Awards, Grants and Funding | Department of Surgery

Dr. Yeh’s new R01 project “Targeting EGFR for basal subtype cancer” funded by the NCI

The National Cancer Institute has awarded a five-year, $3.2 million R01 research grant to UNC Lineberger’s Jen Jen Yeh, MD, and Gary Johnson, PhD, for their project entitled, “Targeting EGFR for basal subtype cancer.” The grant will support the first metastatic pancreatic cancer trial in the country to evaluate whether selecting treatment by tumor subtype … Read more

Spanheimer and Collaborators Advance Depth of Exploration in How Breast Tumors Become Resistant to Therapy

Dr. Philip Spanheimer is an Assistant Professor of Surgical Oncology whose work at UNC began in 2019. He specializes in treatment of breast cancers, complex skin cancers, sarcoma, endocrine surgery, and general oncology. His clinical research focuses on surgical management of cancer and patient outcomes, bringing a patient centered focus to the laboratory to understand disease … Read more

Clara Lee, MD, MPP Brings Experience, Grants to UNC Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Clara Lee, MD, MPP, FACS, brings surgical and research experience with her return to UNC as Professor of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Lee began work on an R21 NIH Grant on 2/1/24, and is progressing current work on an R01 and a sub-award on another R01. She discussed her grant and research work, background … Read more

Spanheimer Receives Prestigious National Cancer Institute’s K08 Career Development Award

Congratulations to Philip Spanheimer, MD, for receiving the very competitive and prestigious National Cancer Institute’s K08 career development grant which will support 5 years of funding for his research “Repurposing RET Inhibitors for Endocrine Resistant Breast Cancer”. “We have the unique opportunity to bridge laboratory studies and patient care” said Spanheimer as his study explores … Read more

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Awards Akerman R01 Grant

The UNC Department of Surgery is pleased to announce that the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has awarded Dr. Adam W. Akerman, PhD, an R01 grant and a 4-year funding period for his study entitled: “Enhanced Biochemical Monitoring for Aortic Aneurysm Disease.” Dr. Akerman and his team—which includes Drs. John Ikonomidis and Chris Agala … Read more

Akinkuotu Named UNC Simmons Scholar

The Department of Surgery is pleased to congratulate Adesola Akinkuotu, MD, MPH, named a University of North Carolina Simmons Scholar. Dr. Akinkuotu is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Surgery. Her specialties include minimally invasive surgery, thoracic surgery, congenital anomalies, and prenatal counseling. As a Simmons Scholar, Dr. Akinkuotu will be eligible to … Read more

National Cancer Institute awards leading Principal Investigator Dr. Jen Jen Yeh a 5-year, $10.9 million SPORE grant

The National Cancer Institute has awarded leading Principal Investigator Dr. Jen Jen Yeh a five-year, $10.9 million Pancreatic Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant intended to further enhance treatment solutions for pancreatic cancer by focusing on key challenges to identifying, producing and directing new therapies.

Yeh recipient of the Lustgarten Foundation’s LEAD Project grant

The Lustgarten Foundation has awarded its inaugural Lustgarten Equity, Accessibility, and Diversity (LEAD) Project grant to Jen Jen Yeh, MD, in support of her PROmoting CLinicAl TrIal EngageMent for Pancreatic Cancer App Study (PROCLAIM Study).

Ikonomidis Receives NIH R56 Award from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Congratulations to John Ikonomidis, MD, PhD, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery on his NIH R56 award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for “Device-Based Pathway Intervention: Mechanistic Study of Cellular Localization of Proteolytic Enzymes in Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm Disease”.

Yeh and Collaborators receive 5 year NIH U01 Award

Dr. Jen Jen Yeh, in collaboration with Drs. Naim Rashid (UNC Biostatistis) and Susan Tsai (Medical College of Wisconsin) received a $4,616,009 NIH U01 award for the period 9/1/2022 – 8/31/2027 from the National Cancer Institute for the project entitled, “Integrating tumor and stroma to understand and predict treatment response”.

Mody Receives K23 Grant From the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Gita Mody for receiving a K23 grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for her project entitled “Improving Thoracic Surgical Care using electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes (ePROs)”. The grant is from 1/1/2022-12/31/2026 for a total of $1,010,785.

Kim co-PI on $2M NIH RO1 Grant with Radiology Collaborators

UNC Department of Surgery is pleased to recognize co-PI Professor Lawrence Kim, MD, in the division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery who was awarded a four-year R01 funding ($2M) in September 2021. Along with Associate Professor of Radiology Zhanhong Wu, PhD, as co-MPI of a National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases … Read more

Katharine McGinigle Receives Award from Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation

Congratulations to Katharine McGinigle, MD, MPH, Associate Professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery. Dr. McGinigle received an award from the Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation (SVS) for her work entitled, “Using Precision Medicine to Define Adaptive Treatment Strategies for Patients with Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia.” The award is in the amount of $25,000. The mission … Read more

Raffs Receive NC TraCS Health Equity Research Award

Announcement courtesy of Kim Morris, Department of Medicine, September 29, 2021 Lauren Raff, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, and Evan Raff, MD, associate professor of medicine in the division of hospital of medicine were awarded an NC TraCS Health Equity Award to improve rapid response outcomes in patients whose primary language is … Read more

David Ollila Receives Award From the John Wayne Cancer Foundation (JWCF)

Congratulations to David Ollila, MD, James and Jesse Millis Distinguished Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery. Dr. Ollila received an Award from the John Wayne Cancer Foundation (JWCF) for the project entitled “Artificial Intelligence-Aided Digital Pathology to Improve Diagnosis in Metastatic Melanoma.” The award is for $25,000 from 8/1/2021 thru 7/31/2022. … Read more

Joseph Kearney, MD, receives AHPBA 2021 Steve Sotsky Award

Dr. Kearney is a recipient of the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association 2021 Steve Sotsky Award. This annual award recognizes outstanding work in the field of pancreatic research by a trainee. This award was created in memory of the father of AHPBA member, Dr. Tara Sotsky Kent. Mr. Steve Sotsky died of pancreatic cancer in September 2013. … Read more

Spanheimer Receives SOM Physician-Scientist Award

Dr. Philip Spanheimer is one of six scholars who will receive support from the UNC School of Medicine Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP). This program is a pipeline to recruit, train and retain the most promising individuals to our clinical training programs where they will receive mentorship and support to foster their research careers. Spanheimer’s … Read more

Joshua Herb Receives Pope Clinical Trainee Award

Dr. Joshua Herb, General Surgery Resident, was honored with a prestigious Pope Clinical Trainee Award, given to senior fellows who demonstrate excellence in cancer research and clinical care. Nominations for this competitive selection are voted on by all Department Chairs and Division Chiefs of cancer-related clinical and research areas. The awards are supported by the … Read more

Analiese Lahey, Undergraduate Senior in Rossman Lab receives Fulbright Scholarship

Congratulations to Analiese Lahey, an undergraduate student in the Rossman lab. She received a Fulbright scholarship! Analiese is finishing up her senior year at UNC and will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with a Chemistry minor. For her Fulbright research, she will be going to Dr. Weiland Hutner’s group at the Max … Read more

Jeffrey Johnson, MD, Surgical Oncology Fellow

Jeffrey Johnson Wins Tracks 2k Pilot Award

Jeffrey Johnson, MD, receives Grant from the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute. Jeffrey Johnson, MD, is a Surgical Oncology Fellow in the Department of Surgery. He received a TraCS $2K pilot grant for his proposal titled “Deep Learning-Aided Digital Pathology to Improve Diagnosis and Identify High-Risk Features in Melanoma Sentinel Lymph Nodes.” The … Read more

Stephanie Downs-Canner Awarded UNC Lineberger Development Award

Congratulations to Stephanie Downs-Canner, MD, Assistant Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery on receiving a UNC Lineberger Development Award. The UNC Lineberger Developmental Funding Program is intended to support the development of cancer research led by the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and to stimulate new … Read more

Adam Akerman Wins Tracks 2k Pilot Award and Jr. Faculty Development Award

Adam Akerman, Ph.D, receives Grant from the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute and a Jr. Faculty Development Award Adam Akerman, Ph.D, is an Assistant Professor in the division of . He received a TraCS $2K pilot grant for his proposal titled “Development of a method for targeted gene delivery to the murine thoracic … Read more

Gita Mody Wins One of Only Four Faculty Research Fellowship Awards From the American College of Surgeons

Congratulations Gita Mody, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. The American College of Surgeons and its Scholarship Program Committee announced Dr. Mody, as one of only four Faculty Research Fellowship award recipients for 2022-2024. “Receiving the American College of Surgeons Faculty Research Fellowship Award for my project ‘Improving Thoracic … Read more

Avital Yohann, MD, Receives Fogarty Global Health Fellowship Award

Congratulations to Avital (Tali) Yohann, MD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, who was offered a position in the 2020-2021 class of the UJMT Fogarty Global Health Fellowship Program. This mentored training opportunity is based in Malawi over the duration of the award, where she will gain experience and expertise in the conduct of research. The program provides … Read more

McGinigle and Yi Receive Grants from NC TraCS Institute

UNC Department of Surgery Faculty members Katharine McGinigle, MD, MPH, and Xianwen Yi, MD, PhD, received grants from the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute. Katharine McGinigle, MD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Vascular Surgery and the Surgical Director of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery program. She, along … Read more

Stephanie Lumpkin Receives One of 2020’s Prestigious Pope Clinical Trainee Awards

Dr. Stephanie Lumpkin, General Surgery Resident has been selected to receive one of 2020’s prestigious Pope Clinical Trainee Awards. Supported by the John William Pope Foundation, awardees are named by the University of North Carolina’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center with nominations voted on by all Department Chairs and Division Chiefs of cancer-related clinical and research areas. The Pope … Read more