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A Newsletter for the Departments of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery
at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
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Houstonia Magazine Unveils its 2025 Top Doctors | |
Houstonia Magazine recently released its annual Top Doctors list for 2025, recognizing physicians across the Greater Houston area for excellence in clinical care. This year’s honorees include several outstanding faculty members from the Departments of Surgery and Pediatric Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.
Congratulations to all our awardees for this well-deserved recognition of their dedication to patients and the community.
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Colon / Rectal Surgery
Amit K. Agarwal, MD, FACS
Erik P. Askenasy, MD, FACS
Joseph R. Cali Jr., MD, FACS
Marianne V. Cusick, MD, FACS
Scott T. McKnight, MD, FACS
Stefanos G. Millas, MD, FACS
Michael J. Snyder, MD, FACS
Pediatric Urology
Jason K. Au, MD
Lawrence Cisek, MD, PhD
Eric A. Jones, MD
Pediatric Surgery
Mary T. Austin, MD, MPH
Charles S. Cox, Jr., MD
Matthew T. Harting, MD, MS
Danielle M. Hsu, MD
Akemi L. Kawaguchi, MD, MS
Kevin P. Lally, MD, MS
Allison Speer, MD
KuoJen Tsao, MD
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Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Mohin A. Bhadkamkar, MD
Christi Blakkolb, MD, FACS
Matthew R. Greives, MD, MS, FACS
Breast Surgery
Jessica Buicko Lopez, MD, FACS
Emily K. Robinson, MD, FACS
Bariatric Surgery
Tanyaradzwa Kajese, MD, FACS
John Primomo, MD, FACS
Erik B. Wilson, MD, FACS
General Surgery
Lillian S. Kao, MD, MS, FACS
| | Greives Serves as Visiting Professor at UTMB | | |
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 invited to serve as a visiting professor at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) on August 22, 2025.
During his visit, Dr. Greives delivered lectures to the Division of Plastic Surgery on “Vascular Anomalies for the Plastic Surgeon: Updates and Current Techniques” and “Controversies in Craniosynostosis,” reflecting his clinical expertise in pediatric plastic surgery.
In addition to his academic contributions, Dr. Greives toured the UTMB campus and the Moody Medical Library. Plastic Surgery residents also presented clinical cases and received personalized feedback from Dr. Greives, enriching their educational experience.
He is pictured with Linda Phillips, MD, chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at UTMB, along with faculty and residents from the division.
| | Faculty, Residents, and Fellows Represent McGovern Medical School at National Trauma Meeting | |
The 84th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) and Clinical Congress of Acute Care Surgery was held Sept. 10–13 in Boston, Massachusetts, with strong participation from McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston faculty, residents, and fellows.
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Lillian Liao, MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery and a member of the AAST Program Committee, helped plan the meeting and participated in the Pediatric Committee meeting. She will serve as a liaison between AAST and the Pediatric Trauma Society as the co-chair of the Acute Care Surgery Task Force at PTS.
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Laura Moore, MD, FACS, professor of surgery, and Charles S. Cox Jr., MD, professor of pediatric surgery, were invited as paper discussants.
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Victoria Wagner, MD, assistant professor of surgery, presented a Quickshot session on a novel interactive online tool for personalized stroke risk prediction.
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Thaddeus Puzio, MD, MS, FACS, assistant professor of surgery, served as a panelist for “Case-Based Ethical Scenarios in Acute Care Surgery.”
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Shane Jensen, MD, staff physician in acute care surgery, participated in the panel “After the Disaster: Managing Communications, Resources, and Yourself after Mass Casualty Incidents.”
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Sasha D. Adams, MD, FACS, professor of surgery, joined the AAST annual community outreach event, Stop the Falls at the East Boston Senior Center, sponsored by the Geriatric Trauma Committee in partnership with local leaders.
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Lillian S. Kao, MD, MS, FACS, professor of surgery, moderated a Quickshot session.
Residents and fellows also contributed to the program:
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Renee Walker, MD, and Connor Purvis, MD, both surgery residents, presented their research at the 3rd Annual AAST Fallen Surgeons Military Educational Symposium.
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Devi Bavishi, MD, surgery resident, received a 20forTwenty Scholarship to attend the meeting.
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McGovern Medical School Plastic Surgery Residents Sweep Awards at Statewide Meeting | |
The Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons held its annual meeting in Houston from Sept. 26–28, 2028, where plastic surgery residents from McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston earned top honors. The program swept all of the resident presentation awards, marking a standout performance.
Bora Kharmangil, MD, received the Cronin Award for Best Senior Resident Presentation. Iman Rizvi, MD (PGY-3), and Robert Tung, MD (PGY-5), were recognized for Top Clinical Papers. Michael Talanker, MD (PGY-2), and David Mitchell, MD (PGY-4), won for Top Scientific Papers. UTHealth Houston also received the Blocker Bowl Trophy, presented to the residency program with the overall highest score at the meeting, repeating its win from 2024. In addition, 10 medical students attended and presented posters.
Faculty members also played active roles. Klara Sputova, MD, assistant professor of plastic surgery, moderated the Breast Reconstruction session. Erik Marques, MD, FACS, associate professor of plastic surgery, led the Hand Surgery session during the resident competition. Annie Wang, MD, MSc, FRCSC, assistant professor of plastic surgery, presented on complex reconstructive techniques, and Matthew Greives, MD, MS, FACS, associate professor of plastic surgery, serves as acting treasurer of the organization.
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UTHealth Houston Secures Multiple TRC4 Grants | |
The Pediatric Surgery research team was recently awarded multiple grants from the Trauma Research and Combat Casualty Care Collaborative (TRC4), funded by the State of Texas and the University of Texas System. These awards will support innovative trauma, traumatic brain injury, and burn care studies. Many of the projects are conducted in collaboration with the Center for Translational Injury Research (CeTIR) at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB), and other UT System institutions.
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Charles S. Cox Jr., MD, professor of pediatric surgery; Steven Wolf, MD, professor of surgery at UTMB; and Celeste Finnerty, PhD, associate professor of surgery at UTMB: Postdoctoral training in trauma and burns
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Scott Olson, PhD, associate professor of pediatric surgery: Preclinical and Translational Research Award — Monocytes as mediators of TBI improvement post BMMNC therapy
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Ayhan Atmanli, MD, pediatric emergency medicine fellow: Early Career Mentored Research Award — Mechanobiology of the blood–brain barrier in TBI-induced coagulopathy
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Joana Bianchi, postdoctoral research fellow: Postdoctoral Award — IDO-expressing monocytes downregulate neuroinflammation
In addition, Alan Prossin, MD, associate professor, and Bryan Cotton, MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery, both faculty members in the Division of Acute Care Surgery and CeTIR, received Clinical Trial Awards through the same program.
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UTHealth Houston Selected at Substudy Site for International FLAP ATTACK Trial | |
Mohin A. Bhadkamkar, MD, assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, has been awarded a substudy grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to investigate flap timing in lower extremity reconstruction.
UTHealth Houston will serve as a substudy site for the FLAP ATTACK trial (Accelerated Flap Coverage versus Standard Timing in the Treatment of Severe Lower Extremity Musculoskeletal Injuries), with Johns Hopkins University as the primary site. The CIHR has awarded $1.5 million (2025–2029) and the NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has awarded $267,527 (2025–2026) to support this international collaboration.
Bhadkamkar credited the Department of Surgery’s support and establishing the Orthoplastic Limb Restoration Program as pivotal to this achievement.
"This grant is a direct result of building our Orthoplastic Limb Restoration Program," he said. "I hope this research helps garner more recognition for UTHealth Houston and our Department of Surgery."
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Announcing the CeTIR Research How-To Series Blog | |
CeTIR is pleased to introduce the Research How-To Series, a new blog dedicated to advancing trauma research through practical, evidence-informed guidance. These resources are intended to serve as a reference for both emerging and experienced researchers within our community.
Each post will provide step-by-step strategies on key aspects of research development to support trainees, investigators, and clinicians engaged in improving trauma care and outcomes. Content will be updated regularly.
Have a topic suggestion? Contact us at cetir@uth.tmc.edu.
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| ANNOUNCEMENTS & HIGHLIGHTS |
| Congratulations to the UT Physicians Plastic Surgery – Greater Heights Clinic for being recognized as Clinic of the Quarter. This award highlights the team’s commitment to patient care, service excellence, and collaborative practice. | | | Matthew Harting, MD, MS, associate professor of pediatric surgery, has been appointed the William J. Devane Distinguished Professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. This distinguished professorship recognizes his exceptional research, education, and clinical care achievements and his dedication to advancing the institution's mission. | | | Kevin Lally, MD, MS, professor of pediatric surgery, served as senior author on one of the top four most influential papers in pediatric surgery this year. The paper, “Improving Pediatric Surgery Quality by Widely Adopting an Evidence-based Protocol: An Effort of the Pediatric Surgery Quality Collaborative,” published in Annals of Surgery, highlights the leadership of McGovern Medical School faculty in advancing pediatric surgical care. | | | Natalie Drucker, MD, MS, assistant professor of pediatric surgery, has been appointed vice chair of the Vascular Committee of the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA). This national leadership role highlights her expertise in vascular anomalies and surgical innovation and underscores her commitment to advancing best practices and education in pediatric surgery. | | | KuoJen Tsao, MD, professor of pediatric surgery, has been appointed to the Executive Committee of the Section on Surgery of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). This national leadership role reflects his distinguished contributions to pediatric surgery and his commitment to advancing the field through education, research, and advocacy for children’s health. | | | |
Deborah B. Horn, Louis J. Aronne, Sean Wharton, Harold E. Bays, Elisa Gomez-Valderas, Avigdor D. Arad, Palash Sharma, Julia P. Dunn, Cagri Senyucel, Clare J. Lee. Tirzepatide for the Maintenance of Body Weight Reduction: Rationale, Design, and Baseline Characteristics of SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN. Obesity September 2025. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.70014
Schmitz JM, Yoon JH, Kluwe-Schiavon B, Harvin JA, Gunaratne PH, Mouton D, Motley K, Fox EE, Vincent J, Tarbet M, Walss-Bass C. Identifying bio-behavioural signatures of persistent opioid use risk in trauma injury patients: a protocol for a prospective cohort study. BMJ Open. Sep 5 2025;15(9):e103053. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103053. PMID: 40912717. PMC12414153.
| | Natalie A. Drucker, MD, spoke with CBS News about newly published UTHealth Houston research showing a decline in backover-related car incidents and deaths following the 2018 federal mandate requiring all new vehicles to be equipped with reverse cameras. Drucker and Jeannette Joly, MD, also appeared on FOX 26 News to discuss the findings, which were additionally covered by MedPage Today and Healio. Joly further highlighted the research during an interview with KDKA NewsRadio. | | | | | | |
Presentation Title: Ethical Underpinnings of Surgical Practice: Reflections on 50 Years of Surgery
Speaker: Kamal Khalil, MD – Adjunct Clinical Professor, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery
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Presentation Title: Updates and Expectations for the Surgical Clerkship
Speaker: Casey Duncan, MD, MS, FACS, FSSO
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Presentation Title: Liver Surgery: From Prometheus Histotripsy
Speaker: D. Ryan Hall, MD, FACS
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Residents Only
Speakers: Lillian Kao, MD, MS, FACS, Krislynn Mueck, MD, MPH, MS, and Will Rieger, MD
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QI Workgroup – Residents Only (NO CME)
Speaker: Tamara Saunders, MD, FACS
| | utplastics: 2025 Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons Bootcamp | | uturology: UTH Urology representing in Orlando at #SCSAUA25 Can't wait for next year in Tucson. | | uthealthhouston: Join us in welcoming President Kibbe to UTHealth Houston. | | |
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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