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A Newsletter for the Departments of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery
at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
| | Resident Excellence in Humanism and Teaching Awards | |
Nathaniel Deboever, MD, MS, and Kylie Holden, MD, MS, residents in the Department of Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, were selected to receive the 2025–2026 Resident Excellence in Humanism and Teaching Award, presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation and the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs.
The award recognizes residents who demonstrate compassion, respect, and excellence in clinical teaching while serving as role models for medical students. Members of the Class of 2027 nominated Deboever and Holden for their commitment to medical student education and humanistic patient care.
As part of the honor, both residents were inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society during the MS4 Orientation held on May 5, 2026.
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Department of Surgery Recognizes Medical Coaching Experts | |
The Department of Surgery recognizes and thanks its Medical Coaching Experts (MCEs) for their dedication to medical student education and mentorship within the MS3 clerkship program. Faculty serving as MCEs provide bedside teaching, clinical coaching, and formative feedback to students in small-group settings, helping strengthen interviewing, examination, and presentation skills during clinical rotations.
The Department also welcomes Robyn Richmond, MD, as a new Medical Coaching Expert for the 2026-2027 academic year, joining returning faculty educators committed to supporting student development through hands-on clinical instruction.
The 2026-2027 Medical Coaching Experts are:
- Casey Duncan, MD, MS, FACS
- Michelle Shen, MD, MS, FACS
- Robyn Richmond, MD
- Jessica Buicko Lopez, MD, FACS
- Nicole Villafane-Ferriol, MD
- Elias Chamely, MD
The department also extends appreciation to faculty who previously served as Medical Coaching Experts during the 2025-2026 academic year:
- Casey Duncan, MD, MD, FACS
- Michelle Shen, MD, MS, FACS
- Julie Holihan, MD, FACS
- Jessica Buicko Lopez, MD, FACS
- Nicole Villafane-Ferriol, MD
- Elias Chamely, MD
| | Buicko Named Women in Surgery Chair of South Texas ACS | |
Jessica Buicko Lopez, MD, FACS, was recently elected Women in Surgery Chair of the South Texas Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. In this role, she will support initiatives that advance mentorship, leadership, and professional development for women surgeons across the region.
She was also selected to serve as a consultant to the American Board of Surgery for the General Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE), contributing to the development and evaluation of surgical education standards.
Additional UTHealth Houston faculty serving in leadership roles within the South Texas ACS include Lillian Kao, MD, MS, FACS, Immediate Past President; Julie Holihan, MD, FACS, Councilor; and Jonah Stulberg, MD, FACS, Governor.
| | Department of Surgery Research Day 2026 | |
The Department of Surgery’s annual Research Day was held this year as a full and engaging program showcasing the breadth, depth, and impact of research across the department. The event brought together faculty, residents, and medical students for a day dedicated to scientific inquiry, collaboration, and academic mentorship.
The day began with breakfast and welcoming remarks, followed by division updates highlighting ongoing research activity and strategic priorities across the department. A highlight of the morning was the keynote address by Allison Speer, MD, FACS, FAAP, associate professor of pediatric surgery, titled “Building a Surgeon‑Scientist Career: The Power of Mentorship.” Dr. Speer’s remarks emphasized the critical role of mentorship, collaboration, and institutional support in sustaining successful research careers in surgery and resonated strongly with trainees and faculty alike.
The mid-morning sessions featured medical student oral presentations, showcasing high-quality scholarly work and underscoring the strong culture of research engagement among medical students in the department. These presentations were followed by the resident competition, which spanned both clinical/health services research and basic science research, highlighting the diversity of methodological approaches and clinical focus areas represented among our trainees.
At midday, attendees gathered for lunch and medical student poster presentations, providing an opportunity for informal discussion, cross‑disciplinary feedback, and mentorship. The afternoon sessions continued with resident basic science presentations, followed by the second portion of the clinical and health services research competition, before concluding with closing remarks.
The department is proud to recognize the following award recipients from the 2026 Research Day:
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Resident Research Award in Basic Science
Rachel Borderlon
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Resident Research Award in Clinical Science
Jeannette Joly
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Medical Student Research Award
Jasie Williams‑Roberts
These awards reflect exceptional scholarly achievement and the strong mentorship that supports trainee research across the department.
Research Day once again highlighted the strength of our academic mission and the collaborative spirit that drives innovation within the Department of Surgery. Congratulations to all presenters and award recipients, and thank you to the faculty mentors, judges, and organizers who made the 2026 Research Day a success.
| | Residents Participate in Quality Symposium | |
Residents from the Department of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery participated in the annual UTHealth Houston/Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center Quality Symposium. Jeannette M. Joly, MD, a C-STEP resident, presented a poster titled “Optimizing Postoperative Care for Pediatric Complicated Appendicitis Through Stepwise Quality Improvement Efforts.” Erin Morris, MD, also a C-STEP resident, was among the authors on the poster presentation “Direct Flight to Efficiency: Reducing Costs and Delays in Cardiac G-Tube Care,” which highlighted a multidisciplinary “boarding pass” approach to streamline care. Alexandra Boyd, MD, a surgical resident, presented the abstract “From Injury to Recovery: Standardizing Opioid Discharge Practices in Trauma.”
The symposium also recognized graduates of the 18th Clinical Safety & Effectiveness Program Class, including Peter Chen, MD, a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon. Dr. Chen’s project, “Reducing Post-Op LOS in STAT Morbidity Congenital Heart Surgery Patients,” focused on improving postoperative length of stay for congenital heart surgery patients. KuoJen Tsao, MD, professor of pediatric surgery, served as his mentor.
This marks the sixth consecutive year that the Departments of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery have participated in the symposium. The group has earned four awards in prior years, and their continued engagement reflects an ongoing commitment to quality improvement and patient-centered care.
| | Harting Elected, Cotton Presents Research at ASA Annual Meeting | |
The 146th Annual Meeting of the American Surgical Association was held April 23–25, 2026, in Seattle. Founded in 1880, the ASA is one of the nation’s most prestigious surgical organizations and includes many of the country’s leading surgeons and physician-scientists among its membership. Melina Kibbe, MD, president of UTHealth Houston, currently serves as the secretary of this prestigious society.
Congratulations to Matthew T. Harting, MD, MS, associate professor of pediatric surgery, who was elected to membership in the ASA during the meeting.
Congratulations also to Bryan Cotton, MD, MPH, FACS, professor in the Department of Surgery, who was selected to present his work on whole blood resuscitation for trauma-related hemorrhage. His talk was titled: "What is the incidence of Early Antibody Formation after Resuscitation of Hemorrhage? A Comparison of RH(D)+ Whole Blood and RH(D)- Red Blood Cells in 3,531 Trauma Patients.”
| | Department of Surgery Faculty Participates in Southwestern Surgical Conference | |
The 77th Scientific Meeting of the Southwestern Surgical Congress (SWSC) took place April 12–15, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. Since its first annual meeting in 1949, originally held in Houston, the SWSC has established itself as a premier regional surgical society for the Southwestern United States.
During the meeting, Laura Moore, MD, FACS, professor in the Department of Surgery, and Lillian F. Liao, MD, MPH, FACS, professor in the Department of Surgery, served as moderators for scientific sessions and were invited discussants during plenary presentations.
The next annual meeting of the Southwestern Surgical Congress will take place in April 2027 in San Diego, California.
| | Medical Students Present Research at DDW/SSAT 2026 | |
Medical students from McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston presented research at the 2026 Digestive Disease Week/Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (DDW/SSAT) annual meeting in Chicago, earning recognition from moderators and attendees for the quality of their presentations. The students were the only medical students presenting in their respective sessions, alongside residents and fellows from institutions across the country.
Ivy Zheng, MS III, presented outcomes related to traumatic diaphragmatic hernia with liver herniation. Owen Ferriola, MS I, presented outcomes of a diaphragmatic eventration and colonic volvulus, while Tony Tran, MS I, presented outcomes of a large Morgagni hernia with massive pulmonary emboli.
The students were mentored by Farzaneh Banki, MD, professor in the Department of Surgery. Additional student collaborators included Peijun Zhao, MS III, and Mariele Patungan, MS I.
Building on their momentum from DDW/SSAT 2026, the student research team is currently preparing seven abstracts for submission to the 2026 Western Surgical Association annual meeting.
| | Faculty Serve as Invited Speakers at Mattox Trauma Conference | |
Faculty from the Department of Surgery participated in the annual Mattox Trauma Conference, held April 26–29 in Las Vegas, Nevada, where national experts discussed challenging clinical problems encountered by acute care surgeons from the emergency room to the operating room and intensive care unit.
Bryan Cotton, MD, MPH, FACS, professor in the Department of Surgery, and Thaddeus J. Puzio, MD, MS, FACS, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, served as invited faculty for the meeting and each delivered two expert presentations. During the conference, Cotton also participated in a debate on the use of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA), an advanced technique used in trauma resuscitation.
| | Pediatric Surgery Teams Participate in Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons Annual Meeting | |
Faculty, residents, and research teams from the Division of Pediatric Surgery participated in the 59th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons (PAPS), held April 12–16, 2026, in Houston, Texas. The meeting brought together pediatric surgeons, trainees, and researchers from around the world to share advances in clinical care, research, education, and innovation in pediatric surgery. The conference also provided opportunities for collaboration, networking, and scholarly exchange through scientific presentations, panel discussions, and poster sessions.
Congratulations to Jeannette Joly, MD, C-STEP resident in Pediatric Surgery, who received the PAPS Clinical Prize recognizing outstanding clinical research. Joly was honored for her presentation, “The Impact of Multiphase Quality Improvement Initiatives on Postoperative Pediatric Complicated Appendicitis.”
| | Faculty Participate in the Texas Surgical Society Annual Meeting | |
The 216th annual meeting of the Texas Surgical Society (TSS), held in El Paso, Texas, had a strong representation from McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.
Julie Holihan, MD, FACS, assistant professor of surgery, was inducted as a new member and presented "The incidence of occult inguinal hernia during laparoscopic contralateral repair: a prospective study".
Marianne Cusick, MD, FACS, associate professor of surgery and chief of colorectal surgery, presented on the management of rectal endometriosis. The presentation, "Sharper, Safer, Deeper: A Colorectal Surgeon's Playbook for Surgical Management of Rectal Endometriosis," was delivered by Kelly Sanders, DO, a fourth-year general surgery resident.
Additional UTHealth Houston TSS members in attendance included Lillian Liao, MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery, and Michael Snyder, MD, FACS, professor of surgery.
The next TSS meeting will be held October 9-11, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas.
| | ANNOUNCEMENTS & HIGHLIGHTS | | Celebrating Our Administrative Professionals | | |
Celebrating the incredible administrative professionals of the Department of Surgery who keep everything running seamlessly behind the scenes. Your organization, dedication, and attention to detail make a difference every single day. Thank you for being the steady force that supports our teams, drives excellence, and keeps us all moving forward.
— Richard J. Andrassy, MD, FACS, and Ollieta D. Nicholas, MBA, FACHE
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Clements TW, Williams J, Cannon J, Schreiber M, Moore E, Namias N, Guyette F, Sperry J, Cotton BA, Van Gent JM; Houston, Texas. When does 1:1 resuscitation really matter? An analysis of 4,858 patients from four traumatic hemorrhage studies. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2026 Apr 28. doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000005037. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42047640.
Dickey JB, Clements TW, Van Gent JM, Jayarajan N, Toelle L, Cotton BA. Tracheostomy Placement in Patients with High Ventilator Settings: Study of 1,694 Tracheostomies. J Am Coll Surg. 2026 Apr 1;242(4):997-1004. doi: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001757. Epub 2026 Mar 26. PMID: 41885265.
Power A, Parekh A, Jessula S, Rezende-Neto J, Moore LJ. Is the COBRA-OS 4 French Aortic Occlusion Device Feasible for Partial REBOA? World J Surg. 2026 Apr 8. doi: 10.1002/wjs.70346. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41952331.
Ramsuchit B, Martinez Ugarte S, Kao LS, Meyer D. A Contemporary Review of Operative Indications for Chest Wall Trauma. Thorac Surg Clin. 2026 May;36(2):223-234. doi: 10.1016/j.thorsurg.2025.12.004. Epub 2026 Feb 20. PMID: 41927159.
Wilson AM, Borgman MA, Cox CS, Flynn-O'Brien KT, Leeper CM, Leonard JC, Russell RT, Vogel AM, Spinella PC. Increased mortality in children with severe trauma and bleeding: Hypotheses and methods to reduce the risk. Transfusion. 2026 Apr 24. doi: 10.1111/trf.70109. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42029024.
Mayon L, Chiang YJ, Lee A, Mahesri K, Tsao K, Speer AL, Lally KP, Austin MT. Subclavian approach without ultrasound guidance is safe and effective for pediatric central venous access. J Pediatr Surg. 2026 Apr 22:163138. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2026.163138. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42031101.
Cox CS Jr, Ashley JR, Juranek J, Ewing-Cobbs L, Prossin AR, Pedroza C, Chen B, Kosmach S, Duron MC, Scott MC, Bianchi J, Collier A, Olson SD, Schriner JB, Savitz SI. Autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal cells for chronic traumatic brain injury. Brain. 2026 May 7:awag165. doi: 10.1093/brain/awag165. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42093626.
Sutyak KM, Chen EC, Mock L, Cabrera R, Joly JM, Tsao K, Cotton BA, Meyer DE, Cox CS Jr, Lally KP, Drucker NA. Transfusion in transit: A decade of prehospital blood transfusion in pediatric trauma. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2026 Apr 1;100(4):612-619. doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000004824. Epub 2025 Nov 12. PMID: 41701564.
Wilson AM, Borgman MA, Cox CS, Flynn-O'Brien KT, Leeper CM, Leonard JC, Russell RT, Vogel AM, Spinella PC. Increased mortality in children with severe trauma and bleeding: Hypotheses and methods to reduce the risk. Transfusion. 2026 Apr 24. doi: 10.1111/trf.70109. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42029024.
Bordelon RC, Holden KI, Miller CC 3rd, Ebanks AH, Lally KP, Harting MT, Speer AL; Representing the Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Study Group. Growth failure and early recurrence in congenital diaphragmatic hernia: An international cohort study. J Pediatr Surg. 2026 Apr;61(4):162931. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2026.162931. Epub 2026 Jan 16. PMID: 41548838.
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Presentation Title: Staplers and New Technology! Magnetic Anastomosis
Speaker: Syed Shiraz Naqvi, MD, and Mario Font Garcia, MD
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Presentation Title: Levels to Level 1
Speaker: Jared Ourieff, DO, and Bhupaul Ramsuchit, MD
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Presentation Title: TBD
Speaker: Jennifer Yonkus, MD, and Maureen P. McGill, MD
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