


In addition to the monthly highlights listed below, see our Emory Surgery Newsletter.



2006 MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS
 Dec | Nov | Oct | Sep | Aug | Jul | Jun | May | Apr | Mar | Feb | Jan

December
2006
| FACULTY NOTES |
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Dr. Grace Rozycki was elected president of the Georgia Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. |

 November
2006
| FACULTY NOTES |
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On WSB-ABC Atlanta, 11/28/06, Dr. T. Roderick Hester was interviewed on the FDA's approval of silicone breast implants. He was also featured in an article in the 11/24/06 edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution focusing on the implications of the FDA's decision to end a 14-year virtual ban on the use of silicone gel implants. Dr. Hester predicted that more women would seek breast augmentation now that silicone is again available. |


October
2006
| FACULTY NOTES |
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Dr. C. Daniel Smith and Dr. Leena Khaitan have left the Department
of Surgery, Dr. Smith for a position as chair of the Department of Surgery at The Mayo
Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, and Dr. Khaitan to direct both the bariatric program and minimally invasive services at a Case Western Reserve affiliate hospital. Dr. Smith came to Emory in 1996; was
chief of the Division of General and GI Surgery, 1998-2006; director
of the Emory Bariatric Center, 2000-2004; director of the Emory
Endosurgery Unit, 2001-2006; and director of Emory Simulation,
Training and Robotics (ESTAR), 2003-2006. Dr. Khaitan
joined the department in 2002 and co-directed the Emory Bariatric Center
from 2004-2006.
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Dr. Jose Avila, formerly associate director of the islet transplant program of the University of Illinois, Chicago, joined Emory as scientific director of the cell and tissue processing laboratory of the Emory Transplant Center.
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Dr. Sheryl Gabram described the diagnosis and current treatment of
inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) in a 10/12/06 feature on CNN.com. |
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The 2006
William J. Gies Foundation Award was presented to Dr.
Steven M. Roser during the opening ceremony of the American
Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 88th annual meeting
in San Diego, California, October 4, 2006. The award honors a fellow
or member of the AAOMS for distinguished achievements in oral and maxillofacial
surgery. In Dr. Roser's case, the award was in recognition of a career
dedicated to training the next generation of oral and maxillofacial
surgeons as well as to repairing the faces and lives of patients
in both the U.S. and in third-world countries
around the globe.
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Dr. J. David Vega was appointed to the American College of Surgeons Advisory Council for Cardiothoracic Surgery (American Society of Transplant Surgeons representative).
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Dr. Mark
Wulkan was one of various experts who discussed the nation's
growing childhood obesity problem in an article printed in the Atlanta
Journal Constitution and other newspapers on 10/19/06 entitled "Overweight
Kids Getting Grownup Diseases. |
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 September 2006
HEADLINE
Department
of Surgery Ranks 8th in NIH Support
The National
Institute of Health's recently published departmental rankings for 2005
placed the Department of Surgery at 8th in the nation in NIH awards support.
Overall, Emory ranked 22nd in NIH support among... FULL
STORY
| FACULTY NOTES |
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Dr.
David Feliciano began serving his 2006-2007 term as president
of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. |
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 August
2006
HEADLINE
Dr.
Robert B. Smith Retires
Dr. Robert B. Smith III, whose Emory-based career spanned almost four
decades, retired from his post as medical director of
Emory University Hospital and associate chair of the Department of Surgery
at Emory University on August 31, 2006. A vascular... FULL
STORY
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July 2006
HEADLINES
Dr.
Lattouf and Dr. Guyton Co-Chair Inaugural AIMS Summit on Biotherapeutics
and Medical Designs
More than 800 physicians, inventors, lawyers, venture capitalists and
company representatives from all over the world are expected to attend
the first-ever American International Medical Summit on Biotherapeutics
and Medical Designs (AIMS on BioDesign), to be held... FULL
STORY
Gifted
High Schoolers Experience Surgical Simulation Training at ESTAR
On Wednesday, July 5, 2006, The Emory Simulation, Training and Robotics Center
(ESTAR) hosted three groups of gifted high school seniors/aspiring surgeons,
who toured the facility, were able to sample its state of the art surgical simulator
training equipment and had the opportunity to try... FULL
STORY
| FACULTY NOTES |
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Dr.
Elliot Chaikof was appointed chair of the Immunology of Transplantation
Study Section, NIH. |
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Dr.
David Feliciano was appointed chair of the General Surgery Residency
Review Committee, American Board of Surgery, through June 2007. |
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Dr.
Chris Larsen and Dr. Tom Pearson received
the Roche Award from the Transplantation Society for excellence in
translational science during the World Transplant Congress in Boston
this past July. The award recognizes individuals for outstanding
contributions in transplantation and for making a major international
impact in the field of transplantation. Both surgeons specialize
in islet, kidney, and pancreatic transplant, and both are working
to develop strategies to induce permanent immune tolerance to transplanted
organs in humans.
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Dr. J. David Vega was appointed chair of the OPTN/UNOS Thoracic Organ Transplantation Committee of the United Network for Organ Sharing. |
| NEW FACULTY |
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After doing his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at
Westmead Hospital Dental Clinical School, Sydney, Australia, Dr.
Gary Bouloux did his oral and maxillofacial surgery fellowship
and received his MD at Emory. |
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Upon completing her pediatric surgery
fellowship at Emory in 2006, Dr. Megan Durham joined
the faculty. |
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Dr. Cullen Morris did a fellowship in cardiopulmonary
transplantation and mechanical circulatory support at the Texas Heart
Institute following the completion of his cardiothoracic
surgery fellowship at Emory. |
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Dr.
Jyotirmay Sharma is also an Emory alumnus, having
done his general surgery residency and endocrine surgery fellowship
here, and has clinical interests in thyroid and parathyroid surgery,
adrenal gland surgery, pancreatic endocrine tumors, gastrointestinal
surgery and hernia repair. |
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Dr.
Ravi Veeraswamy completed his vascular surgery fellowship at the Washington
University School of Medicine and specializes in carotid stenting,
carotid endarterectomy, aortic aneurysms, thoracic outlet syndrome
and peripheral vascular disease. |
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 June 2006
HEADLINE
New
Outpatient Transplant Clinic Expands Capacity and Services
On June 21, 2006, Dr. Christian Larsen, director of the Emory Transplant
Center, presided over the dedication of the new Mason Outpatient Transplant
Clinic on the 6th floor of Emory Clinic Building B. Tripling the size
of the transplant clinic’s former... FULL
STORY
| FACULTY NOTES |
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Dr.
Elliot Chaikof was guest editor of the June 2006 edition of Seminars
in Vascular Surgery, Endovascular Therapy: Current Status. |
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Dr. Thomas Heffron was a finalist in the Physician Hero category of the Atlanta
Business Chronicle’s annual Health-Care
Heroes awards. |
|
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Dr. John Puskas was elected vice president of the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery. He will serve until June 2007. Dr. Puskas was also appointed Chair of the Annual Meeting Tech-Con Task Force, Society of Thoracic Surgeons. |
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Dr. Martin Steed was appointed secretary/treasurer for 2007 of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery International Association of Dental Research/Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery American Association of Dental Research. |
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Dr. Mark
Wulkan was appointed co-chair of the Education Committee, International Pediatric Endosurgery Group. |
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May 2006
| FACULTY NOTES |
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Dr.
David Feliciano was voted the Best Clinical Attending by Emory's
Medical Class of 2006 (30th teaching award), was presented with the
Evangeline Papageorge Distinguished Teaching Award of the Emory Medical
Alumni Association (31st teaching award), received the J. Richard Amerson
Teaching Award from Emory's surgical chief residents (32nd teaching
award), and was listed in the 2006 Guide to America's Top
Surgeons of the Consumers' Research Council of America. |
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Dr.
Sheryl Gabram was listed in the 2006 edition of America's
Top Doctors, Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. |
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Dr.
John Galloway was listed in the 2006 Guide to America's
Top Surgeons of the Consumers' Research Council of America. |
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Dr. Toncred Styblo was selected for the 2006 editions of Best Doctors in America and America's Top Surgeons. |
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Dr. Mark Wulkanwas appointed chair of the Pediatric Obesity Committee and vice-chair of the Informatics Committee, American Pediatric Surgical Association. |
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April 2006
HEADLINES
Retired
Emory Surgeon Dr. Roger Sherman Passes Away
On April 9, 2006, Roger T. Sherman, MD, passed away
at his home. He was 82. From 1983 to 1993, Dr. Sherman was the
chief of surgery and director of the trauma and burn services at Grady
Memorial Hospital. He then served as... FULL STORY
Dr.
Paul Krishbom and Others Embark on Siberian Medical Mission
Heart
to Heart, a non-profit organization based
in Oakland, California, that develops self-sustaining pediatric cardiac
care programs in Russia, has recruited and is sponsoring a team of medical
volunteers from the... FULL STORY
Dr.
Steven Roser Leads Surgical Mission to Ecuador
From April 22-30, 2006, Dr. Steven Roser, chief of the division of oral and maxillofacial
surgery at Emory, led a volunteer team of 38 surgeons, anesthesiologists,
pediatric dentists and other medical personnel on a mission to... FULL
STORY
General Surgery and Endosurgery Faculty and Fellows Make Strong Showing
at Spring Meetings
Faculty and fellows of the Division of Gastrointestinal
and General Surgery and the Emory Endosurgery Unit made significant
contributions to Digestive Diseases Week 2006 and Surgical Spring Week
2006, the latter being... FULL
STORY
Dr.
Dan Smith Presents Clinical Trial Results Underscoring the Efficacy
of Halo Ablation Systems for Barrett’s Esophagus
On April 26, 2006, Dr. C. Daniel Smith presented the results of the study entitled "Endoscopic
Ablation of Intestinal Metaplasia with High-Grade Dysplasia in Esophagectomy
Patients using a Balloon-based Ablation System" at the plenary
session of SAGES Annual Meeting in Dallas. Dr. Smith’s presentation
was one of four... FULL
STORY
| FACULTY NOTES |
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Dr. Leena
Khaitan was awarded the Society of American Gastrointestinal
and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) 2006 Annual "Young Researcher
Award," which encourages young surgeons to continue their
interest and investigation in minimal access surgery and is presented
for excellence in endoscopic surgical research to a SAGES member
who is either in surgical training or who has completed training
within the last five years. |
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Dr.
Kenneth Newell was appointed to the faculty of the Expert
Faculty Resource Service of the American Society of Transplantation
— a service of the AST that provides expert speakers
in selected areas of transplantation for the purpose of medical
education independent of the pharmaceutical industry. |
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March 2006
HEADLINE
Endosurgery
Unit Receives Grant to Support Endoluminal Research
Dr. Edward
Lin, Associate Director of the Emory
Endosurgery Fellowship, was instrumental in securing a $50,000 Fellowship
Grant from Boston Scientific that will be used to support an endosurgery fellow whose
dedicated... FULL
STORY
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February 2006
HEADLINES
Porcine
Islet Cells Offer Promise for Human Diabetic Patients
Islet cell xenotransplantation presents a promising
near-term solution to the critically low islet cell supply for humans
suffering from type 1 diabetes, according to researchers from the Emory
Transplant Center, the Yerkes... FULL
STORY
Emory
Cardiothoracic Surgeons Implant Ventricular Device as Alternative to Heart
Transplant
Cardiothoracic surgeons of the Department of
Surgery recently implanted Georgia's first ventricular assist device
(VAD) as a form of destination therapy (in place of a donor transplant)
for individuals who are not eligible for — or unwilling to undergo — a
heart transplant. The six-hour procedure was performed... FULL
STORY
| FACULTY NOTES |
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Dr. S. Scott Davis was elected to the Publications Committee
and Fellowship Council Committee of the Society of American Gastrointestinal
and Endoscopic Surgeons. |
|
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Edward Lin,
DO, was interviewed on WEBMd about weight loss drugs that are close to being approved but are not yet on the market. |
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January 2006
HEADLINES
The
First Complete Stomach Removal and Bowel Reconstruction Performed at the
Atlanta VA Medical Center a Success
Seventy-two-year-old Edwin Donaldson of Uvalda,
Ga., still savors the taste of his first meal after returning home from
surgery: roast beef with gravy, mashed potatoes, tossed salad, applesauce
and... FULL
STORY
JDRF Center
for Islet Transplantation Receives $8.5 Million Grant
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)
Center for Islet Transplantation at Emory received new five-year funding
from JDRF of nearly $8.5 million in January. The primary goal of the Center
is to advance islet transplantation... FULL
STORY
New
Center to Speed Development of Innovative Patient Care Products and
Procedures
"The key mission of the Center for Device Innovation is to streamline the
process at Emory so that scientific discoveries can lead to therapeutic products
that benefit patients," says cardiothoracic surgeon Dr.
Omar Lattouf, the newly appointed director of... FULL
STORY
Dr.
Sheryl Gabram Joins the Division of Surgical Oncology
Sheryl Gabram, MD, MBA, has joined the division
of surgical oncology as Professor of Surgery. She will also direct the
Avon Breast Cancer Center as well as Oncologic Services at the Georgia
Cancer Center of Excellence. Both programs are part... FULL
STORY
Emory
General Surgeon Trains Colleagues in France by Telerobotics
While peering directly behind surgeons practicing
an advanced laparoscopic procedure in Strasbourg, France, C. Daniel Smith,
MD, recently conducted one of the world's first telerobotic surgical
training sessions from his office in... FULL
STORY
| FACULTY NOTES |
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Dr. Grant Carlson was invited to be a senior examiner of the American
Board of Plastic Surgery. |
|
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Shyam Rele, PhD, a faculty researcher in the division
of vascular surgery, was selected as one of the most Promising
Early-Career Scientists by the American Chemical Society (ACS) to represent
the United States in the bilateral U.S.-Indo workshop Advances in Organic
Chemistry and Chemical Biology, held in India in January, 2006. |
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Dr. Toncred Styblo will serve as scientist peer reviewer in 2006 for the Council for Extramural Grants and Lymphedema Research Committee, American Cancer Society. |
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