NEWS - Weill Cornell Medical College

Transcription

NEWS
Vol. 2, No. 4, 2014
Chairman’s Message
I am very pleased to share with you the 2014 Winter Issue of the
Department of Surgery News. In this issue we report on several
important named visiting professor lectures, expanding programs,
special events and new initiatives in the Department.
• We were fortunate to host many nationally and internationally renowned speakers over the past few months to exchange ideas and benefit from their expertise. Dr. Gary Dunnington, the Jay L. Grosfeld
Professor and Chairman of Surgery at Indiana University School of
Medicine, visited as the 31st Annual Canizaro visiting professor and
guest lecturer; Professor Toru Kono, Director of the Advanced Surgery Center at Sapporo Higashi
Tokushuikai Hospital, spent time with us as the 6th Annual International visiting professor and guest
lecturer; and Dr. Joseph Minei, the C. James Carrico, MD Distinguished Chair in Surgery for Trauma
& Critical Care at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, was the 13th Annual Hassan
Naama visiting professor and guest lecturer. In addition to our named lectures, we were pleased to invite
two distinguished surgeons from other departments of surgery to present surgical grand rounds: Dr.
John Alverdy, the Sarah and Harold Lincoln Thompson Professor and Executive Vice Chair of Surgery at
the University of Chicago and Dr. Nader Hanna, Professor of Surgery and Director of Clinical Operations
at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Advancing Surgical Research - pg. 2-3
Expanding Surgical Services to
Downtown Manhattan - pg. 4
31st Annual Peter C. Canizaro, MD,
Visiting Professor Lectureship
Gary L. Dunnington, MD, FACS
pg. 5
• Our basic and translational research program, under the leadership of Dr. Todd R. Evans, has expanded
to include over 60 researchers, post docs, students and lab techs, with 40 active grants. Our national ranking in terms of federal funding among departments of surgery has increased to 22nd.
• We feature an article on the expansion of our clinical services to downtown Manhattan, with a multidisciplinary team of surgeons providing a broad scope of advanced procedures at NewYork-Presbyterian/
Lower Manhattan Hospital.
6th Annual International Lectureship
Professor Toru Kono, MD, PhD, FACS
pg. 6
• This past October, hospital leadership, faculty, supporters and friends joined together for the 9th Annual
Department of Surgery dinner to celebrate the many accomplishments of the Department.
• The Department hosted a retirement party for our esteemed colleague, Dr. Harry L. Bush, Jr., in a
heartfelt celebration of his 27 years of dedicated service.
In this issue we also report on new faculty appointments, honors and awards earned by our surgery faculty
and residents, and on a visit by ACS international guest scholar, Dr. Marco Del Chiaro from the Karolinska Institute. We include an article about a new FDA-approved clinical trial led by our Chief of Vascular
and Endovascular Surgery, Dr. Darren Schneider, and in Alumni Updates, we congratulate Dr. Jeffrey
Gold (class of 1983) on his recent appointment as Chancellor of UNMC.
I hope you find this issue of interest and welcome your feedback.
13th Annual Hassan Naama, MB, BCh
Memorial Lectureship
Joseph P. Minei, MD, MBA, FACS
pg. 7
9th Annual Department of Surgery Dinner - pg. 8
Renowned Vascular Surgeon
Dr. Harry Bush Retires - pg. 9-10
New Faculty Appointments - pg. 11-13
Honors and Awards - pg. 14
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD
Lewis Atterbury Stimson Professor of Surgery
Chairman, Department of Surgery
Surgeon-in-Chief
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center
Alumni Updates - pg. 15
Surgical Notes - pg. 16-17
Surgery Service Milestones - pg. 18
Events Calendar - pg. 19
NEWS
DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY
ADVANCING
SURGICAL
RESEARCH
Dr. Todd Evans
examinng zebrafish
The Department of Surgery has a strong commitment to enhancing basic and translational research, and has heavily invested in its infrastructure over the past five years. Under the
direction of Dr. Todd R. Evans, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology in Surgery and Vice Chair of Research, our
robust basic and translational research program has expanded
to include more than 60 researchers, post-doctoral associates,
graduate students, laboratory technicians, volunteer students
and staff. The focus is on stem cells and regenerative medicine,
with the objective being the development and translation of
basic science breakthroughs. Our program fosters a true integration of basic science and clinical expertise to ultimately
develop novel therapies for debilitating organ-based diseases,
including cancer, heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, asthma
and autism. Our scientists are combining their expertise in the
molecular genetics of cell and organ development and function with multidisciplinary expertise in the surgical sciences to
further clinical progress.
Through the active recruitment of new faculty with innovative
research ideas, we are now a major recipient of NIH funding,
including two prestigious NIH New Innovators Awards, two
R01 grants, an R37 grant and a U01 grant, and a K01 career
development grant. As a reflection of the significant increase in
NIH grants awarded to our researchers, the Department has
increased its national rating for federal funding among departments of surgery nationwide from 71st in 2009 to 22nd in
2013. In view of the small footprint of our laboratory space,
we have a high density of NIH funds. In total, the Department of Surgery has nearly 40 active grants, with an awarded
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amount of $6.5 million in the academic year 2013-2014;
$3.89 million from federal/NIH funding; $1.25 million from
New York State funding; $1 million from foundations; and
$400,000 from institutional funding.
Our research faculty is involved in many collaborative investigations, as evidenced by three Tri-Institutional Stem Cell
Initiative Awards, which involve our PIs working closely with
researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and
Rockefeller University. We also collaborate on several grants
with our colleagues at Cornell University, Ithaca. Our researchers’ cutting-edge work has resulted to date in 7 patents
or pending patents.
In 2013, Dr. Marco Seandel, Assistant Professor of Cell and
Developmental Biology in Surgery, was awarded a $1.5 million NIH New Innovators Award to support his study on how
disorders like autism and schizophrenia in children may be related to their fathers’ age at conception. Dr. Seandel’s research
focuses on whether genetic mutations that cause these disorders originate in the testicular stem cells of the affected children’s fathers and whether older fathers are more susceptible
to passing on these genetic mutations. Dr. Shuibing Chen,
Assistant Professor of Chemical Biology in Surgery, received
this same NIH award the previous year to pursue her research
in finding a treatment or cure for Type 2 diabetes. Her laboratory is studying the role of the environment and genetic factors in the progression or regression of cellular dysfunction
characteristic of Type 2 diabetes in mouse models humanized
through stem cells.
NEWS
ADVANCING SURGICAL RESEARCH
Drs. Seandel, Evans and Chen have all been
awarded Tri-Institutional Stem Cell Initiative
Awards from the Starr Foundation to support collaborative research efforts, and Dr.
Seandel recently received a SAFARI grant
from the Simons Foundation for his autism
research. Dr. Yariv Houvras, Assistant Professor of Medicine in Surgery, received a $1
million grant from the Starr Cancer Consortium to fund his study, “Define Oncogenic
Mechanisms of Protein Methyltransferase
SETDB1 and SUV39H1 in Melanoma.”
Dr. Houvras also received a Center for Advanced Digestive Care (CADC) pilot grant
to fund his study, “A Platform for Drug Discovery Targeting MEN1 in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors.”
Dr. Evans has two NIH grants; an R01
grant for $1.25 million to fund his study,
“A Molecular Pathway Controlling Cardiomyocyte Specification;” and an R37 Merit
Award grant for $1.25 million to fund his
study, “Regulation of Embryonic Erythropoiesis by BMP Signaling.” He is also the recipient of two awards from New York State
Stem Cell Science (NYSTEM), one to fund
his IDEA study, “Discovery of Novel Retinoids for Stem Cell Biology,” and the other
to fund his and Dr. Chen’s IIRP study, “Directed Differentation of Cardiac Purkinje
Stem Cells from ESCs.” Dr. Evans received
a $1 million grant from the Starr Cancer
Consortium to fund his study, “Discovery
of AID-dependent Epigenetic Mechanisms
in Hematological Malignancies.”
Dr. Alfons Pomp, Chief of GI Metabolic
and Bariatric Surgery and Vice Chair, Quality and Patient Safety, is the PI for an NIH
U01 grant to fund his study, “Bariatric Surgery: Outcomes & Impact on Pathophysiology.” Under his leadership, our researchers
participate in the NIH-funded Longitudinal
Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS), part
of a consortium of ten clinical centers working in cooperation with NIH scientific staff
to plan, develop, and conduct coordinated
clinical, epidemiological and behavioral research in bariatric surgery.
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Dr. Thomas J. Fahey, III, Chief of Endocrine Surgery, was recently awarded a three
year grant from the Goldhirsh Foundation
to fund his study, “Molecular Characterization of Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumors
of the Gastrointestinal Tract.” The Sackler
Foundation awarded a four year research
gift of $1 million for a collaboration of
three investigators in our Department, Drs.
Evans, Seandel and Fahey, to fund their
collaborative research on carcinoid tumors
to better understand the biology of these
neuro-endocrine tumors associated with
the gut. Dr. Fahey was also awarded a pilot
grant from CADC to fund his study, “Determining a Molecular Profile of Pancreatic
Neuroendocrine Tumors Obtained by Fine
Needle Aspiration.”
Dr. Rasa Zarnegar, Assistant Professor of
Surgery, is co-PI of an NIH R01 grant, collaborating with Dr. Moonsoo Jin from the
Department of Radiology at WCMC, to
fund their study, “Theranostic Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Radioactive Iodine
Refractory Thyroid Cancer.” Dr. Zarnegar
is also the recipient of an award from NYSTAR Designated Center for Advanced Technology, to fund his study, “Endoscopically
Deployable Temporary Anti-Reflux Device.”
Dr. Jason Spector, Associate Professor of
Surgery, was awarded a grant from the Plastic Surgery Foundation to support his study,
“Vascularized Tissue Engineered Scaffolds
for Vivo Anastomosis.” Dr. Spector is co-PI
on a seed grant from Weill Cornell’s Clinical
and Translational Science Center (CTSC),
a multi-institutional consortium, with his
colleague, Professor C.C. Chu from Cornell University, Ithaca, to fund their study,
“Novel Biomaterial Coating for Medical
Devices to Solve the Inflammation Problem.” In addition, Dr. Andrew Meltzer,
Assistant Professor of Surgery, was awarded
a CTSC grant to fund his study, “Modeling
Reliability and Failure after Endovascular
Aortic Aneurysm Repair.”
Dr. Brandoch Cook, Instructor in Surgery,
was awarded an NIH K01 career development
grant for his study, “Discovery of BMP-dependent Mechanisms controlling Embryonic
Hematopoiesis.” Dr. Parul Shukla, Associate Professor of Surgery, was awarded a grant
from Michael’s Mission Foundation to fund
his prospective study on Stage 4 colorectal
cancer, and Dr. Heather Yeo, Assistant Professor of Surgery, received an Empire Clinical
Research Investigator Program (ECRIP) grant
from New York State to support her research
in predictive modeling.
Our post-doctoral associates have been very
successful in identifying diverse funding opportunities for the work being investigated
in our laboratories, including the National
Institutes of Health, the New York Academy of Medicine, the Burroughs Wellcome
Fund, the New York Stem Cell Foundation,
the Skin Cancer Foundation and the Dermatology Foundation.
NEWS
Expanding
Surgical Services
to Downtown Manhattan
The Department of Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center has increased its clinical footprint through its
recent expansion of services to downtown Manhattan, bringing state-of-the-art surgical care to the more than 750,000 people who
work and live there. Our multidisciplinary team of highly-trained specialists now offers patients convenient access to the highest quality surgical care at NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital, where our surgeons perform advanced laparoscopic, endoscopic
and endovascular surgical procedures. Surgical consults take place at the newly-renovated patient care facility located at 156 William
Street, adjacent to the hospital.
Our broad scope of services include: general surgery, breast surgery, colon and rectal surgery, vascular surgery, surgical oncology
and hepatopancreaticobiliary surgery. NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital is the only acute care facility below 14th
Street providing care to patients from the Financial District, Greenwich Village, SoHo, the Lower East Side and Chinatown. The
Hospital offers culturally sensitive patient-focused care coupled with the clinical excellence and pioneering research of a major academic medical center.
Our multidisciplinary surgical team in Lower Manhattan includes:
Benjamin Golas, MD, is Assistant Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and Assistant Attending Surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Golas is an experienced, board-certified
surgeon specializing in surgical oncology and hepatopancreaticobiliary surgery. His expertise includes minimally
invasive procedures for liver cancer, liver metastases, pancreatic cancer and other gastrointestinal malignancies. He
offers unique expertise in novel treatments for liver tumors, including radiofrequency ablation.
Daniel Hunt, MD, is Assistant Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and Assistant Attending
Surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He is an experienced, board-certified colon and
rectal surgeon, who specializes in the most advanced laparoscopic techniques for benign and malignant colorectal
tumors, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis and sphincter preservation for rectal cancer.
Tracy-Ann Moo, MD, is Assistant Professor of Surgery and Assistant Program Director of Surgical Education at
Weill Cornell Medical College and Assistant Attending Surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical
Center. An experienced, board-certified surgeon, Dr. Moo’s expertise includes minimally invasive treatment of
breast cancer, oncoplasty and nipple areola sparing mastectomies. Dr. Moo is highly skilled at videoscopic techniques for melanoma surgery.
Herrick Wun, MD, is Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Attending
Physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital. He serves as Site Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and Medical Director at NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital’s fully-accredited noninvasive diagnostic vascular laboratory. Board-certified in both vascular surgery and surgery, Dr. Wun has extensive
training and expertise in treating vascular disease, utilizing the most advanced minimally invasive techniques. He
specializes in endovascular procedures treating conditions in arteries and veins.
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NEWS
31st Annual
Peter C. Canizaro, MD,
Visiting Professor Lectureship
“Measuring and
Improving Performance
in Surgical Training”
The Department of Surgery’s 31st Annual Peter C. Canizaro, MD, Visiting Professor Lectureship was held Monday, November 4, 2013. The lecture, “Measuring
and Improving Performance in Surgical Training,” was presented by the nationally
renowned surgeon, educator and researcher, Gary L. Dunnington, MD, FACS, the
Jay L. Grosfeld Professor and Chairman, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine.
Widely recognized as a leader in the field of surgical oncology, Dr. Dunnington’s
clinical focus is in breast and endocrine disease. He has developed two multidisciplinary breast centers, at the USC Norris Cancer Center and at University of
Southern Illinois, serving as Medical Director of both centers. He has served as
principle or co-principle investigator on research projects totaling more than $5.6
million and has over 125 peer-reviewed publications, 21 book chapters and three
books. He has received a total of 19 institutional teaching awards, having been
named Outstanding Faculty Teacher of the Year nine times at four institutions,
including the 2010 Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award for the SIU School of
Medicine and the 2011 Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award at the university
level. In 2010, he received the AOA Robert Glazer Distinguished Teacher Award
from the AAMC.
Dr. Dunnington joined the faculty in the Department of Surgery at the Indiana
University School of Medicine in August, 2012, after 15 years at the University of
Southern Illinois, where he had served since 2000 as the J. Roland Folse Professor
and Chair of Surgery in the Department of Surgery. Prior to joining the University
of Southern Illinois, Dr. Dunnington was Associate Professor of Surgery and Senior
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the USC School of Medicine.
Gary L. Dunnington, MD, FACS
Monday, November 4, 2013
8:00 a.m. - Uris Auditorium
Weill Cornell Medical College
He received his MD from Indiana University in 1980 and completed his surgical
training at the University of Arizona in 1985. Dr. Dunnington is a past president
of the Association for Surgical Education and received the 1999 Distinguished
Educator Award from this organization. He is one of the five founding faculty of
the ACS Surgeons as Educators course and served as a faculty member for 15 years.
He has been a visiting professor of education to departments of surgery in nearly
one-half of the medical schools in the United States.
Dr. Dunnington is on editorial board of the Annals of Surgery and the Video Journal of General Surgery. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and
an active member of several prestigious surgical societies, including the American
Surgical Association, The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, the Society
of Surgical Oncology, the Western Surgical Association, the Association of Program
Directors in Surgery, the Association for Surgical Education and the Association
for Academic Surgery. Dr. Dunnington serves on the Board of Directors of both
the Association for Surgical Education Foundation and the Association of Program
Directors in Surgery.
The Peter C. Canizaro, MD, Visiting Professor Lectureship was established by the Department of
Surgery in 1983 as a reminder of the importance of surgical education.
Dr. Gary Dunnington and Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi
at Weill Cornell Medical College
Page 5
NEWS
6th Annual
International
Lectureship
“Making Surgical Recurrence of Crohn’s Disease
a Thing of the Past: The Kono-S Anastomosis”
Monday, October 14, 2013
Professor Toru Kono, MD, PhD, FACS
The Department of Surgery’s 6th Annual International
Lectureship was held on Monday, October 14, 2013. The lecture, “Making Surgical Recurrence of Crohn’s Disease a Thing
of the Past: The Kono-S Anastomosis,” was presented by internationally renowned colorectal surgeon and researcher, Professor Toru Kono, MD, PhD, FACS, Director, Advanced Surgery
Center, Sapporo Higashi Tokushuikai Hospital, Visiting Professor, Department of Surgery, Tokushima University and Invited
Teacher and Visiting Professor, Hokkaido University, Japan.
A board-certified colorectal surgeon, Professor Kono is widely
recognized as a leader in the field, specializing in the latest surgical techniques and pioneering research in treating inflammatory
bowel disease, including the Kono-S anastomosis. Professor Kono
is credited for advancing the field of surgical treatment of Crohn’s
disease through the ideation of a new intestinal anastomosis, the
Kono-S anastomosis, which appears to be protective against early
Crohn’s recurrences. Professor Kono’s research interests focus on
inflammatory bowel disease, minimally invasive surgery, prevention and treatment of colorectal cancers, and the management of
a wide variety of digestive diseases. He has ongoing clinical research projects investigating the role of traditional Japanese herbal
medicine (Kampo) in colon and rectal surgery and its effects on
intestinal epithelial biology and pathobiology.
Page 6
Professor Kono received his doctorate degree with academic honors from the Asahikawa Medical University in 1982
and completed his residency training in general surgery
and his fellowship training in colorectal surgery there as
well. He stayed at Asahikawa Medical University as a faculty member for the next 25 years before moving to the
Sapporo Higashi Tokushukai Hospital’s Advanced Surgery
Center in 2013. Professor Kono is an active member of the
most prestigious Japanese surgical professional societies,
including the Japan Surgical Society, the Japanese Society
of Gastrointestinal Surgery and the Japan Society of Coloproctology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a member of the American Gastroenterological
Association, the American Society of Clinical Oncology
and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America.
The Department of Surgery International Lecture was established in 2008 as
a reminder of the importance of international collaborations in medical education and surgery.
NEWS
13th ANNUAL
Hassan Naama, MB, BCh,
Memorial Lectureship
“The Epidemiology of Multiple
Organ Failure after Trauma:
Time for a Paradigm Shift”
The Department of Surgery’s 13th Annual Hassan Naama, MB, BCh,
Memorial Lectureship was held on September 30, 2013. The lecture,
“The Epidemiology of Multiple Organ Failure after Trauma: Time for a
Paradigm Shift,” was presented by the nationally-renowned trauma surgeon, Joseph P. Minei, MD, MBA, FACS, Surgeon-in-Chief, Medical
Staff President, MEC Chair and Medical Director of Trauma Services
at Parkland Health and Hospital System. Dr. Minei is the C. James Carrico, MD Distinguished Chair in Surgery for Trauma & Critical Care and
Professor and Chair, Division of Burn, Trauma & Critical Care and Vice
Chair for Parkland Affairs, Department of Surgery, University of Texas
Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX.
Dr. Minei received his MD from Cornell University Medical College in
1984 and was awarded the John Metcalfe Polk Award for Academic Excellence. He is an alumnus of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell’s general
surgery residency program (class of 1991), during which he served 3 years
as the Harvey Williams Cushing Fellow in Surgical Research, under the
mentorship of then Chair, Dr. G. Tom Shires. Dr. Minei joined the faculty
at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School as Assistant Professor in 1991. In 2007, Dr. Minei returned to school and received his MBA
from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2009.
Dr. Minei’s clinical and research interests are in the area of host response
to severe traumatic injury, with an emphasis on post-traumatic sepsis and
organ failure. He has been steadily funded since 1994 through the NIH,
first through the center grant mechanism, and more recently, through the
Inflammation and Host Response to Injury Large Scale Collaborative Project. He is currently funded by the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium
and the Department of Defense. Dr. Minei has authored/co-authored over
175 peer-reviewed articles.
Joseph P. Minei, MD, MBA, FACS
Monday, September 30, 2013
Page 7
Dr. Minei is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons as well as a Fellow
of the American College of Critical Care Medicine. He serves as Chair of the
ACS Board of Governors Best Practice Workgroup. He served 12 years as a
member of the ACS Committee on Trauma and currently serves as consultant to the committee. He is a member of the Editorial Board of The Journal
of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Infections. Dr. Minei is a member of 12 professional societies, including the American Surgical Society, the
American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and the Society of Critical
Care Medicine. He was awarded the 2013 Faculty Teacher of the Year by the
Department at UT Southwestern.
The Hassan Naama, MB, BCh, Memorial Lectureship was established by the Department of Surgery in 2002 to honor the memory of Dr. Naama, who completed his surgical residency training
at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in June, 2001 and tragically died two
months later while jogging in Central Park. Our Chief Residents have also established a yearly
teaching award to memorialize Dr. Naama.
NEWS
9th Annual
Department
of Surgery
Dinner
(from left) Michael Tusiani, Dr. Laura Forese,
Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi, Dr. Daniel Knowles,
Alberto Cribiore
Arnold Gumowitz and Milton Gumowitz
(from left) Susan Solomon, Dr. Robert Grant,
Martin Solomon, Wanda See, Judith Solomon
(from left) Drs. Jon Cohen, Karen Kostroff,
Robert Grant
Dr. Laura Forese
(from left) Wanda See, Dr. Fabrizio Michelassi,
Beverly and Philip Guido
(from left) Drs. Jason Spector, Andrew Meltzer and
Darren Schneider
Frank Natoli and Dr. Sandip Kapur
On October 23, 2013, the 9th Annual
Department of Surgery Dinner was held at
the Columbus Citizens Foundation in New
York City. More than 60 members of the
Department of Surgery faculty, supporters and friends gathered to celebrate the
accomplishments of the Department over
the past year and to hear about exciting new
plans for the Department’s future growth.
The program included remarks from Laura
L. Forese, MD, MPH, Group Senior Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer,
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, and
President, NYP Healthcare System, and
Daniel M. Knowles, MD, Chief Medical
Officer, Weill Cornell Medical College.
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD, Chairman of the
Department of Surgery, thanked the group
for their continued support and recognized
the vital role that philanthropy plays in the
Department’s ability to achieve its mission
of providing the highest quality clinical
care, education and pioneering surgical
research. Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD, Chief
of Endocrine Surgery, Jeffrey Milsom, MD,
Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery, and
Jason Spector, MD, Associate Professor of
Surgery, presented on the latest advances in
their respective surgical specialties.
Page 8
NEWS
Dr. Harry L. Bush, Jr. Retires
On Monday, February 3, 2014,
the Department of Surgery
hosted a retirement party in
Griffis Faculty Club for Harry
L. Bush, Jr., MD, Associate
Professor of Surgery at Weill
Cornell Medical College and
Associate Attending Surgeon
at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell Medical Center. Faculty,
Medical Center leadership and staff
joined Dr. Bush’s friends and family in
a celebration of his 27 years of dedicated service to the Department, the
Institution, his patients and the community.
A nationally recognized expert in the
field of vascular and endovascular surgery, Dr. Bush was born in Auburn,
Alabama. His family moved often
while he was growing up due to his father’s career as a Colonel in the
United States Army. He received his MD from the College of Physicians
and Surgeons at Columbia University in 1968. He completed an internship and residency in general surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Medical
Center in 1976. Dr. Bush interrupted his residency training to serve as a
Flight Surgeon in the United States Navy from1970 to 1973. He completed fellowships in vascular surgery at the Boston University Medical
Center and Tufts New England Medical Center.
Dr. Bush became a faculty member at Tufts University School of Medicine
as Assistant Professor in 1979 and was promoted to Associate Professor in
1986. He was recruited to the full-time faculty at Weill Cornell Medical
College as Associate Professor of Surgery with tenure and Medical Director of the Vascular Diagnostic Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell Medical Center in 1987, when Dr. Thomas Shires was the Chair
of Surgery. His expertise in the treatment of vascular and endovascular disease and leadership skills were evident from the start of his career at Weill
Cornell. He served as Chief of Vascular Surgery from 1987 - 1997 and from
1997 to 2000 he was Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery.
Page 9
Widely recognized as a dedicated clinical
educator of medical students and residents,
as well as a talented surgeon, Dr. Bush has
received the Resident’s Award for Excellence in Teaching three times since he has
been on the faculty at the Medical College.
He is a Fellow of the American College of
Surgeons and a member of many national
and international societies, including the
Society for Vascular Surgery, the American
Association of Vascular Surgery, the International Cardiovascular Surgery Society,
the European Vascular Society, the International Society for Applied Cardiovascular Biology, the North American Vascular
Biology Organization, and the Society of
University Surgeons.
A well-respected researcher, Dr. Bush has
been co-PI on four NIH research awards,
investigating new minimally invasive methods of treatment for vascular disease and PI
on an NIH R01 award. His work has been
published in over 100 journals and he has
written nine book chapters. Dr. Bush was
a co-author of a new study at NewYorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center
that was published in the journal Radiology.
This was the first study to show that magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) technology is useful in noninvasively guiding
the planning of treatment for severe as well
as mild peripheral vascular disease. These
noninvasive angiograms complement his
studies on the effectiveness of minimally
invasive techniques for vascular reconstruction. His bench research has focused on the
healing response of the arterial wall (intimal hyperplasia), for which he received the
von Liebig Award for Excellence in Vascular Biology.
NEWS
Dr. Harry L. Bush, Jr. Retires
Over the course of his long career as a surgeon, Dr. Bush has been on the
forefront of pioneering advances in the field of vascular surgery. According to Dr. Bush, “the most significant changes in the field over the past
three decades has been the advanced knowledge of vascular biology and
atherosclerotic risk factors, and the explosion of catheter-based treatment
of arterial and venous disease.” He said he derived the greatest satisfaction as a surgeon from being able to directly help people benefit from new
advances in treatment for vascular disease. He also enjoyed training young
doctors and helping them develop the skills needed to be outstanding vascular surgeons, and expressed gratitude for the important influence his own
mentors, renowned vascular surgeons Dr. Frank LoGerfo and Dr. Donald
Nasbeth, had on his career as an academic surgeon.
At Dr. Bush’s retirement party, Betty Cooper Wallerstein said she would
always be grateful to Dr. Bush for “performing a miracle for her family”
27 years ago, saving the lower extremities of her 80-year old father, who
had gangrene in both feet. When Mrs. Wallerstein was told by another
surgeon at another major New York hospital that both legs would need
to be amputated immediately, she brought him to Dr. Bush, who had just
joined NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, for a second opinion. Despite
complications associated with her father’s age and a high platelet count,
Dr. Bush performed complex, limb-sparing vascular surgery and was able
to successfully revascularize both legs. After several weeks, her father was
discharged and Mrs.Wallerstein said he able to enjoy his daily walks for
the next eight years until he passed away. In gratitude to Dr. Bush, Mrs.
Wallerstein donated money in perpetuity to fund the Harry L. Bush Award
for Excellence in Vascular Biology/Surgery, awarded each year to a graduating medical student whose research paper is chosen as the best in the field
of vascular surgery.
Dr. Bush’s skilled hands are evident not only in
the OR, but at home as well. His hobbies include house remodeling and carpentry, a talent
which he plans to spend more time on during
his retirement. He also enjoys photography
and fishing. Dr. Bush looks forward to having
more time to spend with his family—his wife,
Ellen Bush, JD, who is an administrative law
judge, his sons Scott, Alexander and Charles,
and his grandaughter Willow.
Page 10
NEWS
Honors H Awards
Alyssa Reiffel Golas, MD, a
current chief resident of our
general surgery residency
program, was the recipient
of the 2013 Distinguished
Housestaff Award from the
(from left) Drs. Eugene Nowak,
New York Weill Cornell
Thomas Fahey, Alyssa Reiffel
Golas, Vinod Malhotra
Medical Center Alumni
Council on November 13,
2013. Dr. Golas received this distinguished honor in
recognition of her outstanding commitment to
excellence in patient care.
Fabrizio Michelassi, MD,
Lewis Atterbury Stimson
Professor and Chairman of
Surgery, gave the keynote
lecture at the 10th Annual
Congress of the New Jersey
Italian and Italian American
Heritage Commission (NJIIAHC) on November 3, 2013.
His lecture was on Italian Nobel Laureates. Former
Chair of NJIIACH, Cav. Gilda Rorro Baldassari, EdD,
presented Dr. Michelassi with a commemorative trophy
following his lecture.
Palmer Bessey, MD, Aronson
Family Foundation Professor in
Burn Surgery, who provided strong
leadership as President of the
American Burn Association for the
past year, delivered the Presidential
Address, “How D’ye Know,” at
the American Burn Association’s
46th Annual Meeting held
March 25 - March 28, 2014, in Boston, MA.
Page11
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell Medical Center’s
William Randolph Hearst
Burn Center received verification by the American Burn
Association and the American
College of Surgeons as a \
Center of Excellence. It is the
only Burn Center in New
(from left) Drs. Palmer Bessey, Roger Yurt,
and James Gallagher in the Burn Center
York State to receive this
designation, which was awarded in recognition of the state-of-the-art,
multidisciplinary treatment it provides for burn patients. It is a true
mark of distinction that the Center meets the high standards of
optimal care set by the ABA.
(from left) Fire Chief Edward
Kilduff, Dr. Roger Yurt and
Fire Commissioner
Salvatore Cassano.
Roger Yurt, MD, Chief of Burns,
Critical Care and Trauma and Director of
the William Randolph Hearst Burn Center,
was named honorary Medical Officer of the
New York Fire Department in recognition of
the outstanding burn care delivered over the
years by the Center to New York firefighters.
A special ceremony hosted by New York Fire
Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano was held
in December, 2013 to present Dr. Yurt with
this honor.
Jason Spector, MD, Associate Professor of
Surgery, won a first place award in a prestigious technology innovation contest for his
pioneering method of bioengineering human
ears using 3D printing and injectable gels
made of living cells. Dr. Spector received
the World Technology Award at a dinner
ceremony on November 15, 2013, during
the World Technology Summit. His award
was given in the health and medicine category in recognition that his
research work held the greatest likely long-term significance for the 21st
century. The World Technology Awards have been presented since 2000
to honor people and organizations working in 20 different categories of
science and technology and related fields.
NEWS
Faculty Appointments
Heather Yeo, MD, MHS
Office Telephone: (212) 746-6030
Office Fax: (212) 746-6370
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.weillcornell.org/physician/heatheryeo/index.html
Heather Yeo, MD, MHS, has joined the Department of Surgery as Assistant Professor of Surgery and Assistant Professor of Public Health at Weill Cornell Medical College and Assistant
Attending Surgeon at NewYork-Presybterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Yeo is a boardcertified general surgeon who also has additional subspecialty training and expertise in both
colon and rectal surgery and surgical oncology. She specializes in the comprehensive care of
colorectal cancer patients, as well as those patients with benign colorectal diseases.
Dr. Yeo has expertise in minimal access techniques, including laparoscopic, needlescopic, colonoscopic-assisted and robotic surgery. In addition, she has special interests in sphincter preserving surgery (helping rectal cancer patients avoid a permanent ostomy), maintaining fertility in
cancer patients, and improving quality of life and bowel function after rectal surgery.
Dr. Yeo’s clinical research focuses on patient quality of life and outcome measures. She believes
that incorporating those factors into treatment decisions will be ever more important. Dr. Yeo
has written extensively and published in many major journals, including the Journal of the
American Medical Association (JAMA), Annals of Surgery, and the Journal of the American
College of Surgeons.
Dr. Yeo completed a general surgical residency at Yale New Haven Hospital, a surgical
oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a fellowship in colon
and rectal surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She earned a
Masters in Health Service Research from Yale University.
Dr. Yeo is actively involved in many national surgical and oncologic societies, including the
American College of Surgeons, Society of Surgical Oncologists, American Society of Colon and
Rectal Surgeons, Association of Women Surgeons and Association of Academic Surgery.
Page 12
NEWS
Irene Min, PhD
Office Fax: (212) 746-0201
Irene Min, PhD, has joined the Department of Surgery as Assistant Research Professor of
Molecular Biology at Weill Cornell Medical College. An experienced basic research scientist
with a focus in stem cell biology, genetics and genomics, Dr. Min’s main research interests are
focused on understanding transcription regulation in stem cells and cancer, and developing
RNA-based tools to target specific pathways to examine the functional consequences in cell
growth and to further advance related technologies for diagnostics and therapeutics. She is
widely published in prestigious journals such as Cell Stem Cell, Genes and Development and
Immunity and has co-authored a book chapter in Advances in Immunology.
Dr. Min is working in the laboratory of Thomas J. Fahey, III, MD, Chief of Endocrine Surgery,
focusing on establishing animal models of endocrine tumors and applying nanotechnology
to kill tumors by targeting specific surface markers. Dr. Min utilizes high throughput drug
screening tools in endocrine tumors based on genome-wide transcription profiling to integrate
targeted pathways with specific drug actions.
Dr. Min received a BS in biology from Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea in 1997, and
an M.Phil from the Department of Physiology, Cambridge University, England, in 1998. She
earned a PhD in genetics from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA, in 2004.
Dr. Min completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, in 2012, where
she was awarded the American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellowship for two years.
Page 13
NEWS
Brandoch D. Cook, PhD
Office Fax: (212) 746-0201
Website: http://toddevanslab.net/people/brc.htm
Brandoch D. Cook, PhD, has joined the Department of Surgery as Instructor of Cell and
Developmental Biology in Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. An experienced basic
research scientist with expertise in stem cell biology and embryonic hematopoiesis, Dr. Cook’s
main research interests lie in understanding the contributions of bone morphogenetic protein
signaling to regulation of stem and progenitor cell specification. Dr. Cook has published articles
in prestigious journals such as Blood, and pursues his research interests under the guidance of
Dr. Todd Evans, Vice Chairman of Research in Surgery.
Dr. Cook received a BA in biology from the University of Colorado-Boulder (Phi Beta Kappa),
and a PhD in molecular oncology and immunology from New York University’s Sackler Institute. He has recently completed his postdoctoral training in Dr. Evans’ laboratory, additionally
serving as the postdoctoral representative to the WCMC General Faculty Council for a period
of two years. He is the recent recipient of an NIH/NIDDK K01 grant with which he will initiate his independent research career.
Page 14
NEWS
Alumni Updates
Jeffrey P. Gold, MD (class of 1983) was named Chancellor of the
University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) on February 1,
2014. He will also provide strong leadership as the Chairman of the
Board of a clinical enterprise that includes UNMC’s primary hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center; its physician practice
group, UNMC Physicians; and the Bellevue Medical Center.
A nationally recognized leader in the field of adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, Dr. Gold previously served as Chancellor
and Executive Vice President of Biosciences and Health Affairs and Executive Dean of the University of Toledo College
of Medicine, Ohio. Prior to joining the University of Toledo in
2005, Dr. Gold served as Department Chair and Division Chief
at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Weill Cornell
Medical College respectively. Dr. Gold graduated from Cornell
University College of Engineering, earned his MD from Weill
Cornell Medical College and completed his general surgery residency at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
He did his cardiothoracic residency training at the Brigham and
Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital of Harvard
Medical School.
A board-certified thoracic surgeon, Dr. Gold has been a tireless
advocate for transforming academic medical education, bioscience research and health care delivery. He was recently elected to
the American Medical Association’s Council on Medical Education, the Accreditation Council on Medical Education and the
Liaison Committee on Medical Education. He has served as
President of the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association and has
authored over 200 peer-reviewed articles, given 250 national presentations, authored 40 books and chapters and has been invited
as a visting professor at more than 60 institutions. Dr. Gold has
been invited to deliver the Department of Surgery’s distinguished
Hassan Naama Memorial Lecture in 2014, an honor accorded to
a past chief resident of our general surgery program or a Weill
Cornell Medical College medical student who has embraced a career in surgery.
Page15
NEWS
Surgical Notes
Department of Surgery Hosts Distinguished Lecturers and
ACS International Scholar
The Department of Surgery invited several distinguished lecturers this fall to give Surgical Grand Rounds
at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell to our faculty and residents. On September 16th, 2013, John
C. Alverdy, MD, FACS, the Sarah and Harold Lincoln Thompson Professor and Executive Vice Chair
of Surgery at the University of Chicago, IL, presented “Anastomotic Leak is Due to an Infectious Agent
Not an Error in Technique.” Dr Alverdy received his surgical training at the Michael Reese Hospital and
completed a trauma/critical care fellowship at the University of California San Francisco. An experienced,
board-certified surgeon, he is the director of minimally invasive surgery and performs a wide variety of gastrointestinal surgery including foregut, pancreaticobiliary tree and colon. He has been continually funded
by the NIH and runs a laboratory that studies the microbial pathogenesis of surgical complications including sepsis, wound infection, and anastomotic leak. He is the co-PI on a T32 training grant and has trained
over 30 postdoctoral fellows in his laboratory over the last 25 years. Currently, he has three surgical resident research fellows working full time in his laboratory. He has published over 120 original manuscripts,
several of which have appeared in high impact journals such as Science and the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, as well as numerous book chapters.
On October 28, 2013, Nader Nabil Hanna, MB, BCh, FACS, FICS, Professor of
Surgery and Director of Clinical Operations, Division of General and Oncologic
Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, presented
“M&M in Gastric Cancer; Tough to Digest or Food for Thoughts.” Dr. Hanna received his surgical training at Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt, and completed
his surgery residency at Tufts University School of Medicine. He completed his surgical oncology fellowship and his research fellowship at the University of Chicago. Dr.
Hanna is board-certified in both general surgery and surgical oncology, and has clinical expertise in the management of complex primary and advanced metastatic gastrointestinal malignancies, including esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, hepatobiliary and
colorectal. He specializes in minimally invasive surgery for cancer, including robotic
colorectal surgery and laparoscopic major hepatic resections. In 2012, he performed
the first laparoscopic and robotic distal pancreatectomy at the University of Maryland
Medical Center. An active member of many prestigious national and international
surgical societies, Dr. Hanna serves on the editorial boards of four prestigious medical journals. He has published widely
in his field, including over 70 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and been an invited lecturer at 85 national and
international institutions.
On October 24-25, 2013, Dr. Marco Del Chiaro, MD, PhD, Karolinska Institutet
at Huddinge, Karolinska University Hospital, visited the Department of Surgery as
part of the ACS International Guest Scholarship Program. Dr. Del Chiaro met with
faculty and residents, observed several surgeries and attended the Colorectal Tumor
Conference. He also attended the Department of Surgery’s Annual Dinner at the
Columbus Club.
Page 16
NEWS
Surgical Notes
New Endovascular Option for High Risk Aortic Aneurysms
Dr. Darren Schneider, Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, is leading an FDA-approved clinical trial to
investigate the use of custom-designed stent grafts for the
treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms for patients deemed high risk for open surgery. The study aims
to address the unmet need for minimally invasive stent
graft devices that can provide a safe and effective treatment
for patients with aneurysms located in the aorta in both the
chest and abdomen. No stent graft treatment is currently
commercially available for these patients.
The stent grafts are custom-designed for each patient’s
anatomy by Dr. Schneider and the vascular surgery study
team at Weill Cornell and are manufactured by Cook
Medical. The stent grafts are assembled during the operation with up to five custom-placed branches for the various
critical vessels that supply blood to the kidneys, liver, intestines and other organs, allowing for a precise fit.
“What’s unique about this trial is that it’s with a special minimally invasive stent graft device that will now
allow us to fix thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms without the large incisions used in the traditional open
surgery,” said Dr. Schneider. “It’s our hope that with this new technology, we can fix these complex aneurysms
and spare patients from the risk of major complications and death associated with open surgery.”
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center is the only center in the Northeast known to have this
technology. The prospective, nonrandomized study will enroll up to 30 patients over two and a half years. The
first procedure in the study was performed in January 2014. Investigators will analyze the results in comparison
to patients treated with open surgical repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms and to existing data on
stent graft repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.
For several years, surgeons have been using minimally invasive techniques to implant a stent graft—a fabric
tube enmeshed in a metal framework—for repair of aneurysms of the lower abdominal aorta or the descending thoracic aorta, two regions of the aorta without branch vessels that supply blood to critical abdominal
organs. The stent graft is inserted through the femoral artery in the groin and advanced into the aorta using
X-ray guidance. The stent graft then creates a new liner in the aorta and stops the dangerous flow of blood
into the aneurysm sac, protecting the patient from a rupture. This option, however, has not been available for
thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms, complex aneurysms that span both the thoracic aorta in the chest and
the abdominal aorta and involve the part of the aorta with the critical branches that supply blood to the major
abdominal organs. Based on earlier studies conducted at other medical centers, use of these branched stent
grafts may make treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms much safer for patients.
Page 17
NEWS
Surgery Service Milestones
Congratulations to the following faculty and staff
for their many years of dedicated service to the
Department of Surgery and for helping to ensure
that we always deliver the highest quality, most
compassionate care to our patients.
10 years
Dr. Alfons Pomp
Vanessa Acevedo
Elizabeth Goldenberg
15 years
Dr. Soumitra Eachempati
Bobbie Buonanno
Shelley Cutrone
20 years
Dr. Rache Simmons
Dr. Mia Talmor
35 years
Marion Napoletano
Page 18
NEWS
EVENTS
April 17, 2014
3rd Annual Stanley J. Behrman, DMD Lectureship
Andrew Herlich, DMD, MD, FAAP, Professor and Vice Chair for Faculty Development,
Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine,
Staff Anesthesiologist and Site Academic Director, UPMC Mercy
“Management of the Nearly Impossible Airway: Thinking Outside the Box”
April 28, 2014
Preston A. Wade Visiting Professor Lectureship
John J. Fildes, MD, FACS, FCCM, FRCS, Professor of Surgery
Vice Chair, Department of Surgery, Program Director, Gen. Surgery Residency,
Chief, Division of Trauma & Critical Care, University of Nevada School of Medicine
“The Training of Acute Care Surgeons”
June 13, 2014
Surgery Graduation, The Water Club, NYC
Page 19
NEWS
Department of Surgery Faculty and Residents
WAYS TO GIVE
The Department of Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell Medical Center is committed to our
three-fold mission of education, research, and patientcentered care. Philanthropy plays a vital role in realizing
our vision of excellence in these three areas. Whether it
be for the ground breaking research that will treat and
cure the scourge of disease, teaching the next generation of top doctors, or providing the most advanced
care in a truly compassionate, patient-centered way,
philanthropy is critical to our success.
Secure Ways to Give Form
http://www.cornellsurgery.org/patients/give/index.html
We ask that you partner with us in our mission and consider a
tax-deductible gift to the Department of Surgery. You may also
make a check payable to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
Department of Surgery and mail to:
Ms. Michele Berko-Field
Office of Development
525 East 68th Street, Box 123, New York, NY 10065
For more information about the Department of Surgery, please visit our website at
www.cornellsurgery.org
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center
Page 15
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical
Center
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill
Cornell Medical
Center

NEWS - Weill Cornell Medical College

Transcription

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