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A Newsletter for the Departments of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery
at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
| | UTHealth Houston and TIRR Memorial Hermann Named LE&RN Comprehensive Network Center of Excellence | | Snyder Appointed to ASCRS Board | | |
Congratulations to Michael J. Snyder, MD, FACS, professor of surgery, on his appointment to the Board of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS). Dr. Snyder has been highly active with the organization throughout his distinguished career. Since 2008, he has served as an examiner for the oral and technical boards and as a writer for the written and oral examinations. He has also been a member of the Written Exam Committee since 2019.
| | Greives Selected as American Society of Plastic Surgery Visiting Professor | |
Matthew Greives, MD, MS, FACS, the Dr. Thomas D. Cronin Chair in Plastic Surgery, associate professor, and chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, was selected as an official American Society of Plastic Surgery Visiting Professor for the 2025-2026 academic year. He will have the opportunity to visit five residency programs nationwide this year to meet and teach residents in these programs.
The first visit was to the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Sept. 28-29, 2025, where he gave a lecture on Imposter Syndrome and grand rounds to the division entitled “So You Want to Be a Craniofacial Surgeon…”
He is pictured here with residents of the program and the chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at UAB, Dr. Jorge de la Torre, who was himself a graduate of McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. Dr. de la Torre presented Dr. Greives with a copy of a seminal plastic surgery textbook that was part of Dr. Cronin’s own library from St. Joseph’s Hospital.
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Agarwal Sits on Panel at Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Houston Meeting | |
The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation is one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the country focused on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Since it was founded in 1967, it has been involved in every breakthrough in IBD research. The foundation's mission is to cure Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases.
On October 4, the Foundation's South Chapter held its MyIBD Learning meeting – a day of learning and connecting for IBD patients and caregivers of all ages, featuring the latest resources, research, treatments, and therapies for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Amit Agarwal, MD, FACS, associate professor and colon and rectal surgeon in the Department of Surgery, served on a panel discussing surgical management in IBD patients, alongside Andrew DuPont, MD, MSPH, professor in the Department of Internal Medicine’s Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.
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UTHealth Houston Urology Represents at 104th Annual South Central Section of the AUA Conference | |
The Department of Urology was well represented at the 104th Annual South Central Section of the American Urological Association (AUA) Conference, held Sept. 9–12 in Orlando, Florida. Residents presented across multiple podium and poster sessions, showcasing their ongoing research and clinical expertise.
Skyler Howell, MD (PGY-5), was a finalist in the Sushil Lacey Manuscript Competition for his presentation on testosterone replacement therapy and venous thromboembolic events in men diagnosed with cancer. Shannon Leung, MD (PGY-4), presented two podium sessions focused on female urology and bladder dysfunction, while Rachel Pham, MD (PGY-4), presented a moderated poster session in endourology.
Faculty participation included Hajar Ayoub, MD, who moderated the female and bladder dysfunction podium session, and Rodrigo Donalisio de Silva, MD, who served as moderator for both the endourology podium and poster sessions.
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Pediatric Surgery Faculty and Residents Present at AAP National Conference | |
Faculty and residents from the Division of Pediatric Surgery at McGovern Medical School represented UTHealth Houston at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition, held September 26-30, 2025, in Denver, Colorado. The team participated in the Section on Surgery program, highlighting innovative research and advances in pediatric surgical care.
Representatives included Kuojen Tsao, MD, professor of pediatric surgery; Krysta Sutyak, DO, former pediatric surgery research resident; Natalie Drucker, MD, MS, assistant professor of pediatric surgery; Allison Speer, MD, associate professor of pediatric surgery; Jennifer Yonkus, MD, senior pediatric surgery fellow; and Jeannette Joly, MD, pediatric surgery research resident.
UTHealth Houston pediatric surgery residents featured throughout the conference included:
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Rachel Bordelon, MD, presenting “Contemporary Costs of Care for Children with Intestinal Failure.”
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Krysta Sutyak, DO, presenting “Smarter Transfers: The Potential of AI Machine Learning to Dramatically Reduce Hospital Costs for Unnecessary Pediatric Appendicitis Transfers” and “Impaired Quality of Life is Independent of Physical Symptoms and Haller Index in Pectus Excavatum.”
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Kylie Holden, MD, presenting “Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Repair and ECLS – Anticoagulation and Repair Timing.”
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Jeannette Joly, MD, presenting “The Impact of a Federally Mandated Car Safety Feature on Rate and Severity of Pediatric Backover Trauma.”
Congratulations to all who represented UTHealth Houston Pediatric Surgery at this national meeting and showcased their research in advancing pediatric surgical care.
| | Surgeon Unity: UTHealth Houston Surgeons Unite at American College of Surgeons Fall Clinical Congress | |
The American College of Surgeons (ACS), the largest surgical organization in the world, held its Fall Clinical Congress from October 4 to 7, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois, with the theme of the presidential address and meeting being “Surgeon Unity.” The meeting indeed unites surgeons from all different specialties to advance quality, education, and collaboration. The meeting had multiple highlights.
The Scientific Forum is always a highlight of the meeting; new and established surgeon scientists have the opportunity to present their novel research findings at the forum. Additionally, the Clinical Congress provides a venue for video-based presentations.
Presenters from UTHealth Houston this year included:
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Janet Ashley, MD, surgical resident — “Use of Extracellular Vesicles for Neuroinflammation and Response to Injury” — Senior author: Charles Cox, MD. Ashley received an Excellence in Research Award for this project.
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Krysta Sutyak, MD, MS, pediatric surgical resident — “Skip the Trip: Using Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning to Optimize Pediatric Appendicitis Transfers” — Senior author: KuoJen Tsao, MD, and “How Many Surgeons Did it Take? The Entire Squad”
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Jeanette Joly, MD, pediatric surgery research resident — “Body Mass Index Impacts Diagnostic Imaging Strategies in Pediatric Appendicitis” — Senior author: KuoJen Tsao, MD
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Rachel Bordelon, MD, pediatric surgery resident — “Quantifying Enteric Neuronal Subtypes in Pediatric Small Intestine” —Senior author: Allison Speer, MD
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Stephanie Martinez Ugarte, MD, MS, surgical resident — “Machine Learning Models Can Predict Organ Space Surgical Site Infections at Time of Trauma Laparotomy Closure” — Senior author: Lillian Kao, MD, MS
Faculty also participated in teaching courses, presenting on panels, and moderating sessions:
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Kulvinder Bajwa, MD, FACS, FASMBS, professor of surgery, presented on a panel about “Bariatric Surgical Emergencies for the Surgeon on Call”. His talk was entitled: “What Surgery Did I Have? Imaging and Other Tips to Solve the Puzzle”
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Anna Mydlowska, MD, assistant professor of surgery, participated as faculty in the Annual Update in Surgical Critical Care Course.
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Lillian Kao, MD, MS, professor of surgery, moderated a panel on “Cholecystitis, Cholangitis, and Contemporary Management of the Common Bile Duct,” which featured Nirav Thosani, MD, MHA, professor of medicine, speaking on “Novel Strategies for Managing Acute Cholecystitis”. Kao also presented in a panel on “Building an Equity Quality Improvement Project” at the Inclusive Excellence Certificate Course.
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Jonah Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS, an associate professor of surgery, participated in the Board of Governors activities, representing the South Texas Chapter of the ACS.
Multiple other societies also hold important meetings during the Clinical Congress:
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Areeba Saif, MD, surgical resident, received the Society of Asian Academic Surgeons Fellow Development Award to attend the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS) Fundamentals of Surgical Research Course. Ashna Karpe, a third-year medical student, also received an inaugural AAS Medical Student Travel Award to attend the course. Lillian Kao, MD, MS, a past president of the AAS, taught the course.
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Jonah Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS, participated in the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) Video-Based Assessment (VBA) all-day retreat focused on the development of video grading components for assessment of resident learning during laparoscopic cholecystectomies.
The ACS Clinical Congress concluded with its Annual Business Meeting, where it was announced that Lillian Kao, MD, MS, had been elected to the ACS Board of Regents. The 24 members of the Board are responsible for managing and controlling the business and affairs of the College. Dr. Kao is a former Chair of the ACS Board of Governors and the current President of the South Texas Chapter of the ACS.
| | Join the UTHealth Houston Surgery Team at the Walk to End Alzheimer's | |
Walk with us to raise awareness and support for Alzheimer’s care, research, and education!
📅 Saturday, November 8, 2025
📍 TMC Helix Park, 1885 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, TX 77030
🕗 Gates open at 8 a.m.
This event is open to everyone. Bring your family, friends, and even your pets!
Join or donate to support the UTHealth Houston team and help make a difference in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
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Research & Quality Improvement Day: Harris Health & UTHealth Houston | |
On Tuesday, October 15, the Department of Surgery proudly participated in the second annual HH-UT Research and Quality Improvement Day at LBJ General Hospital. The event was a huge success and highlighted the outstanding research and quality improvement work taking place across our institutions.
The Department of Surgery was well represented, with 13 posters presented by medical students, residents, and faculty. Our team demonstrated excellence across a wide range of topics, including patient care improvement, outcomes, and advancements in surgical techniques. These efforts underscore the department’s commitment to innovation, quality improvement, and surgical excellence, for our patients and for each other, through collaboration and shared success.
Posters from our department included:
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Ananya Hari, medical student — “Rectus abdominis muscle changes following open retrorectus ventral hernia repair” — Mentor: Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS
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Anne Jeckovich, MD, surgical resident — “ED to OC for LC: A fast track for LBJ gallbladder” — Mentor: Tamara Saunders, MD, FACS
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Brandon Blair, medical student — “Evaluating surgical performance through intraoperative video: A pilot study in robotic cholecystectomy” — Mentor: Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS
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Cameron Wyatt, medical student — “The incidence of occult inguinal hernia during laparoscopic contralateral repair: A prospective study” — Mentor: Julie Holihan, MD, FACS
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Coleman Miller, MD, surgical resident — “Use of fish skin graft (FSG) to improve wound healing and expedite discharge at a county safety-net hospital” — Mentor: Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS
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Dalya Ferguson, MD, MS, assistant professor of medicine — “Development of a survey to quantify patient-reported costs in acute care surgery patients” — Mentor: Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS
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Debbie Nguyen, program manager of research — “Development of the UTHealth hernia database” — Mentor: Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS
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Edwin George Mathew, MD, research assistant — “Early observations from a prospective multiparametric hernia surgery database” — Mentor: Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS
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James Dickey, MD, surgical resident — “Laying quality ground-work: Surgical opinions for a laparoscopic common bile duct exploration expansion program” — Mentor: Todd D. Wilson, MD, FACS
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Jasie Williams-Roberts, medical student — “Leveraging sports analytics and intraoperative video to improve surgical quality and outcomes” — Mentor: Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS
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Lindsey DeSplinter, medical student — “Discordance between surgeon and pathologist assessment of severity in acute appendicitis” — Mentor: Dalya Ferguson, MD, MS
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Mackenzie Joe, medical student — “Local adherence with society guidelines and postoperative outcomes in perforated appendicitis” — Mentor: Dalya Ferguson, MD, MS
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Srisha Jayakumar, medical student — “Predictors of failure during nonoperative management of simple acute appendicitis” — Mentor: Dalya Ferguson, MD, MS
Special thanks to all the mentors, coordinators, residents, students, and faculty whose dedication made this event a success. We look forward to even greater participation and exciting new projects at next year’s event.
Visit our photo gallery to revisit some of the day’s best moments and the collaborative spirit that filled the event.
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Texas Surgical Society Holds 215th Meeting | |
The Texas Surgical Society (TSS), one of the oldest and largest state surgical societies, held its 215th meeting on Oct. 17-19 in Dallas, Texas. The TSS has twice-yearly meetings across the state, and this fall's gathering marked the 215th in its distinguished history.
Highlights of the meeting included the awarding of Syed "Shiraz" Naqvi, MD, chief resident in general surgery at McGovern Medical School, with the Raleigh Ross Award. Funded by the Raleigh R. Ross Texas Surgical Society Scholarship Fund Charitable Trust, this award is bestowed upon a chief resident at different Texas institutions who has demonstrated excellent patient care and leadership during their training. He was introduced by Sasha Adams, MD, FACS, professor and program director of the General Surgery Residency.
Julie Holihan, MD, FACS, assistant professor of surgery, was also voted in as a new member.
Presentations by members included:
- "Achy, Breaky Heart: A Case of Bone Cement Implantation Syndrome," presented by Sasha Adams, MD, and discussed by Miranda Wood, DO, assistant professor of surgery.
- "Mobilizing Success: Factors Associated with Inpatient Physical Function after Trauma Laparotomy" presented by Lillian Kao, MD, MS, FACS, professor of surgery, and discussed by William Rieger, MD, research resident.
All faculty interested in becoming a member of TSS are encouraged to reach out to current members to be invited to a future meeting. The society welcomes surgeons from all disciplines. The following meetings are in El Paso, April 10-11, 2026, and San Antonio, October 9-11, 2026.
https://www.texassurgical.org/
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Urology Residents Earn Recognition at SMSNA 26th Annual Conference | |
Urology trainees from McGovern Medical School presented their research at the 26th Annual Conference of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA), held Oct. 9–12 in Grapevine, Texas.
Skyler Howell, MD (PGY-5), presented findings on testosterone replacement therapy and venous thromboembolic events in men with cancer, earning the award for Best Clinical Abstract. Hunter Hasley, MD (PGY-2), presented a poster on using honey packets to treat priapism. Hannah Slovacek, MD (PGY-5), and Laura Oscar-Thompson, MD (PGY-6 fellow), also represented the department at the national meeting.
| | ANNOUNCEMENTS & HIGHLIGHTS |
| Ollieta D. Nicholas, MBA, FACHE, director of management and operations for the Department of Surgery, has been elected secretary of the Association of Academic Surgical Administrators (AASA) for the 2025-2026 term. AASA is a national organization dedicated to advancing leadership, education, and collaboration among academic surgery administrators. | | | Allison Speer, MD, associate professor of pediatric surgery, has been awarded her first NIH R01 grant for her project, Biomechanical Forces and the Enteric Nervous System: Advancing the Development and Function of Tissue-Engineered Intestine. This five-year study will advance the field of intestinal tissue engineering by identifying key processes needed to create functional, tissue-engineered intestine as a potential cure for pediatric intestinal failure. Congratulations to Dr. Speer on this significant achievement and important milestone in pediatric surgical research! | | | Jeannette Joly, MD, pediatric surgery research resident, presented her work at the International Fetal Medicine & Surgery Society (IFMSS) Annual Meeting in Napa, California, where she received both the Travel Award and the prestigious John C. Fletcher Award for Best Presentation. Congratulations to Dr. Joly on this exceptional recognition and achievement! | | | |
Sasha Adams, MD, FACS, professor of surgery and program director for general surgery and urology, served as an invited speaker for two events in October.
She delivered the Grand Rounds presentation at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, “Teaching in a Hurry: How You Can Provide a Quality Education on a Busy Service.” Later that day, she spoke at a Trauma Conference on “This Is Getting Old: Trauma Triage, Adjusted Standards, and Goal Planning.”
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Kregel HR, Van Gent JM, Sunez F, Wandling MW, Mueck KM, Cotton BA, Meyer DE, Moore LJ, Kao LS, Puzio TJ. Looking Beyond Hospital Discharge: One-Year Mortality Following Tracheostomy Creation in Traumatically Injured Older Adults. J Surg Res. 2025 Sep;313:171-176. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2025.05.028. Epub 2025 Jul 15. PMID: 40669374; PMCID: PMC12463459.
Burczak KW, Van Gent JM, Bavishi D, James J, Clements TW, Puzio TJ, Cotton BA. Risk factors for progression of intracranial hemorrhage after initiation of VTE chemoprophylaxis: an evaluation of 1390 TBI patients. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2025 Sep 30;10(3):e001606. doi: 10.1136/tsaco-2024-001606. PMID: 41035963; PMCID: PMC12481404.
Zaidi ST, Koh EY, Estrera G, Wong J, Puzio TJ, Oderich GS, Estrera AL, Saqib NU. Outcomes of routine surveillance of grade 1 blunt traumatic aortic injury. J Vasc Surg. 2025 Nov;82(5):1624-1629. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2025.07.035. Epub 2025 Jul 26. PMID: 40721050.
Sutyak KM, Joly JM, Wang SK, Tsao K, Austin MT, Drucker NA. Stent it and Forget it? Not in Kids: Endovascular Treatment of Traumatic Arterial Injuries in Adolescents. J Pediatr Surg. 2025 Sep 4;60(12):162646. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2025.162646. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40914306.
Holden KI, Saljuud D, Johnson K, Harting MT. Optimizing ECLS strategies in the management of congenital diaphragmatic hernia: Recent advances and best practices. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2025 Oct;30(3):101659. doi: 10.1016/j.siny.2025.101659. Epub 2025 Sep 2. PMID: 40946040.
Noh CY, Danzer E, Bhombal S, Chock VY, Patel N, Dahlen A, Harting MT, Lally KP, Ebanks AH, Van Meurs KP; Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Study Group. Early postnatal echocardiographic characteristics impact survival and extracorporeal life support in congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Pediatr Res. 2025 Oct 1. doi: 10.1038/s41390-025-04443-w. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41034644.
Ashley JR, Collier AM, Olson SD, Cox CS. Freeze-Dried, Not Frozen: Lyophilized Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles and Therapeutic Function in Neuroinflammatory Models. J Am Coll Surg. 2025 Oct 6. doi: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001591. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41051108.
Burczak KW, Van Gent JM, Bavishi D, Hatton GE, Murphy PB, Ratnasekera A, Clements TW, Morris RS, Tignanelli C, Cotton BA, Puzio TJ. Variation exists in venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in traumatic brain injury despite national guidelines: insights from a recent AAST survey study. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2025 Oct 23;10(4):e001708. doi: 10.1136/tsaco-2024-001708. PMID: 41158729; PMCID: PMC12557725.
D'Alessio I, Monzio-Compagnoni N, Salinetti G, DuBose J, Starnes BW, Quiroga E, Benasconi D, D'Oria M, Lepidi S, Rimoldi P, Tolva VS; e ATF Collaborative Group. (McNutt M, Meyer D) The Role of Gender in Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injuries. Ann Vasc Surg. 2025 Sep 19;123:64-73. doi: 10.1016/j.avsg.2025.09.023. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40976509.
Fajemisin MO, Ugarte SM, Hatton GE, Burns JG, Kao LS, Mueck KM. Navigating Health Literacy: Comparison of Assessment Tools in a Surgical Safety-Net Population. World J Surg. 2025 Oct 22. doi: 10.1002/wjs.70123. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41125434.
Green RW, Rieger WD, Kao LS. From Reflex Reaction to Rational Action-Personalizing Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis. JAMA Surg. 2025 Oct 1. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2025.3777. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41032331.
Wood ME, Kao LS. Measure Twice, Improve Once: Planning for Success by Learning from Failure. J Am Coll Surg. 2025 Oct 14. doi: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000001632. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41085084.
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Presentation Title: Medical Education in the Digital Age
Speaker: Sandra Beck, MD, FACS, FASCRS
Professor, Department of Surgery
Assistant Dean for Program Development- UK Graduate Medical Education
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
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Presentation Title: Fetal Surgery for Structural and Genetic Birth Defects: The Present and The Future
Speaker: William Peranteau, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Surgery
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Co-Director, The Center for Fetal Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
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Presentation Title: EndoQuest Robotics: Innovating at UTHealth Houston
Speaker: Todd Wilson, MD, FACS
Professor, General Surgery and UTMIST
UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School
| | | | | THANKSGIVING BREAK
NO GRAND ROUNDS | | uturology: Dr. Clavell and Dr. Patel (PGY4) | | uth_surgery: Big showing from our UTHealth Surgery crew last week! Over 13 med students, residents, faculty, and staff presented posters at the Harris Health & UT Research & QI Day at LBJ Hospital. Congrats to all who presented and represented our program! | | utplastics: 2025-2026 UTHealth Houston Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery | | |
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.
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