Research Day 2015

The UF Department of Surgery celebrated it’s 11th Research Day on Wednesday, April 15. 

Award Winners

The UF Department of Surgery had an excellent collection of quality abstract submissions for both Basic and Clinical Science. The following are this year’s awardees:

Best Basic Science Abstract Award

  • Ines Alamo, M.D.  (Postdoctoral Research Assistant)
    Primary Mentor: Alicia M. Mohr, M.D.
    S1P receptors modulate hematopoietic progenitor cell mobilization following trauma/hemorrhagic shock.

Best Clinical/Translational Science Abstract Award

  • Jonathan Rehfuss, M.D.  (Lab Resident)
    Primary Mentor: Scott Berceli, M.D.
    Monocyte gene expression and its relationship to lower extremity vein graft outcome.

Research Career Development Award(s)

This year the Department of Surgery continued to award the Research Career Development Award (RCDA) to faculty in the Department of Surgery. These annual awards, consisting of up to $25,000 in direct funding, are intended to support clinical, translational and basic research programs for junior faculty within the Department of Surgery that will lead to independent external funding. The following are this year’s awardees:

  • Scott Brakenridge, M.D.  
    The acute development and persistence of frailty, comorbidity and disability in critically ill patients after intra-abdominal sepsis: “Induced Frailty”
  • Song Han, Ph.D.  
    Functional Study Of mir-200 Family Members and mir-205 In Cancer-Associated Stroma Induced By Neighboring Pancreatic Cancer Cells
  • Atif Iqbal, M.D.  
    Development of an objective, reliable, reproducible, validated prediction model for deep pelvic surgery with improved patient outcomes

Mentored Resident Research Award(s)

This year the Department of Surgery established a new award for residents and their mentors to support their laboratory research experience – the Mentored Resident Research Development Award (MRRA). These annual awards, consisting of up to $25,000 in direct funding, are intended to support lab residents during within the Department of Surgery. The following are this year’s awardees:

  • James Christian Brown, M.D.  (PGY-2)
    Primary Mentor: Adam Katz, M.D.
    In-Situ Micro-irrigation and Diffusion for Tissue Repair

Ardelle B. McGray Pancreatic Cancer Research Award(s)

This year the Ken McGray established the Ardelle B. McGray Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund at the University of Florida Foundation in memory of his wife who passed away in 2014. This award is intended to help advance research and improve diagnostic methods in Pancreatic Cancer. This year $500 was awarded to:

  • Dan Delitto, M.D.  (Lab Resident/T32 PostDoctoral Fellow)
    Primary Mentor: Steven Hughes, M.D.
    Pancreatic Cancer-Related Research

Lester Dragstedt Visiting Professor

  • Richard H. Turnage, M.D.
    Chair, Department of Surgery
    Executive Associate Dean for Clinical Sciences
    Interim Dean, College of Medicine
    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
    “Public Reporting of Surgical Outcomes: Codman to Consumer Reports”
Richard H. Turnage, M.D.

Richard H. Turnage, M.D.

Dr. Richard H. Turnage is Executive Associate Dean for Clinical Sciences and Chair of the Department of Surgery in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He is currently serving as Interim Dean of the college through mid-July 2015 and will remain on hiatus from his post as Chair of Surgery through the end of the year to focus on a new, additional position as Chief Service Line Officer for UAMS Medical Center.

Dr. Turnage was recruited to UAMS as Professor and Chair of Surgery in 2008. He has accepted several additional leadership roles, including Interim Chair of the Department of Urology in 2010-2012 and Interim Chair of the Department of Radiology in 2012-2014. As Chair of the Hospital Medical Board in 2012-2014, Dr. Turnage facilitated a heightened focus on improving quality, patient- and family-centered care, and patient satisfaction. As Chief Service Line Officer since February 2015, Dr. Turnage is leading the development and implementation of integrated patient-care service lines at UAMS. He began serving as Interim Dean of the College of Medicine on April 1.

Dr. Turnage has led clinical and academic surgical programs for the past two decades. From 1996 to 2001 he served as Chief of the Surgical Service of the Dallas VA Medical Center and Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine. Dr. Turnage was Chair of the Department of Surgery at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center in Shreveport from 2001 to 2008.

Among other leadership positions, Dr. Turnage served as Chairman of the Council of VA Chiefs of Surgery. He helped to develop Louisiana’s statewide trauma system and the American College of Surgeons-verified Level 1 trauma center at LSU.

A general surgeon, Dr. Turnage’s clinical interests have focused on acute gastrointestinal conditions such as intestinal obstruction and acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage.  He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts and textbook chapters on a variety of clinical and basic science topics.  His laboratory work in microvascular function during acute inflammation has been funded by the American Heart Association, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Turnage has been active in undergraduate and graduate medical education, receiving numerous teaching awards. He has also been active in interprofessional education, serving as a Commissioner for the Accreditation Review Commission for Physician Assistants, a Director for the National Commission for the Certification of Physicians Assistants, and Medical Director of the Physician Assistant training programs at LSU and UAMS.