender affirming surgery, lymphedema surgery

Extended Description of Research

My lab takes inspiration from difficult problems encountered in plastic surgery, specifically peripheral nerve regeneration and denervation injury, lymphedema, and vascularized composite allotransplantation. The overarching theme of the lab is electroconductive biomaterial design for regeneration and disease state modeling. Neurons and myocytes are classic examples of electroactive cells that respond to electrical fields and stimulation. Graphene scaffolds exhibit biocompatibility and conductivity that may be used for in vivo and in vitro application. Our clinical research arm focuses on transgender health and quality. We have built a database of TGNB patients using EMR techniques to study health disparities among TGNB individuals. Separately, we have a prospective database of TGNB individuals presenting for gender affirming care to study care delivery and quality.

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Seema A Khan

Seema A Khan

Professor of Surgery (Breast Surgery)

Dr. Khan's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Breast cancer, cancer prevention

Extended Description of Research

My research aims to understand breast cancer risk and find safe ways of preventing breast cancer.

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Swati  Kulkarni

Swati Kulkarni

Professor of Surgery (Breast Surgery)

Dr. Kulkarni's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Translational
Research Interests

Breast cancer, breast cancer prevention, clinical trials

Extended Description of Research

My primary focus is on prevention and treatment of ER+ breast cancers. My focus is on developing and conducting translational clinical trials in conjunction with basic scientists. I also have an interest in ergonomics. I currently mentor the general surgery residents on their QI project.

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Daniela P Ladner

Daniela P Ladner

Professor of Surgery (Organ Transplantation) and Medical Social Sciences (Determinants of Health)

Dr. Ladner's Faculty Profile

Dr. Ladner's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Liver disease, kidney disease and transplantation

Extended Description of Research

I mentor mentees who are interested in liver disease. We use large data for epidemiological research and have ongoing investigations to study frailty, sarcopenia, literacy, quality of life, neurological decline and more. We offers hands-on experience in a large outcomes research lab that includes medical students, residents, fellows and junior faculty. This allows for a lot of collaboration and daily support, but each mentee has his/her own main research focus. This experience includes learning all about outcomes research and translates easily to other specialties in the future. Hence, anybody interested in doing state-of-the art outcomes research is welcome. For those few who are super serious and already know that they want to become a clinician scientist in the future in either hepatobiliary surgery or transplant, I am the PI of a Transplant T32 that provides funding for 2-3 years.

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Monica M Laronda

Monica M Laronda

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Endocrinology) and Obstetrics and Gynecology

@mmlaronda on Twitter

Dr. Laronda's Faculty Profile

Dr. Laronda's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Translational
Research Interests

Fertility and hormone preservation and restoration

Extended Description of Research

My lab performs basic and translational research and is part of the Fertility & Hormone Preservation & Restoration team, directed by Dr. Erin Rowell (Pediatric Surgeon). We aim to improve the current fertility preservation options for patients that are at high risk for developing premature ovarian insufficiency as a result of their disease or treatment or those with dysgenic gonads. We develop immediate, next and future technologies and techniques that will maximize the fertility potential and restore ovarian hormone function. Current advancements include defining the optimal surgical techniques to procure ovarian tissue while maintaining ovarian follicle health for cryopreservation, defining improved processing procedures for pediatric ovarian and gonadal tissue cryopreservation, engineering a safe bioprosthetic ovary that would support long-term fertility and hormone function for those with metastatic disease, and exploring stem cell technologies to restore hormone function.

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Joseph R Leventhal

Joseph R Leventhal

Professor of Surgery (Organ Transplantation)

Dr. Leventhal's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Translational
Research Interests

Transplant tolerance, biomarkers, xenotransplantation

Extended Description of Research

I am a surgeon scientist with a focus on solid organ transplantation. I have been actively involved in basic science, translational, and clinical research for almost 30 years. My research career began with NIH funded research in xenotransplantation, studying the mechanisms of hyperacute rejection in preclinical rodent and nonhuman primate models. I have conducted research for the past 15+ years on the use of cell-based therapies for the induction of tolerance in solid organ transplantation. I have served as a lead investigator on an NIH and DOD funded Phase 2 clinical trial of tolerance induction through establishment of chimerism using combined engineered donor stem cell (FCRx) and kidney transplantation in mismatched and unrelated donor/recipient pairs. In addition, I am the PI of a DOD-sponsored grant to further study tolerance in kidney recipients.

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Juliet S Lumati

Juliet S Lumati

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Surgical Oncology)

@Julietokoroh on Twitter

Dr. Lumati's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Global Health
Research Interests

Healthcare financing , financial toxicity

Extended Description of Research

I am a health services researcher within the context of global oncology. My research centers on interventions to reduce the risk of financial toxicity for cancer patients in Sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria in particular. We have an existing partnership with the first comprehensive cancer center in Nigeria which houses a cancer registry of over 1000 patients. My long term plan is to implement interventions through patient navigation to reduce barriers to care

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S Chris Malaisrie

S Chris Malaisrie

Professor of Surgery (Cardiac Surgery)

@ChrisMalaisrie on Twitter

Dr. Malaisrie's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Translational
Research Interests

Atrial fibrillation, Thoracic aortic disease, Bicuspid aortic valve, Mitral regurgitation, Pulmonary hypertension

Neel A Mansukhani

Neel A Mansukhani

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Vascular Surgery)

@neelm108 on Twitter

Dr. Mansukhani's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Translational
Research Interests

Aortic diseases, peripheral vascular disease, quality improvement, enhanced recovery, healthcare disparities

Extended Description of Research

I am interested in aortic diseases and peripheral vascular disease; improving healthcare delivery, efficiency, and value; exploring and addressing sex/gender/racial disparities and implicit biases in vascular surgery; enhanced recovery after surgery; quality improvement

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James M Mathew

James M Mathew

Research Professor of Surgery (Organ Transplantation) and Microbiology-Immunology

Dr. Mathew's Faculty Profile

Dr. Mathew's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Translational
Research Interests

Transplantation, clinical trial methodology, immune regulation, immunology, stem cells, translational research, liver diseases, viral diseases

Extended Description of Research

My research for the past 28 years has been in the areas of immune responsiveness and tolerance induction in clinical organ transplantation. The major thrust has been on the immunological effects of donor hematopoietic stem cell (DHSC) infusions in organ transplant patients using in vitro and ex vivo culture systems. Another emphasis has been to develop biomarker assays to identify potentially tolerant recipients who may be candidates for immunosuppressive drug withdrawal/minimization. Recent studies have also assessed the role of CD4+CD127-CD25HighFoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) as potential tolerance inducers in transplant patients, as well as the differential susceptibility of Tregs to currently used immunosuppressive drugs. A major current focus is on the use of autologous expanded Tregs for tolerance induction as well as to develop technology to deliver those Tregs to the sites where they are needed for immune modulation. Other tolerance inducing mechanisms are also being actively investigated.

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Melissa G Medina

Melissa G Medina

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Cardiac Surgery)

@mgomedina on Twitter

Dr. Medina's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Education
  • Global Health
Research Interests

Resident education, heart transplantation, aortic pathology

Extended Description of Research

I am interested in skills simulation and translatability to the operative setting and in expanding the donor pool in heart transplantation

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Satish N Nadig

Satish N Nadig

Professor of Surgery (Organ Transplantation), Microbiology-Immunology and Pediatrics

@NM_Transplant on Twitter

Dr. Nadig's Faculty Profile

Dr. Nadig's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Translational
Research Interests

Transplant tolerance, organ pretreatment strategies, industry collaboration, immunometabolism, nanotherapy

Extended Description of Research

The research focus of the Comprehensive Transplant Immunobiology Laboratory is dedicated to investigating novel innovations in transplant research. As a comprehensive research enterprise, we are interested in all aspects of transplantation spanning donor organ management to the induction of allograft tolerance. In addition, we are also investigating techniques that will lead to the next era of transplantation including bioengineering and nanotherapy. Additionally, the CTIL is a comprehensive federally and privately funded institute that also engages the Matthews Center for Cellular Therapy and Private Industry for all aspects of transition of therapeutics to patient care.

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Vitaliy Y Poylin

Vitaliy Y Poylin

Associate Professor of Surgery (Gastrointestinal)

Dr. Poylin's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Global Health
Research Interests

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), improvement in perioperative care, optimization of OR processes

Extended Description of Research

My interests include perioperative optimization and improvement in outcomes of colon and rectal patients, in particular patients with IBD. Current projects include pitfalls and interruptions in robotic surgery, effect of NSAIDs on patients with IBD, defining IBD flare in mega data, Lynch patients, and decrease in infectious complications in Ukraine

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Mehul V Raval

Mehul V Raval

Professor of Surgery (Pediatric General Surgery) and Pediatrics

@mehulvraval on Twitter

Dr. Raval's Faculty Profile

Dr. Raval's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Improving quality, safety, and value for children undergoing surgery

Extended Description of Research

As a physician scientist, my research portfolio includes projects focused on quality improvement, patient safety, and value-based care predominantly for children undergoing surgery. I have an established record of successful mentorship with several mentees matching into pediatric surgery and other competitive fields. I played a key role in the establishment of the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program - Pediatric (NSQIP-P) which is now in place at more than 150 hospitals. I am currently funded with an R01 grant from the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality to research the added value of surgical procedures performed in a children's hospital compared to non-children's hospitals. I am also funded with an R01 from the NIH/NICHD to study the implementation of enhanced recovery protocols for children undergoing surgery (www.enrich-us.org).

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Heron E Rodriguez

Heron E Rodriguez

Professor of Surgery (Vascular Surgery) and Radiology

Dr. Rodriguez's Faculty Profile

Dr. Rodriguez's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Education
Research Interests

Clinical outcomes after lower extremity revascularization, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, venous and arterial surgery

Vinayak S Rohan

Vinayak S Rohan

Associate Professor of Surgery (Organ Transplantation)

Dr. Vinayak's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Outcomes research, quality improvement

Extended Description of Research

My research is focused on clinical outcome research and quality outcomes. Ongoing projects include improving the long term outcomes of kidney transplant recipients, opioid minimization on transplant recipients and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance.

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Erin  Rowell

Erin Rowell

Associate Professor of Surgery (Pediatric General Surgery)

@ErinERowell on Twitter

Dr. Rowell's Faculty Profile

Dr. Rowell's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Translational
Research Interests

Pediatric fertility preservation, pediatric ovarian biology

Extended Description of Research

Together with my research partner, Monica Laronda, PhD, I direct the pediatric Fertility and Hormone Preservation and Restoration program at Lurie Children's. We study optimal surgical techniques for ovarian tissue removal for cryopreservation using a piglet model and pediatric laparoscopic equipment. We also study pediatric ovary tissue processing techniques in preparation for long term tissue cryopreservation. We have a variety of clinical projects in pediatric fertility preservation related to long term outcomes and video-based education for fertility preservation. The goal of our work is to improve the quality of pediatric ovarian tissue cryopreservation from tissue removal to processing to future restoration of fertility and hormone function. A research fellow in our program will also have the opportunity to learn how to perform clinical consultation for fertility preservation and surgical procedures for pediatric ovarian and testicular cryopreservation by assisting in the OR for all cases.

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Justin R Ryder

Justin R Ryder

Associate Professor of Surgery (Pediatric General Surgery) and Pediatrics

@jryder1123 on Twitter

Dr. Ryder's Faculty Profile

Dr. Ryder's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Translational
Research Interests

Pediatric obesity treatment

Extended Description of Research

I am a clinical translational pediatric obesity researcher focused on understanding the biology underlying treatment response for pediatric obesity. The goal of my NIH funded research is to expediate the translation of treatment from adults to children for obesity and improve short-term and long-term outcomes for youth with obesity. My highly collaborative works span the continuum of treatment with studies focused on lifestyle modification, medications, and surgery. I also serve as the Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Surgery at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

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Steven J Schwulst

Steven J Schwulst

Associate Professor of Surgery (Trauma and Critical Care)

Dr. Schwulst's Faculty Profile

Dr. Schwulst's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Basic Science
Research Interests

Traumatic brain injury, microglia, molecular biology, immunology, computational biology, neuroscience, gut microbiome

Extended Description of Research

My laboratory unites my clinical interest in traumatic brain injury (TBI) with my basic science interest in post-injury immune dysfunction. To date, my research has centered on four facets of TBI: 1) the role of the post-injury gut microbial community structure in neurocognitive outcomes after TBI, 2) the role of constitutive microglial activation in the etiology and evolution of chronic neurodegeneration after TBI, 3) identifying common molecular pathways between TBI and neuropsychiatric disease, and 4) the development of a ferret model of chronic traumatic encephalopathy that more closely recapitulates the human disease process than do standard rodent models. My research is funded by the NIH and Department of Defense.

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Aimen F Shaaban

Aimen F Shaaban

Professor of Surgery (Pediatric General Surgery) and Pediatrics

Dr. Shaaban's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Translational
Research Interests

Fetal surgery

Extended Description of Research

Our basic science laboratory group studies mechanisms of immune education and tolerance during fetal development. Our translational research program explores technological innovations in fetal surgery.

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Anne M Stey

Anne M Stey

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Trauma and Critical Care)

@AnneMStey on Twitter

Dr. Stey's Faculty Profile

Dr. Stey's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Trauma systems, victim services, non-technical skills

Extended Description of Research

I am interested in developing trauma systems to improve timeliness of care of critically injured patients, measuring outcomes of victim services programs, and quantifying non-technical skills impact on team performance and wellness

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Riccardo A Superina

Riccardo A Superina

Professor of Surgery (Pediatric Transplant Surgery)

Dr. Superina's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Portal hypertension in children, biliary atresia, congenital portosystemic shunts, results of treatment of liver tumors in children

Extended Description of Research

My research group focuses on outcomes in children with portal hypertension, intrinsic liver disease such as biliary atresia, and liver tumors such as hepatoblastoma. We also have published on outcomes after liver transplantation in children. We are also focused on quantifying minimal encephalopathy in children with portal vein thrombosis before and after surgical correction of deficiencies in portal blood flow to the liver.

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Anat  Roitberg-Tambur

Anat Roitberg-Tambur

Research Professor of Surgery (Organ Transplantation)

@AnatTambur2018 on Twitter

Dr. Tambur's Faculty Profile

Dr. Tambur's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Translational
Research Interests

Transplant immunology

Extended Description of Research

My research focuses on understanding the immunogenicity of HLA-DQ antigens and their role in antibody-mediated rejection in solid organ transplantation. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that DQ mismatches between transplant recipient and donor are the most common to induce de novo donor-specific antibodies (DSA). HLA-DQ antibodies are likely also the most detrimental to graft survival. Understanding the unique structural and molecular properties that make the HLA-DQ molecule so pathogenic will help in better predicting which mismatches will induce harmful antibody formation, and which are more permissible. This information will promote better informed clinical decision-making.

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Leah Carey Tatebe

Leah Carey Tatebe

Associate Professor of Surgery (Trauma and Critical Care)

@LeahTatebe on Twitter

Dr. Tatebe's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Education
  • Translational
Research Interests

Injury prevention, pre-hospital trauma care, trauma resuscitation, resident autonomy

Extended Description of Research

My research interests are wide-ranging and include firearm injury prevention, trauma-informed care, social determinants of health, medical ethics, pre-hospital airway management, traumatic brain injury, hemorrhage control, tourniquet use, resident career development, and resident autonomy.

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Ezra N Teitelbaum

Ezra N Teitelbaum

Associate Professor of Surgery (Gastrointestinal)

@EzraTeitelbaum on Twitter

Dr. Teitelbaum's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Education
Research Interests

Esophageal physiology and surgical education

Extended Description of Research

My research activities focus on two areas: esophageal physiology and surgical education. Areas of education research include development of simulation-based mastery learning curricula and the use of operative video-review as a teaching and learning tool. In regards to esophageal physiology, we are examining the use of real-time intraoperative measurements with the novel FLIP catheter to guide surgical technique and decision-making, as well as clinical outcomes and physiology following minimally invasive and endoscopic surgery for benign foregut disease.

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Chad M Teven

Chad M Teven

Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery)

@ChadTevenMD on Twitter

Dr. Teven's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Education
  • Translational
Research Interests

Health Economics, Medical Ethics, Innovation

Extended Description of Research

Clinical and patient-reported outcomes after breast reconstruction and lymphedema, medical and surgical ethics (bioethics), health economics, artificial intelligence, surgical innovation, health policy, global health and surgery, medical Education

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Yao  Tian

Yao Tian

Research Assistant Professor of Surgery (Surgical Oncology)

Dr. Tian's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
Research Interests

Quality of care, clinical outcomes, quantitative research

Extended Description of Research

My research interests include measuring quality of care, assessing outcomes, and evaluating costs using clinical and claims data. By leveraging quantitative research methods, my research provides empirical evidence for program implementation and policy decisions.

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Ashley K Vavra

Ashley K Vavra

Associate Professor of Surgery (Vascular Surgery)

@AshleyVavraMD on Twitter

Dr. Vavra's Faculty Profile

Dr. Vavra's Affiliated Website

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Education
Research Interests

Quality improvement

Extended Description of Research

I do clinical outcomes research to determine drivers that can be targets for process or quality improvement projects. My research interests also expand to training and education for providers in quality improvement methodology, leadership and team building.

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Gabriel A Wallace

Gabriel A Wallace

Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery (Vascular Surgery)

Dr. Wallace's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Education
Research Interests

Clinical outcomes, open and endovascular surgical care, non-ionizing imaging modalities

Extended Description of Research

Carotid artery and aortoiliac interventions, intravascular ultrasound, forward looking infrared, surgical technique

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Bowen  Wang

Bowen Wang

Assistant Professor of Surgery

Dr. Wang's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Basic Science
  • Translational
Research Interests

Understanding of and innovative therapies for peripheral vascular disease

Extended Description of Research

My group focuses on mechanistic and translational research in peripheral vascular diseases, including restenosis, aneurysm, and thrombosis. We specialize in combining nanomedicine, cellular/molecular biology, gut microbiome, and experimental animal models to achieve better understanding of and innovative therapies for peripheral vascular diseases

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Rebecca L Williams

Rebecca L Williams

Assistant Professor of Surgery (Surgical Oncology)

@TheZenOfSurgery on Twitter

Dr. Williams's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Education
Research Interests

Surgical education, surgical learning environment, psychological safety, motivation, entrustable professional activities, curriculum development

Extended Description of Research

My research focus is in surgical education, with a specific interest in the surgical learning environment. Within this domain I have focused on understanding the role of psychological safety in mediating learner motivation. I am interested in faculty development and development of curricular interventions that facilitate engagement in teaching. I am also interested understanding how implementation science can be leveraged to change behaviors of teachers and learners.

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David S Winlaw

David S Winlaw

Professor of Surgery (Pediatric Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery) and Pediatrics (Cardiology)

@drwinlaw on Twitter

Dr. Winlaw's Faculty Profile

Research Type
  • Clinical/HSOR
  • Translational
Research Interests

Outcomes after heart surgery for congenital heart disease, development of a novel valved RV-PA connection, neurodevelopment in the context of congenital heart disease

Extended Description of Research

As a cardiac surgeon specializing in congenital and childhood conditions, my research targets the areas of clinical need. These include: 1) Targeted research to understand the long-term impacts of our interventions, particularly in the single ventricle population as well as other neonatal and infant interventions, including the Ross-Konno procedure. 2) I am the translational lead on a project to develop a novel valved conduit to improve available options for children and adults who need a right ventricle to pulmonary artery connection as part of their repair. This project involves material science, in vivo studies and computational fluid assessments. 3) The cause of neurodevelopmental problems in children with congenital heart disease is not fully understood. Genetic factors are not well accounted for and are the focus of investigation in novel stem-cell based models.

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