The Nathan A. Womack
Surgical Society Research Day

June 4th, 2025

Nathan A. Womack Distinguished Visiting Professor

MITCHELL COHEN, MD, FACS

Professor

Vice Chair of Surgery

Dr. Cohen is Professor and Associate Vice Chair of Research, Department of Surgery at the University of Colorado. Clinically he is an active Trauma, General and Acute Care Surgeon as well as a busy Internist.

Dr. Cohen has an active NIH, DoD, BARDA and DARPA funded basic and translational science research group, which studies coagulation and inflammation perturbations after injury. Specifically, his lab continues to examine the mechanisms of traumatic coagulopathy and mediators of protein C system activation after trauma.

In addition to its basic science focus, the Cohen research group translationally studies similar topics through multiple clinical characterization and interventional trials aimed at elucidating the post trauma coagulation milieu and optimal resuscitation and treatment.

Finally, the Cohen group has an active interest in in-silico data and model driven approaches to modeling biological and physiologic systems. In keeping with this, his group has done extensive work on the use of Big Data, machine learning and artificial intelligence towards improving personalized medicine and outcomes.

Dr. Cohen’s work includes multi scale modeling projects ranging from coagulation and endothelial biology to causal inference prediction of patient physiologic state and trajectory. Taken together this work seeks to understand the biological and physiological phenotypic milieu after any threat or injury towards the goal of identifying patient phenotypes and trajectories and providing real time dynamic individualized medical countermeasures.The Cohen group works actively on surgical performance and wellness as well.

Dr. Cohen has over 350 publications. His best job remains being a dad to Ava (18) and husband to Stephanie.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Abstract submission for the 2025 Nathan A. Womack Surgical Society Research Day scheduled to take place on Wednesday, June 4th, 2025 at the Roper Hall will OPEN soon.

Previously presented abstracts/posters are acceptable, updated to current Department of Surgery and/or School of Medicine logo standards.  Mandatory attendance is asked of all Residents, and their participation with abstract submission is strongly encouraged.  Submissions from Fellows and medical students are also encouraged and welcomed.

Abstracts must be less than 3000 characters including spaces. All visual submissions and presentations must adhere to current Department of Surgery and School of Medicine logos. (See here and here for templates and information).   Top-ranked abstract submissions will be selected for oral presentations. Applicants selected for oral presentations will be informed by TBD. Prizes will be awarded for the top oral and poster (basic science and clinical) presentations.

All abstracts must be submitted electronically. The deadline for submission is TBD. Late submissions will not be accepted.

For more information or questions about Research Day, please contact surgery_research@med.unc.edu or visit our website: http://www.med.unc.edu/surgery/research/templates for helpful hints, poster templates, logos, etc.

(remember, updated appropriate logos must be utilized on your submission and presentation)

Deadline for abstracts will open soon!

(Tentative) SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Venue: Active Learning Theater on the ground floor of the UNC Roper Hall

Address: UNC Campus, 150 Medical Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27514.

9:30 AM – 11:00 AM  Poster Set-Up and Registration

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM  Resident Career Development Session with Mitchell Cohen, MD, FACS

12:15 PM – 1:30 PM  Poster Presentations

1:40 PM – 3:25 PM  Oral Presentations

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM  Nathan A. Womack Distinguished Visiting Professor Keynote Lecture

“TBD”

Mitchell Cohen, MD, FACS

4:35 PM  Nathan A. Womack Awards Presentation