A Newsletter for the Departments of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery

at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston

March 2026

Fletcher Receives Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award

Stephen A. Fletcher, DO, professor in the Department of Pediatric Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, has been named the recipient of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award, administered by the Organization of Student Representatives.

The award annually recognizes a faculty physician who exemplifies compassionate mentorship and models ethics, empathy, and service essential to patient-centered care.

Fletcher was selected for his more than two decades of compassionate, ethical, and patient-centered care as a pediatric neurosurgeon and educator. He is recognized for demonstrating empathy for patients and families, fostering trust through attentive listening and cultural sensitivity, and mentoring learners in developing humanistic clinical practices.

In addition to his clinical and educational leadership, Fletcher helped guide the creation of a university-level regional center for children with complex movement disorders and has mentored faculty and trainees with the same compassion he models in practice. 

Faculty and Staff Honored with 2025 STAR Awards

UTHealth Houston will recognize its 2025 STAR Award recipients March 4–5, celebrating milestone years of service across the university. This year, more than 1,000 faculty and staff members are being honored for their continued dedication to advancing health care, research, and education.

Within the Departments of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery, we are especially proud to recognize two remarkable leaders who are celebrating four decades of service, a milestone that reflects not only longevity but also enduring impact.

40 Years of Service

• Richard Andrassy, MD, FACS, FAAP, FACN, FICS
• David Wainwright, MD, FACS

Forty years represent a career of sustained excellence, marked by leadership, clinical distinction, and a longstanding commitment to education and mentorship. Drs. Andrassy and Wainwright have helped define what our departments stand for — and what they aspire to become. Their impact is reflected in the generations of trainees they have mentored and the countless patients they have served.

We congratulate all of our Surgery faculty and staff celebrating milestone anniversaries and thank them for everything they bring to our patients, our trainees, and each other.

To learn more about the STAR Awards, visit the STAR Awards website.

At the Bedside: Houston Teen Makes Astounding Recovery After Life-Threatening Soccer Injury

Peter H. Yang, MD, assistant professor of pediatric neurosurgery, led a complex, multi-stage surgical effort to save a 15-year-old soccer player who suffered a rare, life-threatening carotid artery dissection and ruptured pseudoaneurysm. Read how Dr. Yang guided him through six brain surgeries and a prolonged recovery that ultimately enabled his remarkable return to school and rehabilitation.

Read the full story »

Call for Abstracts: 
Department of Surgery Research Day Returns April 23

The Department of Surgery will host its annual Research Day on Thursday, April 23, in MSB 3.001, bringing together faculty, residents, and medical students to highlight research and scholarly work across the department.

The full-day event, scheduled from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature oral presentations, poster sessions, video presentations, and a keynote speaker. Breakfast and refreshments will be available for those attending in person.

Faculty members are invited to serve as judges for the event, while residents and medical students are encouraged to submit abstracts for presentation. Awards will be presented in the Basic Science and Clinical Research categories for the resident research competition.

Due to increasing interest in the event, medical student presentations will be selected competitively across oral, video, and poster formats.

Abstract submissions are due Sunday, March 15, at 11:59 p.m.

Accepted presenters will be notified by April 1.

Faculty interested in serving as judges and trainees wishing to participate can submit their information via the department-provided forms. 

Strong Showing by McGovern Medical School at the Academic Surgical Congress

The 21st annual Academic Surgical Congress (ASC) was held in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 3-5, 2026. With more than 1,800 registrants, this is one of the largest academic surgical meetings in the world. This joint meeting is co-sponsored by the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS) and the Society of University Surgeons (SUS).

Five residents and 19 medical students gave 25 presentations at the meeting. Their research spanned basic science to clinical and health outcomes research; the surgical subspecialties represented included plastic surgery, pediatric surgery, acute care surgery, general surgery, and abdominal wall reconstruction. All of the students and residents did an outstanding job.

Melina R. Kibbe, MD, president of UTHealth Houston and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair, and the 45th AAS president, sponsored four trainees to attend and present research from her lab at the conference. Additionally, Tien C. Ko, MD, FACS, professor and Jack H. Mayfield, MD, Distinguished Professor in Surgery, who was the 35th AAS President, served as a panelist in the SUS Presidential Session entitled "Non-traditional Pathways to Surgical Leadership," where he spoke of his journey to becoming the Chief of Staff at Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. Lillian S. Kao, MD, FACS, professor and Jack H. Mayfield, MD Chair in Surgery, who was the 46th AAS President, moderated the AAS Resident/Fellow QuickShot Competition. Additionally, she participated in a "Hot Ones" fundraiser, eating spicy wings while answering fun questions about her surgical practice. Her efforts helped raise funds for palliative care research in surgery.

Nicole Villafane-Ferriol, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, who attended the ASC and the SUS Mid-Career Academic Surgery Professional Development Course as part of her second year in the AAS/SUS JUMPStart Program, was selected last year as one of 10 members in the 2024-2026 cohort.

Congratulations to all who attended and their accomplishments! See the complete list of presentations on our website. 

UTHealth Houston Well Represented at the 2026 South Texas ACS Annual Meeting

UTHealth Houston had an exceptional presence at the 2026 South Texas Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Annual Meeting, held February 19–21 in Houston. Faculty, residents, and students were prominently featured across leadership roles, invited lectures, scientific sessions, and resident and student competitions.

As outgoing Chapter President, Lillian Kao, MD, MS, MBA, FACS, delivered the President’s Message, “Finding Your Place in the House of Surgery,” and presided over the meeting. She made a call to the attendees to "protect the house" - to reinforce its shared purpose or foundation ("To Heal All with Skill and Trust"), to keep doors open and break down walls to prevent silos, and to continuously remodel as the healthcare environment evolves. In recognition of her leadership and impact, the Chapter established the Annual Kao Lecture on Leadership, Quality, and Safety — a lasting honor for UTHealth Houston.

Meeting leadership also included Julie Holihan, MD, MS, FACS, who served as Annual Meeting Co-Chair and Program Committee Co-Chair. UTHealth Houston faculty moderated multiple scientific sessions, and Mark Hobeika, MD, FACS, delivered the featured Ethics Lecture - "Multivariable Uncertainty: Ethics at the Point of Transplant Decision Making" - although transplant-focused, the lecture stressed the importance of developing systems to help navigate challenging decisions. Jordan Grubbs, MD, participated as a speaker in The Great Debate: Bariatric Surgery vs Antiobesity Medications. Multiple faculty members served as session moderators.

Fellows, Residents, and Students Lead the Way

Trainee scholarship was a defining feature of this year’s meeting. Learners were well represented, contributing extensively in podium, mini-talk, and abstract sessions spanning acute care, colorectal surgery, disparities, quality improvement, pediatric surgery, and trauma. Their visibility underscores the strength of our research mentorship pipeline and early engagement in surgical scholarship. There were 20+ podium and mini-oral presentations and 15+ ePosters. Additionally, Jasie Roberts won the best medical student presentation, and Will Rieger, MD, won the best e-poster at his kiosk.

Residents also represented UTHealth Houston in competition:

1. Renee Walker Green, MD, and Devi Bavishi, MD, advanced through the first round of Resident Surgical Jeopardy and competed in the finals, co-moderated by Kevin Lally, MD, MS, FACS, Chair of the Department of Pediatric Surgery.
2. Shiraz Naqvi, MD, and Jaime Poncel-Torres, MD, competed in the Surgical Skills Round-Up.

Across every level — faculty leadership, resident scholarship, and student research — UTHealth Houston was deeply embedded in the fabric of the 2026 meeting. The breadth of participation reflects our surgical departments' commitment to academic excellence, mentorship, and engagement within the House of Surgery.

UTHealth Houston Faculty Participate in UT System Trauma Research Symposium

Faculty from UTHealth Houston participated in the 2026 University of Texas System Trauma Research Symposium, hosted by the Trauma Research and Combat Casualty Care Collaborative (TRC4), Feb. 17–18 at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center in Austin.

The annual symposium brings together researchers, clinicians, and professionals from across UT System institutions to advance trauma research through collaboration and innovation. The meeting highlights leading trauma-related studies and fosters partnerships aimed at improving patient outcomes while supporting advances in trauma care for both civilian populations and military service members.

During the symposium, Natalie A. Drucker, MD, MS, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatric Surgery, presented “Development of a Multicenter Registry: The Pediatric Prospective Observational Vascular Injury Trial.” The project focuses on establishing a collaborative registry to better understand and improve outcomes for pediatric patients with vascular injuries.

Charles S. Cox, Jr., MD, professor in the Department of Pediatric Surgery and the George and Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair in Neurosciences and the Glassell Family Distinguished Chair, served as a session chair during the meeting.

The symposium serves as a platform for sharing innovative trauma research and strengthening collaboration among UT System investigators dedicated to advancing trauma care.

UTHealth Houston Faculty Present at SAGES Next Big Thing Innovation Weekend

Faculty from the UTHealth Houston participated in the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) Next Big Thing (NBT) Innovation Weekend, an annual meeting in Houston that brings together physicians, engineers, and industry leaders to discuss emerging technologies and the future of minimally invasive surgery. The weekend includes two primary events: the International NOSCAR Summit, a joint meeting of SAGES and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) focused on innovations in endoluminal surgery, and the Surgical Disruptive Technology Summit (SDTS), which highlights emerging technologies such as robotics, digital surgery, and artificial intelligence. 

UTHealth Houston faculty have a longstanding engagement with this meeting. Erik Wilson, MD, FACS, serves as Chair of the SDTS Summit, helping lead discussions on emerging surgical technologies and innovation. This year, UTHealth Houston faculty delivered multiple presentations across both NOSCAR and SDTS sessions.

NOSCAR – Future Session

• EndoQuest Robotics – Todd Wilson, MD, FACS
• Gastrointestinal Magnetic Anastomoses: Hope or Hype? – Erik Wilson, MD, FACS

SDTS – My Favorite Surgical Problem I Want AI to Solve NOW

• Level-Setting Surgical Case Complexity – Erik Wilson, MD, FACS

SDTS – My Favorite Trocar

• TrocarWash System – Cole Cowling, MD, FACS
• Lexion Insuflow Trocar – Erik Wilson, MD, FACS

SDTS – Endolumenal Robotic Platforms: Dramatic Progress

• Endoluminal Robotic Platform for GI Procedures – Todd Wilson, MD, FACS
• Neptune Endoluminal Robotics – Erik Wilson, MD, FACS

Interdisciplinary Team Presents AI-Based Education Tool to Enhance Clinical Communication Training

William Rieger, MD, resident in the Department of Surgery, presented a poster on Clinical Language Evaluation with Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Residents (CLEAR) at the annual Innovations in Health Science Education Conference in Austin, Feb. 27–28.

Krislynn Mueck, MD, MS, MPH, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, served as senior investigator and received the 2025 UT Shine Academy Small Grants Program award supporting CLEAR.

The project is a collaborative effort with the McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston, led by Toufeeq Syed, PhD, associate professor and assistant dean of education in the Department of Health Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, and Deevakar Rogith, MBBS, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Clinical and Health Informatics. Educational mentorship was provided by 2026 Shine Academy inductee Peggy Hsieh, MEd, PhD, assistant dean for educator development, and outgoing Shine Academy President Allison Ownby, PhD, MEd, associate dean for educational programs. Surgical trial expertise was provided by Lillian Kao, MD, MS, FACS, professor in the Department of Surgery.

Together, the team developed and tested an AI-based educational tool designed to enhance clarity in clinical communication.

Urology Team Presents at Society of Benign Prostate Diseases Annual Meeting

Rodrigo Donalisio da Silva, MD, associate professor of surgery in the Division of Urology, and medical student Andrew Guo presented research at the Society of Benign Prostate Diseases Annual Meeting, held Feb. 5-7, 2026, in Orlando, Florida.

The study, conducted in collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, examined the burden of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) symptoms among patients undergoing active surveillance for prostate cancer. The project was first authored by Ashley Monaco, MD, PGY-3 urology resident, and highlights the strong academic partnership between McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and MD Anderson.

Justin R. Gregg, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Urology, Division of Surgery, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, also contributed to the collaborative effort. 

Meadows Featured in National OAC Health Talk on Obesity and Heart Health

Alanna Meadows, DO, an Obesity Medicine Fellow in the Department of Surgery, was recently featured in a national patient education program hosted by the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC).

In the OAC Health Talk, Is Your Weight Affecting Your Health?, Meadows discusses the relationship between obesity and cardiovascular health, highlighting common heart conditions associated with excess weight, and sharing practical evidence-based strategies to support heart health. The presentation provides accessible, patient-centered education at a national level and reflects the Department of Surgery's commitment to advancing awareness and evidence-based care.

Watch the full presentation below to learn more about the connection between weight and heart health.

Run for CDH 5K Fun Run

UTHealth Houston and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital are proud to sponsor the Run for CDH 5K and Fun Run in partnership with Tiny Hero, a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) parent support organization.

The family-friendly event will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Rice University Stadium. It will bring together patients, families, and clinicians to raise awareness and support those affected by CDH.

📍 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005 (free parking in designated lots)


👉 Register today: tinyhero.org/houston-run

We encourage our faculty, trainees, staff, and friends to join us in supporting this important cause.

ANNOUNCEMENTS & HIGHLIGHTS

Publications of Note

le Roux CW, Busetto L, Aronne L, Horn DB, Dimitriadis GK, Falcon B, Garcia-Perez LE, Valderas EG, Gibble TH, Senyucel C, Dunn JP. A treat-to-target approach for obesity management: A post hoc analysis of the SURMOUNT-5 trial. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2026 Feb 3. doi: 10.1111/dom.70531. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41635114.



Feres B, Basu E, Jose AM, Khan RR, Kebede AA, Sotomayor C, Reis M, Blake K, Buicko Lopez JL, Vaghaiwalla T. A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Speaker Representation: Intentionality meets Intersectionality in Academic Global Surgery. Ann Glob Health. 2025 Nov 7;91(1):78. doi: 10.5334/aogh.4972. PMID: 41211189; PMCID: PMC12594074.

Beiriger J, Martin-Gill C, Silver DS, Sperry JL, Lu L, Guyette FX, Wisniewski S, Moore EE, Schreiber M, Joseph B, Wilson CT, Cotton B, Ostermayer D, Fox EE, Harbrecht BG, Patel M, Brown JB. Emergency Medical Individual Clinician Volume and Mortality in Trauma Patients. JAMA Surg. Feb 18 2026;doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2025.6741. PMID: 41706461. PMC12917747.

Gent JV, Cotton BA. Declaring futility after traumatic injury and the burden of failure on the surgeon. Transfusion. Feb 11 2026;doi:10.1111/trf.70127. PMID: 41674195.

Purvis CD, Redden S, Jacobson A, Wang YW, Campbell J, Cardenas J, Van Gent JM, Cotton BA. The impact of rapid infusers on the hemostatic potential of cryoprecipitate products. Transfusion. Feb 18 2026;doi:10.1111/trf.70132. PMID: 41709069.

Raghavan N, Patel M, Cotton BA, Coleman J, Jenkins D. Estrogen as a therapeutic agent: Targeting endotheliopathy and coagulopathy in trauma. Transfusion. Feb 17 2026;doi:10.1111/trf.70107. PMID: 41700516.

Redden SC, Sun DJ, Wang YW, Hartwell E, Cardenas JC, Olson SD, Cotton BA. An assessment of green plasma: The in vitro hemostatic superiority of a currently discarded blood product. Transfusion. Feb 11 2026;doi:10.1111/trf.70115. PMID: 41668681.

Remick KE, Foster AA, Jensen AR, Williams RF, Stone E, Joseph M, Conners GP, Brown K, Gausche-Hill M, American College of Emergency Physicians (Pediatric Emergency Dept), Emergency Nurses Association (Pediatric Comm), American College of Surgeons (Comm on Trauama - Kao L), American Academy of Pediatrics (Comm on Pediatric Emergency Medicine). Pediatric Readiness in the Emergency Department: Policy Statement. J Am Coll Surg. Mar 1 2026;242(3):723-731. doi:10.1097/xcs.0000000000001725. PMID: 41556758.

Wu Y, Gruen JP, Matsushima K, Schellenberg M, Inaba K, Moore EE, Sauaia A, Knudson MM, Martin MJ, CLOTT Study Group (McNutt M). Is early venous thromboembolism prophylaxis safe and effective in trauma patients requiring urgent neurosurgical interventions: analysis of the prospective multicenter CLOTT study. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2026;11(1):e001884. doi:10.1136/tsaco-2025-001884. PMID: 41659917. PMC12878300.

Robertson SE, Rysavy MA, Blakely ML, Steingrimsson JA, Dahabreh IJ. Generalizability Analyses with a Partially Nested Trial Design: The Necrotizing Enterocolitis Surgery Trial. Epidemiology. 2026 Mar 1;37(2):177-186. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001875. Epub 2025 Jun 5. PMID: 40472279; PMCID: PMC12393179.

IN THE NEWS

GRAND ROUNDS

Editorial Team: Dr. Lillian Kao, Dr. Casey Duncan, Dr. Peter Walker, Dr. Elias Chamely, and Maryam Broussard.

For content submissions, email Sophia.M.Solis@uth.tmc.edu.