Research Projects
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center ranks among top four recipients in National Institutes of Health funding among independent hospitals nationwide; and, with a total of more than $23 million per year in extramural [direct and indirect] research support, the Medical Center’s Department of Surgery is in the top echelon of all academic surgical departments.
Following the third clinical year residents are required to pursue a two year research elective in any number of available tracts that include basic science or clinical outcomes. It is also possible for residents to seek advanced degrees in Public Health, Business Administration or in Education. The department of surgery has agreed to support tuition for up to two individuals annually to pursue a Master’s degree in any of the Harvard schools of graduate education. This is a competitive process that is awarded to the resident proposing the most meritorious project. These opportunities are intended to teach residents the requisite skills to become leaders in academic surgery and make an impact early in their careers. BIDMC surgery residents have been very successful in obtaining high quality research and clinical fellowships, both in Boston and nationwide.
Individuals wishing to do research for two years are candidates for support by one of three mechanisms. First, Surgery has four NIH-funded NRSA Training Grants [Gastroenterology, Vascular Surgery, Transplant, and Cardiovascular Surgery]. Second, a Principal Investigator in Surgery may support the salary for two fellowship years. Third, the prospective fellow and Principal Investigator can apply for an NRSA fellowship grant from the NIH or apply for funding through other of many mechanisms available to support fellowship research.
Opportunities also are available for surgical housestaff during their clinical training periods to participate in clinical research conducted by members of the Department of Surgery.
Basic Laboratory Research Currently Underway by Department Faculty
* Federally Funded
Cardiothoracic Surgery and Interventional Pulmonology
Sidney Levitsky, M.D.*
James McCully, Ph.D.*
Mechanisms and subcellular localization of biochemical and molecular events contributing to myocardial cell death
Sidhu P. Gangadharan, M.D.
Armin Ernst, M.D. (Collaborative with Medicine)*
Animal models (basic) and high quality outcomes (clinical) research on chest diseases
General Surgery
George Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D.*
Nutrition and clinical interventions for cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity in humans
George Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D.
Jin-Rong Zhou, Ph.D.*
Mechanisms of nutraceutical components, such as soy phytochemicals, tea polyphenols, and other dietary/herbal supplements, on the prevention and treatment of cancer
Mark P. Callery, M.D.
Charles M. Vollmer, Jr., M.D.
Tara S. Kent, M.D.
Outcomes research in high-acuity pancreaticobiliary surgery
Rosemary B. Duda, M.D.
Assessment of the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases in women from Accra, Ghana.
Sandra M. Gaston, Ph.D.*
Characterization of the individual biological differences that can influence the clinical behavior of human cancer
Susan J. Hagen, Ph.D.*
The role of barrier function and cell death in gastric cancer development
Per-Olof Hasselgren, M.D., Ph.D.*
Metabolic and inflammatory responses to sepsis and injury
Carl J. Hauser, M.D.*
Kiyo Itagaki, Ph.D.
Regulation of innate immunity in trauma with an emphasis on translational biology
Daniel B. Jones, M.D.
Outcomes of new procedures, evaluation of new technology and techniques, and the basic science of obesity
Wolfgang G. Junger, Ph.D.*
Cellular immune response in trauma
Teresa Sanchez, Ph.D.*
Signaling pathways that regulate responses of the vascular endothelium to injury
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Most faculty are involved in basic or clinically-based research on the following topics:
Basic research: Perforator identification using near-infared imaging; Perforator flap perfusion assessment using near-infared imaging; Neural prosthetics with chemical harvesting and stimulation for facial nerve reanimation.
Clinical research: Vioptiz monitoring in perforator flap surgery; Breast reconstruction; RT intraoperative CT monitoring of fractures; Common patterns of reconstruction for Mohs defects
Podiatry
Aristidis Veves, M.D. D.Sc.*
Mechanisms of microvascular disease, wound healing, and peripheral neuropathy in diabetes
Transplantation
Douglas W. Hanto, M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical research: Development of post-transplant lympho-proliferative diseases
Basic research: The ability of CO at low concentrations to be protective in rodent and large animal models of ischemia-reperfusion injury, delayed graft function, allograft rejection and survival, and in hepatic regeneration
Seth Karp, M.D.*
Molecular biology of liver development and regeneration
Maria Koulmanda, Ph.D.*
Molecular and cellular basis of tolerance to islet allograft and xenograph rejection.
Leo Otterbein, Ph.D.*
Role of the enzyme heme oxygenase and the products of its activity, in particular carbon monoxide, in models of oxidative stress
James R. Rodrigue, Ph.D.*
Behavioral health aspects of organ transplantation and organ donation
Terry B. Strom, M.D.*
Laurence A. Turka, M.D.* (Collaborative with Medicine)
The development of new approaches and strategies for the induction of tolerance in transplantation and autoimmune diseases
Urology
Mohamed Simon Arredouani, Ph.D.*
Identifying novel mechanisms of immune tolerance to prostate tumor antigens
William DeWolf, M.D.
W. Mike Schopperle, Ph.D.
Identifying unique and specific human cancer stem cell markers
Martin Sanda, M.D.*
Basic research: Prostate cancer immunology and biomarkers
Clinical research: Prostate cancer clinical outcomes
Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Elliot L. Chaikof, M.D., Ph.D.*
Development of tissue engineered devices and cell based therapies for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and reconstructive surgery
Pathogenesis and new treatment strategies for atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysms, and thrombosis.
Christiane Ferran, M.D., Ph.D.*
Role of A20 in organ transplantation, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and hepatitis
Frank W. LoGerfo, M.D.*
Leena Pradhan, Ph..D.
Mechanisms of prosthetic arterial graft failure, prevention of intimal hyperplasia in vein grafts, role of neuropeptides in diabetic wound healing, and developing novel biomaterial surfaces
Marc Schermerhorn, M.D.
Outcomes research in vascular surgery
