2018 | Department of Surgery

Melina Kibbe, MD, Awarded NIH R01 Award

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Melina Kibbe, Colin G. Thomas Jr. Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery, for receiving an NIH R01 award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute The award was given for her project entitled, “A Novel Endovascular Approach to Remove Atherosclerotic Plaque Lesions in Situ”, in the amount … Read more

Drs. Bruce Cairns and Robert Maile Awarded NIH R01 Award

Please join us in congratulating Bruce Cairns, MD, and Robert Maile, PhD, for receiving an NIH R01 award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences

UNC Surgery Fall 2018 Newsletter

Read the UNC Surgery Fall 2018 newsletter for past articles, recognition, awards and so much more!

Focus Carolina Interviews Melina Kibbe, MD

Melina Kibbe, MD, Colin G. Thomas Jr. Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery, was recently interviewed by Focus Carolina. She discussed the events in her life that led her to become a pioneering doctor, her groundbreaking research and her work as a Vascular Surgeon.

Melina Kibbe, MD, Featured on WUNC’s The State of Things

Melina Kibbe, MD, chair of the department of surgery, spoke to Frank Stacio Monday for an extended interview.

New UNC Surgery Clerkship Appointments

UNC Department of Surgery announces new appointments for Clerkship Program.

Arielle Perez, MD, Appointed Director of the UNC Hernia Center

Arielle Perez, MD, Appointed Director of the UNC Hernia Center.

Jason Crowner, MD, Elected to the Academy Of Educator’s Council

Congratulations to Dr. Jason Crowner for his election onto the inaugural Academy Of Educator’s (AOE) Council.

Anthony Charles, MD, MPH Appointed Chief of the Division of General and Acute Care Surgery

Dr. Anthony Charles appointed as the new Chief, Division of General and Acute Care Surgery effective September 1, 2018.

Dr. Elizabeth Dreesen Appointed Associate Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Elizabeth Dreesen has been appointed as an Associate Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the UNC Health Care Hospital system.

Anthony Charles, MD, MPH, to Lead Global Surgery at UNC

Trauma surgeon Anthony Charles, MD, MPH, has been named the Director of Global Surgery for the UNC Institute for Global Health & Infectious Diseases.

Meet the new Breast Surgical Oncologist, Dr. Stephanie Downs-Canner

Stephanie Downs-Canner, MD, joins the UNC Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology. She sat down to discuss how being a family member of a breast cancer survivor changed the trajectory of her life, what not making the team taught her and the advice she gives to interns, residents and medical students.

Andrea Hayes-Jordan Featured on WRAL

Andrea Haes-Jordan, MD, Chief, Division of Pediatric Surgery and Surgeon in Chief of the UNC Children’s Hospital was featured on WRAL.

Michael Phillips, MD, Talks About his Return to the UNC Department of Surgery

Michael Phillips, MD, joins the UNC Department of Surgery as an assistant professor, Division of Pediatric Surgery. He discusses his return to the University of North Carolina, what it means to him to not only treat his pediatric patients but their entire family, as well as how he believes informatics can play a huge difference in a patients outcome.

Laura Purcell, MD, Selected as an OIA Global Health Scholar

Laura Purcell, MD, General Surgery resident was only one of three students selected as OIA health Scholars.

Kidney Transplant, a Chain of Events that Saved Lives

UNC Center for Transplant Care utilized kidney paired donation, connecting strangers from across the country, to help a mom save the life of her daughter.

Sebastian’s Story – A Families Journey to Save Their Son

12-year-old Sebastian Gonzalez is being treated at N.C. Children’s Hospital for a rare abdominal cancer called desmoplastic small round cell tumor. He is being cared for by Dr. Andrea Hayes-Jordan, Chief of Pediatric Surgery for UNC Surgery. She is one of the world’s leading doctors specializing in treating this disease. While in North Carolina, Sebastian and his family are staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill where they are being provided a home away from home to allow Sabastian to recover from his procedure.

Gita Mody, MD, MPH, Joins UNC Department of Surgery

Gita Mody, MD, MPH, joins the UNC Department of Surgery in Chapel Hill as Assistant Professor, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. She discusses her enthusiasm for becoming a mentor in the thoracic surgery residency program, her inspiration for becoming a physician, and a challenge she faced on the road to becoming a highly skilled surgeon.

Stephen Heisler, DPM, MHSA, Joins Division of Vascular Surgery

Stephen Heisler, DPM, MHSA, joins the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Surgery as Assitant Professor, Division of Vascular Surgery. Dr. Heisler discusses how he wanted to go from being a caring friend to a caring provider, building trust with his patients, and wanting to pick the brain of Bill Nye the Science Guy because who wouldn’t?

Publication by Andrea Hayes-Jordan, MD, Featured as Cover Art

The Department of Surgery wants to congratulate Andrea Hayes-Jordan, MD, Chief, Division of Pediatric Surgery, for her publication, which was chosen as the cover art for the latest edition of Pediatric Anesthesia Journal.

The North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Health Care Donated 350 Fire Extinguishers to Families in Need

A fire in Efland, North Carolina sparked an idea for fire safety classes that eventually spread to a collaboration between the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, Orange County Fire Marshal and Safe Kids that culminated in community education and donation of life-saving fire extinguishers.

Women in Science

Female students with a passion for science stand with Department of Surgery Chair Melina Kibbe, MD, North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center Director Bruce Cairns, MD, and Department of Surgery Assistant Professor Robert Maile, Ph.D.

UNC Surgery Spring/Summer 2018 Newsletter

Read the archive newsletter for 2018 articles, recognition and awards.

Teddy Puzio, MD, Receives Award from UNC School of Medicine

Department of Surgery would like to congratulate Teddy Puzio, MD, a recent chief resident graduate!

Treating & Preventing Fireworks Burns – Dr. Bruce Cairns (WRAL TV) VIDEO

Bruce Cairns, MD, director of the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center, was featured on WRAL prior to July 4.

Kristalyn Gallagher, DO, Appointed Section Chief of Breast Surgery and Surgical Director of the Breast Care Program

The Department of Surgery is pleased to announce that Dr. Kristalyn Gallagher will be assuming the role of Section Chief of Breast Surgery and Surgical Director of the Breast Care Program.

Don Nakayama, MD, Publishes article in Alpha Omega Alpha’s Quarterly Journal

Dr. Nakayama was recently published in The Pharos, Spring 2018 with his article “The Sick Child. Artistic perceptions of mortal illness in children.”

Stephanie Lumpkin, MD, Awarded Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, F32, First in Departments History

Congratulations to Stephanie Lumpkin for receiving a 2-year NIH F32 award for her grant application entitled, ” Exploring the utilization of post-discharge care in colorectal surgery patients” in the amount of $144,142.

Mahesh S. Sharma, MD, Joins Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Mahesh Sharma, MD, joins the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Surgery as Associate Professor, Section Chief of Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He also serves as Co-Director of the North Carolina Children’s Heart Center and Director of Pediatric Heart Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support. Dr. Sharma discusses how he went from dreaming of being an astronaut to what led him to his current role of performing open heart surgery on children, as well as advice he would have given his younger self before starting medical school.

No Fireworks Are Safe; Even “Innocent” Sparklers Can Cause Serious Injuries

The North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Health Care and UNC Kittner Eye Center want people to know the facts about fireworks, so everyone has a fun and safe Fourth of July.

Edward Bahnson, Ph.D., Honored with Young Investigator Award

Congratulations Edward Bahnson, Ph.D.!

Department of Surgery 5 Year Strategic Plan

“Achieving surgical leadership demands bold ambition and exceptionally dedicated people. At UNC’s Department of Surgery, we are fortunate to be rich in both Our strategic plan is the result of an incredible amount of collaborative, thoughtful, and dedicated work from across the department.” – Melina R Kibbe, MD, FACS, FAHA, Department of Surgery Chair

Dr. Andrea Hayes-Jordan, Chief, Division of Pediatric Surgery

Dr. Andrea Hayes-Jordan joins the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Surgery as Professor and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery as well as Surgeon in Chief for UNC Children’s Hospital. She discusses her groundbreaking work with desmoplastic small round cell tumors, the technique she perfected for previously inoperable pediatric patients, and how divine intervention played a role in her choice of specialty.

Dr. Don Nakayama Joins Pediatric Surgery

Dr. Don Nakayama is a new faculty member joining the division of pediatrics. He is returning to UNC where he originally taught in the late 90s. Dr. Nakayama talks about his return to teaching, how he chose his specialty and his interest in surgical history.

Dr. David Ollila Appointed as Consultant with the American Board of Surgery

Congratulations to David Ollila, MD, for being appointed as a Consultant to the Complex General Surgical Oncology Certifying Examination Committee in the area of Breast Surgery for the American Board of Surgery. The appointment of Examination Consultants provides for a … Continued

Dr. Anthony Charles Awarded Fellowship

Dr. Anthony Charles has been awarded Fellowship to the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.

New Islet Cell Transplant Program, First in North Carolina, Giving Pancreatitis Patients a Better Option

Dr. Chirag Desai, UNC Surgery The Chronic Pancreatitis and Autologous Islet Cell Transplant Program, created by Chirag S. Desai, MD, is helping patients improve their quality of life by eliminating severe pain and reducing or ending the use of narcotic … Continued

Dr. Michael Williford inducted into AOA

Congratulations to Dr. Michael Williford on his induction into Alpha Omega Alpha, a prestigious accomplishment, signifying a lasting commitment to scholarship, leadership, professionalism and service.

Dr. Timothy Farrell elected into the American Surgical Association

We congratulate Dr. Timothy Farrell on his election into the American Surgical Association.

Erica Peters receives AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship Award

Congratulations to Erica Peters for receiving an AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship Award entitled “Targeted, Niche-Responsive Peptide Amphiphile Nanofibers as Injectable Drug Delivery Vehicles to Treat Atherosclerosis”

Congratulations Dr. Tyler Ellis

We congratulate Dr. Tyler Ellis on receiving one of this year’s Pope Clinical Trainee Awards which recognizes research accomplishments and clinical excellence.

Dr. Melina Kibbe leads national fight against sex bias in drug development

The life of a surgeon-scientist is defined by problems and solutions. For Dr. Melina Kibbe of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, the quest for equity in research impacts everyone, especially the health and safety of women. As … Continued

March 30 is National Doctors’ Day!

National Doctors’ Day is tomorrow, Friday, March 30, and is a time to recognize the contributions of our many physicians to individual lives, families and communities. Do you have a doctor that you would like to thank? Let them know … Continued

Dr. Williams named Medical Director of BICU

We congratulate Dr. Felicia Williams who will serve as the Medical Director of the Burn Intensive Care Unit (BICU) at UNC! Dr. Bruce A. Cairns, Medical Director of the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Health Care, said, “I … Continued

Ernie Grant wins Artz Distinguished Service Award

Dr. Ernie Grant Congratulations to our very own Dr. Ernie Grant for winning the Curtis P. Artz Distinguished Service Award, presented annually to a non-physician member of the American Burn Association for his/her outstanding contributions in the burn field.

Department of Surgery Winter Newsletter 2018

The Department of Surgery publishes a quarterly, online newsletter featuring the latest updates on our department’s clinical, educational, and research developments along with a “Message from the Chair.” Join us in welcoming our new team members and stay connected to learn about the exciting accomplishments of our faculty, trainees, staff, and alumni.

Dr. Jared Gallaher Awarded Second Place for Resident Paper

Resident Places Second at the Annual Resident Trauma Competition

29th Annual May Day Trauma Conference

Annual Trauma Conference to be Held at UNC’s Friday Center

First Day of the UNC MS4 Surgery BootCamp

Dr. Katharine McGinigle and Dr. Corey Kalbaugh Receive Award

Congratulations to Drs. Kate McGinigle and Corey Kalbaugh for being awarded a UNC Center for Health Innovation’s 2018 Innovation Pilot Award for “Machine Learning to Stage Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease”.

The Problem of Burnout Among Surgeons

UNC School of Medicine’s Marco Patti, MD, is the senior author of an article on burnout in JAMA Surgery

Dr. Jason Crowner Receives Partnership Award

Doctors at UNC’s Department of Surgery Receive $40,000 in awards to strengthen the general surgery education partnership

Dr. Marston Nominated as Secretary of the American Venous Forum

Dr. William Marston receives nomination

Dr. Trista Reid Honored as First Craver Professor

With the support and generosity of UNC School of Medicine alum Joseph M. Craver, MD ’67, the Office of Medical Education is proud to announce the creation of the Craver Professor Award honoring outstanding teachers in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Surgery who both inspire and change the lives of medical students through their teaching. The first Craver Professor Award recipient is Trista D. Reid, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of General Acute Care Surgery.