Research Day 2017

The UF Department of Surgery celebrated it’s 13th Research Day on Wednesday, April 12. 

Award Winners

The 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

  • Marna List  (Medical Student)
    Primary Mentor: Adam Katz, M.D.
    ACOMYS: Unlocking a New Pathway to Regeneration

Best Clinical/Translational Science Abstract Award

  • Anne-Marie Carpenter (Medical Student)
    Primary Mentor: Christina Shaw, M.D.
    Diversity in General Surgery Residency Leadership: More Work is Needed

Mentored Resident Research Award(s)

This year the Department of Surgery continued to award the Mentored Resident Research Development Award (MRRA) to residents and their mentors to support their laboratory research experience. 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:

  • Suniah Ayub, M.D., M.P.H.  (Lab Resident)
    Primary Mentor: Kristina Giles, M.D.
    Evaluating National Quality and Outcomes Reporting for Elective AAA Repair
  • Nicholas Lysak, M.D.  (Lab Resident)
    Primary Mentor: Azra Bihorac, M.D.
    Integration of Multi-Omics Data Using Machine Learning Models for Prediction of AKI and Sepsis
  • Russell Hawkins, M.D.  (PGY-3)
    Primary Mentor: Shawn Larson, M.D.
    Novel Mechanisms and Approaches to Treat Neonatal Sepsis

Ardelle B. McGray Pancreatic Cancer Research Award(s)

This year the Ardelle B. McGray Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund awarded $500 to:

  • Michael Gerber, M.D. (Lab Resident)
    Primary Mentor: Steven Hughes, M.D.
    Molecular Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer Using Soluble Protein Signatures from the Tumor Microenvironment

Lester Dragstedt Visiting Professor

  • Scott A. LeMaire, MD
    Professor of Surgery and of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
    Vice Chair for Research, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery
    Director of Research, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
    Baylor College of Medicine
    “From mentee to mentor: A journey in surgical science”
Dr. Scott LeMaire

Scott A. LeMaire, MD

Scott A. LeMaire, M.D. is a Professor of Surgery and of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, the Vice Chair for Research in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, and is the Director of Research in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, as well as a member of the professional staff in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Texas Heart Institute and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston, Texas.

Dr. LeMaire graduated from Northwestern University Medical School in 1992 and completed his general surgery residency training in 1997 and in cardiothoracic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in 1999. Since 1999, Dr. LeMaire has been on the faculty of the Department of Surgery Baylor College of Medicine, first as an Assistant Professor, rising to the rank of Full Professor in 2009.

His primary clinical interest focuses on the management of patients with thoracic aortic disease, with a particular emphasis on treatment of aortic dissection and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. His corresponding research program focuses on organ protection during aortic surgery, genetic aspects of thoracic aortic disease, and molecular mechanisms of aortic degeneration.

Dr. LeMaire has over 200 peer-reviewed publications and an h-index of 35, with over 5000 citations. He is currently R01 funded from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute focusing on the role of the inflammasome in thoracic aortic aneurysm formation. In addition to a history of NIH research and education funding, Dr. LeMaire has also received funding from the Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education for his research studying the pathobiology of thoracic aortic aneurysms and aortic dissection. Dr. LeMaire is on the editorial board of at least five journals, has reviewed for more than 20 journals, and is the current editor-in-chief of the Journal of Surgical Research. He is also a past-president of the Association for Academic Surgery, and

Dr. LeMaire was selected as one of Texas Super Doctors, in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016