A NEWSLETTER FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston

July 2025

Honoring Our 2025 Residency & Fellowship Graduates

This summer, the Department of Surgery celebrated the achievements of its graduating residents and fellows across several divisions. These ceremonies recognized years of dedication, training, and growth, while also marking the beginning of the next chapter in each graduate’s journey. We are proud to highlight their achievements and extend our heartfelt congratulations.

2025 General Surgery Residency Graduation

Congratulations to the general surgery residents who celebrated their graduation on June 21, 2025! The event was a wonderful opportunity for faculty to thank the graduating residents for their contributions to patient care and to meet the families who have supported them throughout the intense journey to becoming a surgeon.

In turn, the graduating residents took a moment to recognize and honor many of the faculty members who played a meaningful role in their education and professional development.

Here are the 2025 chief residents and their next steps after graduation:

• Alfredo Cepeda, MD, MS — Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship, UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School
• Shah‑Jahan Dodwad, DO, MS — Vascular Surgery Fellowship, UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School
• Aditi Kashikar, MD — Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, University of Southern California
• Danielle Mumford, MD, MS — Orthopedic Hand Fellowship, Stony Brook University (Long Island, NY)
• Marina Petsalis, MD — Breast Surgery Fellowship, Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, FL)
• Iordanis Zakopuolos, MD, MPH — Private Practice, Eunice, LA

2025 Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Residency Graduation

The Division of Plastic Surgery at McGovern Medical School celebrated its 2025 residency graduation on June 20. Edwin Acevedo, MD, and Shuyan Wei, MD, completed the Independent Plastic Surgery Residency Program, while Dylan Bezzini, MD, completed the Integrated Plastic Surgery Residency Program. Each graduate demonstrated outstanding dedication, clinical excellence, and professionalism throughout their training. We look forward to their continued success in the next chapter of their careers.

The evening also included the presentation of academic awards. This year’s honorees were:

• Mohin Bhadkamkar, MD – Faculty Educator of the Year
• Ying Chen, MD – Honorary Plastic Surgeon Award
• Sean Boutros, MD – Community Plastic Surgeon of the Year
• Weston Buehring, MD – Off-Service Resident of the Year
• Bora Kahramangil, MD – Highest In-Service Score (Independent)
• James Mentz, MD – Highest In-Service Score (Integrated)

2025 Interventional Gastroenterology Fellowship Graduation

We are proud to congratulate the 2025 graduates of the Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship Program in Interventional Gastroenterology (iGUT) at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. The graduation ceremony was held on May 30, 2025, at the InterContinental Hotel in Houston, honoring Laith Numan, MD, MS, and Yeshaswini Panathur S. Reddy, MD. They completed the program under the leadership of Nirav Thosani, MD, MHA, professor, and Atilla Ertan, MD, Endowed Chair in Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.

The iGUT Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship provides a rigorous, hands-on training experience in advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures. The program is designed to develop future leaders in academic and clinical interventional gastroenterology, with an emphasis on innovation, research, and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Dr. Numan will be joining Memorial Hermann Sugar Land, where he will continue to advance the field of therapeutic endoscopy through clinical care and research. Dr. Reddy will pursue her career in advanced endoscopy in Tennessee, bringing her expertise and commitment to excellence in patient care. We congratulate both graduates and look forward to the impact they will make in the years ahead.

2025 Acute Care Surgery Fellowship Graduation

The Division of Acute Care Surgery celebrated the graduation of its 2025 Acute Care Surgery Fellowship class in June. All fellows completed both an acute care surgery year and a surgical critical care year.

This year’s celebration also honored Bryan Cotton, MD, MPH, FACS, for his 12 years of service as fellowship director. Under his leadership, the program became one of the most competitive and respected in the country. Dr. Cotton has transitioned the fellowship leadership to David Meyer, MD, MS, FACS (Program Director) and Thaddeus Puzio, MD, MS, FACS (Associate Program Director), leaving the program in excellent hands.

Three of this year’s graduates, Gabrielle Hatton, MD, MS, Miranda Wood, DO, and Oscar Estrada Munoz, MD, will be joining UTHealth Houston as assistant professors, with clinical appointments primarily at Memorial Hermann-Katy, which is pursuing a Level II trauma designation. Alyssa MacLean, MD, will be heading to the University of Colorado, where she has accepted a faculty position as assistant professor.

Congratulations to all the graduates!

Twelfth Class of Research Residents Complete Master's Degrees

The Center for Surgical Trials and Evidence-based Practice (C-STEP) was founded in 2011 and graduated its first class of research residents who had completed a Master's Degree in Clinical Research in 2013. Residents concomitantly take courses offered by the Institute for Clinical Research and Learning Health Care and conduct two years of mentored research with faculty from the Departments of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery at McGovern Medical School and the Departments of Surgical Oncology and of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at MD Anderson. This year's graduates include:

• Mokunfayo Fajemisin, MD, MS (UTHealth Houston) - Mentor: Lillian Kao, MD, MS
• Stephanie Martinez Ugarte, MD, MS (UTHealth Houston) - Mentor: Lillian Kao, MD, MS
• Krysta Sutyak, MD, MS (University of Nebraska School of Medicine) - Mentor: KuoJen Tsao, MD
• Neha Malik, MD, MS (UTHealth Houston) - Mentors: Mary Austin, MD, MPH, and Christina Roland, MD, MS
• Shanique Ries, MD, MS (Howard University College of Medicine) - Mentor: Wayne Hofstettor, MD

Congratulations to the graduates who will be returning to clinical duties at their respective institutions!

2025 Resident Awards

Each year, the Department of Surgery and its divisions recognize outstanding residents with a variety of honors that celebrate clinical excellence, leadership, and performance.

• Golden Chopsticks Award Presented by the Minimally Invasive Surgery service, this award honors the resident with the most refined MIS skill set. This year’s recipient was Alfred Cepeda.
• Lazarus Award The Trauma service presents this award to a chief resident who played a pivotal role in saving the life of a critically injured trauma patient. Shah Dodwad received this year’s honor.
• Pediatric Surgery Award of Excellence A new recognition from the Department of Pediatric Surgery, this award celebrates the top-performing resident on their service. The inaugural recipient was Devi Bavishi.
• LBJ Lap Chole Award This award is given to the PGY-3 resident who performed the highest number of laparoscopic cholecystectomies at LBJ Hospital. Nick Johnson earned this year’s distinction.
• LBJ Resident Jacket Tradition LBJ Hospital continued its tradition of gifting personalized black jackets to graduating chief residents, as well as to residents at any PGY level who achieved exceptional scores on the annual in-service exam.
• Residency Program Awards Voted on by faculty and residents, these peer-nominated awards recognize outstanding contributions at both the intern and chief levels.
• Intern of the Year: Allie Foster
• Chief Resident of the Year: Marina Petsalis

Congratulations to all of this year’s award recipients!

Welcome, PGY-1 Intern Class

We are excited to welcome the newest members of our General Surgery Residency Program at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston! This year’s incoming PGY‑1 class includes both categorical and preliminary interns from outstanding medical schools across the country and abroad. These talented physicians are beginning their surgical training within one of the largest and most diverse academic medical centers in the nation.

As part of a rigorous, high-volume program, our interns will gain broad clinical experience across a wide spectrum of surgical disciplines while learning from nationally recognized faculty and engaging in multidisciplinary care.

ANNOUNCEMENTS & HIGHLIGHTS

Publications of Note

Kahramangil B, Barrera J, Swiekatowski K, Wang E, Osamor C, Dunnigan J, Kopplin N, Hung P, Sobol D, Greives M. Don’t Delay: Sociodemographic Factors Impacting Timing of Cleft Lip Repair. The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.



Bavishi D, Puzio TJ, Salazar JD, Kawaguchi A, Drucker N. Traumatic ventricular septal defect with right ventricular aneurysm in paediatric blunt trauma. BMJ Case Rep. 2025 Jun 12;18(6):e264849. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2025-264849. PMID: 40506110.

Fajemisin MO, Martinez Ugarte S, Guy-Frank CJ, Hatton GE, Quinton KA, Syed S, Fox EE, Wade CE, Mankiewicz KA, Kao LS. Poor oral health is associated with social vulnerability in critically ill trauma patients. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2025;10(2):e001636. doi:10.1136/tsaco-2024-001636. PMID: 40520572. PMC12164607.

Harlow-Adamek RC, Singh R, Stewart RH, Heaps CL, Laine GA, Cox CS, Jr., Dongaonkar RM. Perioperative fluid therapy impairs lymphatic pump function in male rats. Physiol Rep. Jun 2025;13(11):e70389. doi:10.14814/phy2.70389. PMID: 40495298. PMC12151903.

Van Gent JM, Clements TW, Cannon JW, Schreiber MA, Moore EE, Namias N, Sperry JL, Cotton BA. Intent Vs Execution: Failure To Achieve Balanced Resuscitation In Bleeding Trauma Patients. Ann Surg. Jun 17 2025;doi:10.1097/sla.0000000000006800. PMID: 40525293. 

GRAND ROUNDS

Upcoming Grand Rounds and M&M Updates

For the month of July, our Thursday Grand Rounds will feature the Intern Bootcamp Series, taking place on July 3, 10, 17, and 24. Details for the July 31 session are still pending and will be shared once confirmed.

Additionally, General Surgery M&M will take place from 7:00 – 8:00 a.m. throughout July, returning to the usual 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. schedule in August.

SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT

utplastics: A huge congratulations to Dr. Shuyan Wei and Dr. Edwin Acevedo on their outstanding presentations at the Houston Society of Plastic Surgeons Tribute to the Houston Area Chief Residents

uturology: Watch our attending Dr. Travis Green on KHOU Channel 11 on 6/19 for Men’s Health Month!

Editorial Team: Dr. Lillian S. Kao, Dr. Casey B. Duncan, Dr. Peter A. Walker, and Dr. Elias A. Chamely

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