Research Projects
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center ranks third in National Institutes of Health funding among independent hospitals nationwide; and, with a total of more than $17 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 their second or third year of training, residents are encouraged to take an elective period ranging between one and two years in duration, to develop a research interest or to refine clinical skills. BIDMC surgery residents have been very successful in obtaining high quality research and clinical fellowships, both in Boston and nationwide. Most choose two-year laboratory fellowships, with approval of the program director. 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 surgical department.
Basic Laboratory Research Currently Underway by Department Faculty
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Malcolm M. DeCamp, Jr., M.D.
Clinical: Outcome predictors in the multidisciplinary management of lung and esophageal cancer; minimally invasive techniques for lung volume reduction surgery
Basic Science: Genetic, phenotypic and physiologic mechanisms to explain response to lung volume reduction for severe emphysema
F. Henry Ellis, Jr., M.D., Ph.D.
Role of p27 in aggressive Barrett’s-associated adenocarcinoma of the esophagus
Sidney Levitsky, M.D.*
James McCully, Ph.D.
Biochemical and molecular events that contribute to myocardial cell death as well as isolation and identification of genes associated with myocardial ischemia/ reprofusion amelioration
Frank W. Sellke, M.D.*
Cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate vascular permeability during cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegia and to examine the use of therapeutic angiogenesis for the treatment of coronary artery disease
General Surgery
George Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D.*
Clinical: Nutrition and clinical interventions for cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity
George Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D.*
Jin-Rong Zhou, Ph.D.*
Basic Science: Mechanisms of nutraceutical components, such as soy phytochemicals, tea polyphenols, and other dietary/herbal supplements, on the prevention and treatment of cancer
Susan J. Hagen, Ph.D.*
Mechanisms that regulate barrier function in the stomach during H. pylori infection, trauma, and sepsis
Per-Olof Hasselgren, M.D., Ph.D.*
Metabolic and inflammatory responses to sepsis and injury
Daniel B. Jones, M.D.
Outcomes of new procedures, evaluation of new technology and techniques, and basic science of obesity
Nicolas E. Tawa, Jr., M.D., Ph.D.
Protein metabolism in skeletal muscle
Charles M. Vollmer, Jr., M.D.
Basic Science: Causation and therapeutics of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Approaches include molecular biology techniques designed for therapeutics, as well as genetic epidemiology and prevention of the disease through novel gene identification
Clinical: Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery (HPB) surgical outcomes focusing on database and clinical trial designs
Medical Education
Jennifer Doyle, M.A.
Impact of research experience during residency on academic careers; assessment of “competency” in medicine; evaluation of outcomes in medical education; gender issues in the professions
Neurosurgery
Ekkehard Kasper, M.D.
Neurobiological techniques to eludicate basic neurophysiology of cortex; cellular neuroanatomy as revealed by the application of various intracellular & extracellular tracing techniques; radiobiology of tumor cells; epidemiological studies of brain tumors; physiological studies of brain tumors treated with gene & chemotherapy; pathological characterization of infiltrative properties of tumor cells
Efstathios Papavassiliou, M.D.
ICP monitoring and EEG correlation in head injuries; DBS for dystonia; microeletrode single cell recordings for seizure focus analysis; outcome of DBS for Parkinson’s disease on the quality of life of patients and their caretakers
Peter Warnke, M.D.
Tumor physiology and molecular genetics of brain tumors – impact on treatment response; Radiosurgery for focal epilepsy – metabolic and physiologic monitoring of treatment response; Gene therapy for CNS tumors – delivery of therapeutic genes based on individual tumor physiology
Ophthalmology
Jason Barton, M.D.*
Motion perception and pursuit in the human cerebral cortex Plastic Surgery
Sumner Slavin, M.D.
Mauricio Contreras, M.D.
Loren Borud, M.D.
Lymphadema, lymphangiogenesis, and mechanisms of treatment for lymphadema
Podiatry
Aristidis Veves, M.D. D.Sc.*
Mechanisms of microvascular disease, wound healing and peripheral neuropathy in diabetes
Transplantation
Fritz H. Bach, M.D.
The protective effect of heme oxygnease-1 on the survival of organ grafts
Christiane Ferran, M.D., Ph.D.*
Potential therapeutic use of anti-apoptotic genes in organ transplantation, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and hepatitis
Seth Karp, M.D.*
Molecular biology of liver development and regeneration
Anthony P. Monaco, M.D.*
Takashi Maki, M.D., Ph.D.
Mechanisms that underlie the induction of transplantation tolerance
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
Terry B. Strom, M.D.*
Douglas W. Hanto, M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical: Quantitative detection of immune activation transcripts as a diagnostic tool in liver transplantation to diagnose acute rejection, differentiate acute rejection from hepatitis C and to assess early graft function
Basic Science: Tolerance induction in primates using co-stimulation blockade and upregulation of protective genes
Trauma/Critical Care
Carl J. Hauser, M.D.*
Evaluation of inflammation and lipid profiles in sepsis
Wolfgang Junger, Ph.D.*
Evaluation of signaling mechanisms in shock and inflammation
Urology
William DeWolf, M.D.
Protein characterization of testis tumor markers
Anurag K. Das, M.D.
Clinical: Urinary incontinence, sacral neuromodulation, benign prostatic hyperplasia
Basic: The effect of sacral neuromodulation and various subtype specific receptor blockers on bladder and urethral function in a rabbit model of bladder outlet obstruction
Sandra M. Gaston, Ph.D.*
Molecular mechanisms that regulate malignant progression in prostate and bladder cancers
Ann A. Kiessling, Ph.D.*
Robert C. Eyre, M.D.
Paul Church, M.D.
Retrovirus gene expression in reproductive tract tissues and embryos with special emphasis on HIV infection in male GU tract tissues
Martin Sanda, M.D.*
Prostate cancer immunology and biomarkers
Vascular Surgery
Frank W. LoGerfo, M.D.*
Allen Hamdan, M.D.
Mechanisms of prosthetic arterial graft failure
* NIH Funded
