Research Profile: Jennifer Wilson, MD

Jennifer Wilson, MD

Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Research Group

Alexander Bankier, MD Alex Chee, MD Sidhu P. Gangadharan, MD
Michael S. Kent, MD
Adnan Majid, MD
Mihir Parikh, MD
James R. Rodrigue, PhD
Paul Vanderlaan, MD
Richard I. Whyte, MD

Research Focus

My research has focused largely on clinical outcomes in the following areas:
Complex Airway Disease
This high volume program at BIDMC allows us to encounter a large number of patients with adult tracheobronchomalacia. As part of our collaboration with interventional pulmonology, we continue to build on an existing database so that we can learn more about the etiology, natural disease process with and without intervention, and surgical outcomes—and increase the recognition of this rare disease. We are currently working on developing and validating a quality of life questionnaire for adult tracheobronchomalacia so that we can better follow our patients’ outcomes in the future.
Lung Cancer
I am part of several collaborative groups with Alexander Bankier, MD (Chief, Cardiothoracic Imaging Section of Radiology) and Paul Vanderlaan, MD (Director of Thoracic Pathology). Our collaborative projects have included radiology-pathology-surgical correlates of squamous cell lung cancer as well as lung cancers with specific pathologic findings such as visceral pleural invasion. In addition, we are exploring inter-observer agreement among pathologists for frozen section on lung cancer adenocarcinoma subtypes.
Lung Cancer Screening
I have recently joined the Department of Public Health Lung Cancer Screening Work Group in order to learn more about how we can collaborate to combat lung cancer screening disparities. There are many opportunities for focus groups, pilot implementation projects, hospital level, state level, and national level interventions that could help us better understand and mitigate lung cancer screening disparities.

Other research interests include:
  • Quality improvement and cost effectiveness
    • Reducing cost in the OR for VATS lobectomy cases with immediate charge feedback and charge labeling
  • Resident and fellow education
  • Mediastinal diseases

Accomplishments 2016-2017

Invited Presentations:
  • Update on Lung Cancer Screening; Surgical Grand Rounds, Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, MA
  • Thoracic Surgery: Current Practices and Future Directions; Medicine Grand Rounds, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA
  • Training Fellows in Robotic Surgery; American Association for Thoracic Surgeons annual meeting in Boston, MA
Invited Instructor:
  • Advanced Open Esophageal and Tracheal Procedures; Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting, Houston, TX
  • Chest Tube Primer; BIDMC Critical Care fellow presentation
  • Disorders of the Mediastinum: Thymic Lesions; JCTSE TSRA Core Curriculum presentation for BIDMC cardiothoracic residents and fellows
  • Disorders of the Pleura; JCTSE TSRA Core Curriculum presentation for BIDMC cardiothoracic residents and fellows
  • Neoplasms of the Lung; JCTSE TSRA Core Curriculum presentation for BIDMC cardiothoracic residents and fellows
  • Benign Lung Conditions; JCTSE TSRA Core Curriculum presentation for BIDMC cardiothoracic residents and fellows
Other Accomplishments:
  • Completed the Summer Program in Clinical Effectiveness at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
  • Lead a quality improvement project at BIDMC: Thoracic surgery patient education pamphlet creation
  • Completed the American Board of Thoracic Surgeons full board certification
  • Started a thoracic tumor board at Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA
  • Joined the Department of Public Health Lung Cancer Screening Work Group

Teaching, Training, and Education

Weekly thoracic surgery resident and fellow preoperative conference is held in order to help residents make the leap from trainee to surgeon. At this conference, residents present all upcoming cases and key points are highlighted in an open teaching environment that focuses on board preparation for the rotating residents and cardiothoracic fellows, as well as real world clinical decision making. Furthermore, having medical students, residents, and fellows in the operating room allows for constant level appropriate teaching such as live anatomy review, basic and complex surgical techniques, and perioperative management of patients. The aim of our program is to create independent and clinically competent surgeons who recognize the importance of treating the patient and their disease.

Abstracts, Posters, and Exhibits

Whyte RI, Beqari J, Ritzer L, Wilson JL, Gangadharan SP, Majid A, Kent MS. Should thoracic surgeons be doing EBUS and other advanced bronchoscopic cases? Western Thoracic Surgical Association meeting, Colorado Springs, CO, 2017 (Abstract, Dr. Whyte)

Buitrago DH, Wilson JL, Alape D, Parikh M, Majid A, Gangadharan SP. Perioperative outcomes in 161 consecutive patients undergoing tracheobronchoplasty for severe diffuse tracheobronchomalacia. General Thoracic Journal Club, Clearwater, FL, 2017 (Abstract, Dr. Buitrago)

Maxfield, MW, Buitrago DH, Wilson JL, Parikh M, Majid A, Gangadharan SP. Re-do Tracheobronchoplasty for Recurrent Tracheobronchomalacia. General Thoracic Journal Club, Clearwater, FL, 2017 (Poster, Dr. Maxfield)

Selected Publications

Wilson JL, Whyte RI, Gangadharan SP, Kent MS. Teamwork and communication skills in cardiothoracic surgery. Ann Thorac Surg 2017;103(4):1049-1054.

Buitrago DH, Wilson JL, Parikh M, Majid A, Gangadharan SP. Current concepts in severe adult tracheobronchomalacia: Evaluation and treatment. J Thorac Dis 2017;9(1):E57-E66.

Wilson JL and Whyte RI. The management of primary chest wall tumors. Current Surgery Therapy 12th Edition 2017;867-871.

Feczko A, McKeown E, Wilson JL, Louie BE, Aye RW, Gorden JA, Vallieres E, Farivar AS. Assessing survival and grading the severity of complications in octogenarians undergoing pulmonary lobectomy. Canad Resp Jour 2017;6294895.