Department of Surgery Year in Review | 2021 by UC Davis Health

2021

Department of Surgery Year in Review

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | INTRODUCTION

Department of Surgery At a Glance

in the UC system

clinical divisions

ACGME training programs

1854

110

11 fellows

13.2

3.8

annual NIH Research Funding

Department of Defense research funding

interns and residents

women faculty

33.7 million

annual research funding

in the west

million

ranking for surgery per Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research

in the nation

residency applications

faculty

million

active contracts/awards

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

While the lingering challenges of the COVID pandemic clouded much of 2021, the UC Davis Department of Surgery has continued to flourish. In fact, despite the many challenges over the past year, we’ve continued to expand, educate, innovate, and provide leading-edge surgical care. I’m proud to say that our department has evolved into a regional leader in patient care, research, and surgical education. We are committed to fostering innovation and discovery by providing an environment that nurtures diversity, embraces equity, and encourages collaboration. By working together, we are empowered to remain ahead of the curve in clinical care, surgical outcomes, research, and educating the next generation of surgeon leaders. Our annual report provides us with a vehicle to showcase department and faculty accomplishments. Some particularly noteworthy highlights from this past year include: ■

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Recognized by the Blue Ridge Institute as No. 1 in surgical research in the University of California system, No. 3 in the west, and No. 14 in the nation. Five surgical specialties/procedures recognized in U.S. News & World Report: Lung Cancer Surgery (David T. Cooke, M.D.), Colon Cancer Surgery & GI Surgery (Colon Cancer) (Elizabeth Raskin, M.D.), Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) (Bob Kiaii, M.D. and Sabrina Evans, M.D.), and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair (Mathew Mell, M.D. and Victor Rodriguez, M.D.). Completed the first surgical cellular therapy for in-utero repair of myelomeningocele using stem cells before birth to treat the most serious form of spina bifida (Diana Farmer, M.D., Shinjiro Hirose, M.D, and Aijun Wang, Ph.D.). Launched a new innovative bench-to-bedside educational experience “The Quarter at Aggie Square” offering biomedical engineering (BME) students the opportunity to engage in authentic clinical needs-finding sessions taught by faculty from the department of surgery (Aijun Wang Ph.D.). Appointed five new division chiefs: Burns: Tina Palmieri, M.D., Colorectal: Elizabeth Rankin, M.D., Plastic Surgery: Granger Wong, M.D., Surgical Oncology: Robert Canter, M.D. and Trauma: Rachael Callcut, M.D.

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Expanded our surgical department with the creation of the Division of General Thoracic Surgery and the appointment of David T. Cooke, M.D. to serve as the inaugural division chief. Establishment of the William Pevec, M.D. Lectureship which presents the latest clinical, research and educational developments in the field of vascular surgery in the honor of our distinguished former division chief of Vascular Surgery. Received an EMMY Award for the five-part digital media story of the successful surgical separation of craniopagus conjoined twins (Granger Wong. M.D.). No. 1 in California for donor kidney transplants and No. 7 in the country (Richard Perez, M.D. and Junichiro Sageshima, M.D.) Continued growth in residency and fellowship application success, with four out of five general surgery residents pursuing fellowships after graduation and matching into their choice programs (Edgardo Salcedo, M.D., David Leshikar, M.D., Misty Humphries, M.D., Gary Raff, M.D. and Granger Wong, M.D.)

I hope you enjoy learning more about the past year here in our annual report. As always, we are grateful for your support of our mission to serve our Northern California region and beyond. Sincerely,

Diana Farmer, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.R.C.S.

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | FACULTY

Faculty and Clinicians

Division of Burn Surgery and Reconstruction

Division of Cardiac Surgery

Tina Palmieri, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Bob Kiaii, M.D., F.R.C.S.C., F.A.C.S.

Chief, Burn Surgery

Chief, Cardiac Surgery

Professor

Director, Firefighters Burn Institute Burn Center at the University of California, Davis

Kiho Cho, D.V.M., Ph.D. Professor (Research)

ADULT CARDIAC SURGERY Sabrina Evans, M.D.

David Greenhalgh, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Associate Program Director, Cardiothoracic Residency Program

Emeritus Chief, Burn Surgery

Assistant Professor

Professor Helen Marian Bart Endowed Professorship in Burn Care

Kathleen Romanowski, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Victor Rodriguez, M.D. Director, Aortic Center Professor

Curtis Wozniak, M.D.

Associate Professor

Visiting Assistant Professor

Soman Sen, M.D., F.A.C.S.

J. Nilas Young, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Professor

Chief Emeritus, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery Professor

Jorge Torres Catrip, M.D. Associate Professor

We are committed to fostering innovation and discovery by providing an environment that nurtures diversity, embraces equity, and encourages collaboration.

PEDIATRIC CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY Gary Raff, M.D., F.A.C.S. Section Head, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Surgical Director, Pediatric Heart Center Program Director, Cardiothoracic Residency Program Professor

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF Health SURGERY UC Davis

Department of Surgery

Division of General Thoracic Surgery

Division of Colorectal Surgery

Division of Foregut, Metabolic and General Surgery

David Tom Cooke, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Elizabeth Raskin, M.D.

Mohamed Ali, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Chief, General Thoracic Surgery

Chief, Division of Colorectal Surgery

Chief, Foregut, Metabolic and General Surgery

Associate Director, Cardiothoracic Robotics Program

Associate Professor

Director, Minimally Invasive Surgery

Professor

Lisa Brown, M.D., M.A.S. Associate Professor

Luis Godoy, M.D. Assistant Professor

Fadwa Ali, M.D.

Professor

Assistant Professor

Shushmita Ahmed, M.D.

Deborah Keller, M.D.

Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency

Assistant Visiting Professor

Assistant Professor

Victoria Lyo, M.D., M.T.M. Assistant Professor

Hazem Shamseddeen, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.S.M.B.S. Associate Professor

GASTROINTESTINAL SURGERY Hung Sy Ho, M.D., F.A.C.S. Earl Wolfman Endowed Professor General Surgery Professor

Jonathan Pierce, M.D., F.A.C.S. Health Sciences Clinical Professor Co-Director of Surgery Clerkship Surgical Director, Center for Virtual Care

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | FACULTY

Through our commitment to offering leading-edge robotic technology, we’ve become nationally recognized as a stateof-the-art training center for robotic surgery.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Division of Pediatric, General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery

Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Division of Surgical Oncology

Shinjiro Hirose, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Granger Wong, M.D., D.M.D., F.A.C.S.

Robert Canter, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Chief, Division of Pediatric, General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery

Chief, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology

Vice-Chair, Department of Surgery

Professor

Director of Pediatric Surgery, Shriners Hospitals for Children – Northern California

Lee Pu, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S.

BREAST SURGERY

Director, UC Davis Fetal Care and Treatment Center

Professor

Candice Sauder, M.D., M.Ed., F.A.C.S.

HAND PLASTIC SURGERY

Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency

Erin Brown, M.D. Director, Pediatric Surgical Oncology Assistant Professor

Diana Farmer, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.R.C.S. Chair, Department of Surgery

Clifford Pereira, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.R.C.S. (Eng)

Professor

Assistant Professor

Associate Professor

ENDOCRINE SURGERY

Andrew Li, M.D.

Michael Campbell, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Assistant Professor

Pearl Stamps Stewart Endowed Chair

Section Head, Endocrine Surgery Associate Professor

Co-Director, Center for Surgical Bioengineering

Claire Graves, M.D.

Surgeon-In-Chief, UC Davis Children’s Hospital

Professor

Jonathan Kohler, M.D., M.A. Associate Professor Medical Director, Pediatric Trauma

Payam Saadai, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Assistant Professor

HEPATOBILIARY SURGERY Richard Bold, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Director, Pediatric Colorectal Program Assistant Professor

Vice Chair, Finance Physician-in-Chief, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center

Minna Wieck, M.D.

Medical Director, UC Davis Cancer Care Network

Assistant Professor

Isabelle J. McDonald Endowed Professor of Cancer Research Professor

Sepideh Gholami, M.D., F.A.C.S. Assistant Professor

MELANOMA Cameron Gaskill, M.D., M.P.H. Director of Global Surgical Oncology Assistant Professor

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | FACULTY

Division of Transplant Surgery

Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Critical Care

Richard Perez, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Rachael Callcut, M.D., M.S.P.H., F.A.C.S.

Chief, Division of Transplant Surgery Medical Director, Transplant Center Director, Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program

Chief, Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Critical Care Vice Chair, Clinical Science

Professor

Director, Trauma Research

Naeem Goussous, M.D.

UC Davis Health Interim Chief Research Informatics Officer (CRIO)

Assistant Professor

Neal Mineyev, M.D. Assistant Professor

Junichiro Sageshima, M.D., F.A.C.S. Surgical Director, Living Donor Kidney Transplant Program Professor

Peter Than, M.D. Assistant Professor

Associate Professor

John Anderson, M.D., F.A.C.S. Professor

Ian Brown, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor

Christine Cocanour, M.D., F.A.C.S. Section Head, Surgical Critical Care Professor

Joseph Galante, M.D., F.A.C.S. Medical Director, Perioperative Services Trauma Medical Director Professor

Rachel Hight, M.D., F.A.C.S. Associate Professor

Gregory Jurkovich, M.D., F.A.C.S. Vice Chair, Clinical Affairs and Quality Donant Endowed Chair in Trauma Medicine and Trauma Research Professor

David Leshikar, M.D. Associate Program Director, General Surgery Residency and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Assistant Professor

Ho Phan, M.D., F.A.C.S. Professor

Tanya Rinderknecht, M.D. Assistant Professor

Edgardo Salcedo, M.D., F.A.C.S. Program Director, General Surgery Residency Surgical Director, Center for Simulation and Education Enhancement Interim Vice Chair of Education, Department of Surgery Professor

David Shatz, M.D., F.A.C.S. Professor

Garth Utter, M.D., F.A.C.S. Professor

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery

Research Sean Adams, Ph.D. Vice Chair, Basic Science Scientific Director, Center for Alimentary & Metabolic Science Professor

Rachael Callcut, M.D., M.S.P.H., F.A.C.S. Vice Chair, Clinical Science

Bethany Cummings, D.V.M., Ph.D. Associate Professor

Matthew Mell, M.D., M.S. Chief, Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Pearl Stamps Stewart Endowed Professor Medical Director, Vascular Center

Nasim Hedayati, M.D., M.A.S., F.A.C.S., R.P.V.I. Medical Director, UC Davis Vein Center Professor

Misty Humphries, M.D., M.A.S., R.P.V.I., F.A.C.S. Program Director, Vascular Integrated Residency Program Program Director, Research Experience in Surgery (RESURG) Associate Professor

Mimmie Kwong, M.D.

K.C. Kent Lloyd, D.V.M., Ph.D. Director, UC Davis Mouse Biology Program Associate Director, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center Professor

Tina Palmieri, M.D., F.A.C.S. Vice Chair, Clinical Trials

Aijun Wang, Ph.D. Vice Chair, Translational Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Co-Director, Surgical Bioengineering Laboratory Chancellor’s Fellow Professor

Assistant Professor

Steven Maximus, M.D.

Joint Appointments

Assistant Professor

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING Alyssa Panitch, Ph.D. Professor

PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCES Miriam Nuño, Ph.D. Associate Professor

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | FACULTY

New Faculty Jorge Catrip, M.D.

Bethany Cummings, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Associate Professor Cardiac Surgery

Associate Professor CAMS Research Group

Dr. Catrip completed his medical degree and general surgery residency at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. He completed his residency in cardiovascular surgery at the Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chavez. He completed a clinical fellowship in Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (MICS) and robotic heart surgery at the University Hospital, London in Canada under the leadership of Dr. Bob Kiaii, a clinical fellowship in Valve Repair in the Heart Failure Program at Toronto General Hospital in Canada, as well as an observership in Totally Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery at the Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. Dr. Catrip is double board certified in General Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery and is a member of the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery, European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery and Society of Thoracic Surgeons. With his extensive background in complex cardiac surgery and minimally invasive cardiac surgery, he brings a unique set of skills in dealing with complex heart surgery including redo heart surgery, endocarditis, coronary artery bypass surgery, aortic root surgery, as well as all the minimally invasive approaches including robotics to treat coronary artery and heart valve diseases. For the past four years, Dr. Catrip served as Deputy Chief of Adult Cardiovascular Surgery at the Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chavez in Mexico City. He also was trained and has special interest in heart transplants and LVAD’s. His research interests include innovations in heart surgery approaches, as well as minimally invasive robotic heart surgery.

Dr. Cummings is a graduate of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine where she earned a dual D.V.M./Ph.D. degree and completed a post-doc program in the UC Davis Department of Nutrition. Dr. Cummings joins the department as Associate Professor in the department’s new Alimentary and Metabolic Science (CAMS) research group. Dr. Cummings returns to UC Davis from Cornell University where she was an Associate Professor and ran a research lab that focused on understanding the molecular underpinnings of metabolic and cardiovascular disease and identifying new therapeutic targets for these highly prevalent diseases. In her new role she will oversee research that examines therapeutic strategies to address the epidemic of obesity and its co-morbidities.

Cameron Gaskill, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor Surgical Oncology

Dr. Gaskill completed his medical degree and general surgery residency at the University of Washington. He then completed a clinical fellowship in complex general surgical oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Dr. Gaskill received a Master’s in Public Health at the University of Washington and finished research fellowships in surgical outcomes and health services, as well as a Fogarty Global Health Research fellowship with the National Institutes of Health in Kumasi, Ghana. Dr. Gaskill is board certified in General Surgery and a member of the American College of Surgeons, Society of Surgical Oncology, American Hepato-PancreatiBiliary Society, Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, and the Henry N. Harkins Surgical Society.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

With an extensive background in surgical oncology and global health research, Dr. Gaskill provides a unique set of skills to focus on improving the quality of surgical and cancer care in low-resource settings. He brings direct experience in global and public health, building programs to increase capacity in the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cancers through cancer registries, training programs, and international advocacy. He is excited to work towards building a center for global surgery at UC Davis, with the mission of promoting collaboration and innovation in providing care to cancer patients in under-resourced environments. Dr. Gaskill specializes in the treatment of patients with cancers of the stomach, pancreas, and skin. In addition to leading the surgical melanoma program at UC Davis, he has a special interest and expertise in complex surgical care, surgical innovation, and robotic techniques.

Peter Than, M.D. Assistant Professor Transplant Surgery

Dr. Than completed his medical degree at Brown University, and a general surgery residency, a postdoc research fellowship studying tissue and regenerative medicine, and fellowship in abdominal multi-organ transplant, all at Stanford University. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a member of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Than joins the department as a transplant surgeon. His research areas of interest include investigating strategies in tissue engineering, stem cell differentiation, scaffold materials, cell-based therapy, gene therapy, cancer immunotherapy, wound healing, and foreign body response to implanted materials.

Rachel Hight, M.D., F.A.C.S. Associate Professor Trauma

Dr. Hight completed her medical degree at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, a general surgery residency at Keesler Medical Center in Biloxi Mississippi and a fellowship in surgical critical care at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in Ohio. She is double board certified in general surgery and surgical critical care. Dr. Hight has over 15 years of clinical and leadership experience with the United States Air Force in various roles spanning the globe in a variety of settings, including two deployments to Afghanistan, in a nearly 30-year career. Dr. Hight arrived at UC Davis in 2010 while concurrently serving in the USAF at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, CA and served as the UC Davis military-civilian partnership liaison. Dr. Hight retired from the Air Force in 2019 in the rank of Colonel. Her expertise in trauma, pre-hospital medical training, surgical education and communication, emergency hemorrhage control techniques, and disaster preparedness will serve as a great asset to UC Davis trauma program.

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | FACULTY

We have an unwavering dedication to fostering an environment of equity, inclusion, and diversity for the members of our faculty, our trainees, our team members, and most importantly, our patients.

SEED Training Program creates an Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity (IDARE) Taskforce

This fall as part of the SUCCEED faculty development program, the entire Department of Surgery participated in a customized Supporting Educational Excellence in Diversity (SEED) training. This curriculum was led by faculty from the Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Drs. David T. Cooke, Vice Chair for Faculty Development & Wellness, and Luis Godoy, M.D., Diversity and Inclusion Director, of the Department of Surgery. As part of this program, department faculty received a four-hour online training in cultural humility to empower their teaching, and how to identify the key elements of curricular content that contribute to the cultural microaggressions that impede learning, as well as develop self-management and communications skills to navigate difficult interactions that impact cultural safety. As a result of the initiative, the department created an Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Equity (IDARE) Taskforce. The IDARE Taskforce will help department leaders, managers, and members stay focused on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) goals outlined in the UC Davis DEI Strategic Vision. Our department IDARE Taskforce members include Drs. Luis Godoy, Chair, Kathleen Romanowski, Steven Maximus, Elizabeth Raskin, Michael Campbell, Tanya Rinderknecht, Nasim Hedayati, Payam Saadai, and Shushmita Ahmed.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Six New Division Chiefs Announced This year we’ve appointed five new division chiefs to oversee critical divisions specializing in burns, colorectal, plastic, surgical oncology and trauma surgery. In addition, a founding chief position was also added to coincide with the creation of the new Division of General Thoracic Surgery.

Firefighters Burn Institute Regional Burn Center. She has also led the development of international burn care guidelines and burn disaster management guidelines, including treatment of humans and animals injured in wildfires. She is a national leader in burn care and past President of the American Burn Association.

Elizabeth Raskin, M.D. joined the Rachael Callcut, M.D. has been named department in early 2020 and has Chief of the Division of Trauma, Acute served as Interim Chief for the past Care Surgery and Surgical Critical year. This past January she assumed Care. She is a nationally recognized the official role as Chief of the Division expert in trauma care and has an of Colorectal Surgery. In addition to extensive track record as a surgeon her role as Division Chief, she serves scientist including being the PI of as the director of Robotic Surgical Education, and as staff nearly $13 million in funding in the last eight years. She also currently serves on the National Board of Directors of surgeon at the Northern California VA Hospital. the Coalition for Trauma Research (CNTR). Dr. Callcut is an Granger Wong, M.D., DDS is the new active member of the national trauma community holding chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery leadership positions in several societies including Chair of and has also accepted the position the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) as director of the Plastic Surgery Program Committee of the American Association for the Residency Program. Wong joined the Surgery of Trauma (AAST). Dr. Callcut is also a member of Department of Surgery in 1998 and the Society of University Surgeons (SUS). has played an influential role in the growth of the Division of Plastic Surgery. Most recently, David T. Cooke, M.D. will serve as the inaugural chief of the new Division under his leadership, UC Davis received international acclaim with the first separation of craniopagus conjoined of General Thoracic Surgery, created twins at the UC Davis Children’s Hospital. as a direct result of the continued growth and success of the UC Davis Robert Canter, M.D. is the new the thoracic surgery program, which Chief of the Division of Surgical Cooke has guided. Cooke joined the Oncology. He joined the department faculty in 2008, and in 2012 became the founding head of in 2007 and is an internationally the section of general thoracic surgery. He is known as a recognized and pioneering leader in national surgical leader, esteemed educator, cancer health soft tissue sarcoma and immunotherservices researcher and patient engagement expert and apy research. In addition to seeing will lead the thoracic team with advancing state-of-thepatients in the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, art technologies, driving innovative surgical techniques Dr. Canter has spent the past 14 years cultivating a clinical to improve patient outcomes and with contributing to and translational research focus in soft tissue sarcoma. translational and patient centered research. He now directs an independently funded cancer immunology and immunotherapy research lab at UC Davis Tina Palmieri, M.D. is taking the studying mechanisms to apply natural killer (NK) cell helm as the chief of the Division of immunotherapy to solid tumors, including sarcomas. Burn Surgery as David Greenhalgh Through his research he has developed a strong collabsteps down as chief after a long oration with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and distinguished career. Palmieri is to apply novel immunotherapy approaches to treat dogs recognized as a pioneering leader in with naturally occurring cancers. burn care, education and research, and currently serves as professor and director of the

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | FACULTY

UC Davis Health Surgery Chair to Lead Prestigious Organization Diana Farmer, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.R.C.S., is the new president-elect of the American Surgical Association for 2021–22, and assumes the presidency in 2022–23. “I am humbled and privileged to bring this academic honor to UC Davis and am proud to follow in the footsteps of fellow University of California surgeons, Dr. James Economou, Vice Chancellor for Research at UCLA, and Dr. Haile Debas, former Chancellor at UCSF,” said Farmer. Farmer, who has served as Department of Surgery chair since 2011, recently received a $9M grant from California’s stem cell agency (CIRM) to launch the world’s first human clinical trial using stem cells to treat spina bifida. This trial involves researching a novel stem cell therapy which includes running a first-in-human clinical trial for repairing damaged neural tissue in spina bifida patients before birth. “Throughout her career, Dr. Farmer has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and innovation — as an internationally renowned surgeon, trailblazing researcher and role model for future physician scientists,” said former Dean Allison Brashear of the UC Davis School of Medicine. “As president-elect of the ASA, the field of surgery will greatly benefit from Dr. Farmer’s expertise and vision.”

Farmer recently won a U21 Award for advancing global perspectives in her field. In 2010, Farmer was inducted as a fellow into the Royal College of Surgeons of England, becoming only the second woman surgeon from the United States to receive this prestigious honor. In 2011, she was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, one of the highest honors in medicine. The American Surgical Association is the oldest surgical association in the U.S. Its members include the nation’s most prominent surgeons from the country’s leading academic medical institutions as well as leading surgeons from around the world. Its primary mission is to be the premier organization for surgical science and scholarship and to provide a national forum for developing state-of-the-art general and sub-specialty surgery. Members also work to elevate the standards of the medical/surgical profession.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | FACULTY

Faculty News Endowed Faculty Richard Bold, M.D. Isabelle J. McDonald Endowed Professor

Sean Adams, M.S., Ph.D., received a research award for Postnatal Dietary Factors Impacting Healthy Development.

Diana Farmer, M.D. Pearl Stamps Stewart Endowed Chair

David Greenhalgh, M.D. Helen Marian Bart Endowed Professorship in Burn Care

Hung Sy Ho, M.D. Earl Wolfman Jr Endowed Professorship

Gregory J. Jurkovich, M.D. Donant Endowed Chair in Trauma Medicine and Trauma Research

Matthew Mell, M.D. Pearl Stamps Stewart Endowed Professor

Faculty Promotions Lisa Brown, M.D. Associate Professor

Rachael Callcut, M.D. Professor

David T. Cooke, M.D. Professor

Katie Romanowski, M.D. Associate Professor

Edgardo Salcedo, M.D. Professor

Aijun Wang, Ph.D. Professor

Sushmita Ahmed, M.D., was appointed to the American College of Surgeons accredited Education Institutes curriculum committee.

Erin Brown, M.D., was named a UC Davis Paul Calabresi Award recipient as a Clinical Oncology K12 Scholar.

Ian Brown, M.D., Ph.D., received the UC Davis 2021 Calvin E. Handy Leadership Award for leadership, service and implementing the Trauma Wraparound Program.

Michael Campbell, M.D., received a research award for “Evaluating cost effective care for differentiated thyroid cancer.”

Robert Canter, M.D., received a $600K 2021 Translational Award Program for “Combining IL-15 with TIGIT Blockade to Stimulate Natural Killer Anti-Tumor Immunity in Soft Tissue Sarcomas.”

Christine Cocanour, M.D., successfully completed six years of being a Governor of the American College of Surgeons and is serving as Chair of the Performance Improvement Patient Safety Committee for the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma and as a member of the COT executive board.

David T. Cooke, M.D. has been named President-Elect of the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association. Assuming this role in 2023, Dr. Cooke will be the first African-American to serve the organization. He also received the 2021 Cancer Health magazine Cancer Health 25: Black Lives Matter recognition for his work in mitigating health disparities in cancer care, and received the 2021 UC Davis Medical Center Chief of Staff Award for his work in combating COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy.

Bethany Cummings, D.V.M., Ph.D., was awarded a $413K NIH/NCCIH R21grant to study gut microbial bile acid metabolism and was also awarded a $387K NIH/NIDDKR56 grant to study islet GLP-1 biology.

Luis Godoy, M.D. was inducted into membership of the Western Thoracic Surgical Association.

David Greenhalgh, M.D., will assume the role of President of the International Society for Burn Injury starting June 2021 and has been named Vice Chair Institutional Review Board for UC Davis.

Nasim Hedayati, M.D., was appointed to the Governance Board of Directors for the Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation and Editorial Board for the Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders.

Misty Humphries, M.D., has been selected to represent UC Davis Health in the 2021–2022 UC Women’s Initiative for Professional Development (UCWI).

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Bob Kiaii, M.D., became President of the International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS) in June 2021.

Victoria Lyo, M.D., received a $50K research award from the UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center for a project entitled Novel Noninvasive Assessment of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Response to Bariatric Surgery, and also received a $30K SAGES General Research Award for a project entitled Sex Differences in Response to Bariatric Surgery.

Drs. Mathew Mell, M.D., and Shinjiro Hirose, M.D., were voted in as members of the American Surgical Association at the 2021 Annual Meeting.

Tina Palmieri, M.D., was elected as a Clinical Counselor for the Shock Society, and named as editor of the Surgical Infection Society, and is serving on the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee for the American Burn Association.

Clifford Pereira, M.D., received the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand Young Investigator Award for his research “Does Endothelial Cell Binding Ligand LXW7 Enhance Nerve Allograft Vascularization” in collaboration with Aijun Wang, Ph.D. He was elected to the American Society of Plastic Surgery/Plastic Surgery Foundation Continued Medical Education committee and the American Society for Surgery of the Hand – Evidence Based Practice committee. In addition, he was invited to be part of the Plastic Surgery Research Council grant selection committee for basic science.

Lee Pu, M.D., has been appointed as an Annual Meeting Educational Program Committee Member and International Subcommittee Member for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and The Plastic Surgery Foundation.

Kathleen Romanowski, M.D., was named Association for Academic Surgery Committee on Communications & Technology Co-Chair, and was appointed to the editorial board of The Journal of Surgical Research and as Faculty Chair of the Association of Women Surgeons Blog Subcommittee.

Edgardo Salcedo, M.D., was appointed to the Association for Surgical Education Foundation Board, and as Vice Chair of the American College of Surgeons Accredited Education Institutes Curriculum Committee, and was also was admitted to the American College of Surgeons, Academy of Master Educators as an Associate Member. Dr. Salcedo was invited to join the American College of Surgeons Entering and Senior Resident Readiness Assessment Leadership Team.

UC Davis Health Inaugural Diamond Docs Award Winners UC Davis Health Diamond Docs Award Winners celebrates physicians recognized by their patients for extraordinary adult inpatient care demonstrated by careful listening, clear explanations, and respectful partnerships. We are pleased to welcome these five faculty members into this inaugural circle of high recognition: John Anderson, M.D. (Trauma) Rick Bold, M.D. (Oncology) Rachael Callcut, M.D. (Trauma) Richard Perez, M.D. (Transplant) Elizabeth Raskin, M.D. (Colorectal)

Candice Sauder, M.D., received a research award for Outcomes for adolescent and young adults with triple negative secondary breast cancer.

Soman Sen, M.D., was named a Program Committee Member for the American Burn Association and as a new member of the Society of University Surgeons.

Aijun Wang, Ph.D. and the UC Davis Center for Surgical Bioengineering startup, VasoBio, won the Sacramento Business Journal’s 2021 Sacramento Region INNOVATION Award.

UC Davis epidemiologist and colorectal cancer patient, Brad Pollock talks with colleague and cancer surgeon Elizabeth Raskin.

2021 ANNUAL REPORT

Clinical Care UC Davis Health earns national prominence as a new robotic cardiac surgery training center

Cardiac Surgery Faculty Members left to right: Drs. Victor

UC Davis Health has been designated as a training center for the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Foundation’s Cardiac Surgical Robotics Program, the first such center in California and just the sixth in the United States. Under the leadership of Bob Kiaii, M.D., F.R.C.S.C., F.A.C.S., chief of the Division of Adult Cardiac Surgery, and adult cardiac surgeon Jorge Catrip, M.D., surgeons from across the country will come to UC Davis Health to learn techniques to master the fundamentals of robotic mitral valve surgery. “This designation is a significant accomplishment by the dedicated members of our robotic cardiac team, including nursing, perfusion, anesthesia and cardiac surgery,” said Dr. Kiaii, recently elected 2021/2022 president of the International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery (ISMICS). “It illustrates our mission to offer the most advanced medical technology and provide the best health care to our patients.” While traditional open surgery often requires long incisions that damage surrounding tissue, robot-assisted surgery is performed through tiny incisions of one to two centimeters, with minimal impact to the surrounding area. The robot’s arms mimic the surgeon’s movements, allowing for the procedure to be performed endoscopically. Patient benefits include less pain and blood loss, reduced risk of infection, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery. “Advanced robotics is revolutionizing minimally-invasive surgery for both the patient and the physician,” said Dr. Kiaii. “The robot overcomes the limitations of traditional technology and allows patients to have proven cardiac surgical repairs without the invasive incisions.”

Rodriguez, Sabrina Evans, Jorge Catrip, and Bob Kiaii.

The Department of Surgery’s Cardiac Division is one of six host institutions for the American Association for Thoracic Surgery Foundation

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Depth of Expertise and Training

Drs. Kiaii and Catrip will be the primary surgeons leading the trainings at the host center. Kiaii joined the Department of Surgery in 2019 and is known internationally as a leader in pioneering minimally invasive cardiac procedures, including robotic-assisted heart surgery. He performed a number of pioneering operations before arriving at UC Davis from Canada’s Western University, including the world’s first robotic-assisted surgeries for aortic valve replacement for aortic valve stenosis, right atrial perforation repair, and left atrial appendage ligation for atrial fibrillation. In 2020, Kiaii performed Northern California’s first robotic mitral valve repair, as one of the initial cases at UC Davis Health to leverage his long expertise in advancing minimally invasive cardiac surgery techniques. Dr. Catrip completed a clinical fellowship in Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery (MICS) and robotic heart surgery at the University Hospital, London in Canada under Kiaii’s leadership, as well as a clinical fellowship in valve repair at Toronto General Hospital and an observership in totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass surgery at the Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. He’s double board-certified in general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery, and previously served as deputy chief of adult cardiovascular surgery at the Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chavez in Mexico City. UC Davis Health’s adult cardiology and heart surgery program is ranked the 26th best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The magazine also ranks the program as high performing in heart attack, heart failure, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

Serving UCs and the Greater West

Cardiac surgeons from UCSF and Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego are scheduled for sessions at UC Davis Health after COVID-19 visitor restrictions are lifted. With UC Davis currently the only training center in the West, the university will likely be a chief training destination for surgeons in the western region. Other host surgeons and institutions that have partnered with the AATS Foundation on Cardiac Surgical Robotics Program include: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Vinay Badhwar, M.D., West Virginia University Joseph Dearani, M.D., Mayo Clinic Marc Gillinov, M.D., Cleveland Clinic Eugene Grossi, M.D., New York University Michael Halkos, M.D., Emory University at Midtown

Visit AATS for more information about the Cardiac Surgical Robotics Program.

At a Glance

Clinical Divisions

352

Kidney Transplants (ranked #3 in California and the west and #7 nationally)

American College of Surgeons designations: Level I Adult Trauma Center Level I Children’s Surgery Center Level I Pediatric Trauma Center Commission on Cancer, National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer

U.S. News & World Report nationally ranked: Cancer Care Cardiology & Heart Surgery Pulmonology & Lung Surgery

U.S. News & World Report high-performing: Gastroenterology & GI Surgery Colon Cancer Surgery Lung Cancer Surgery Heart Failure Care Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Acute Kidney Failure Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) 18

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | CLINICAL CARE HIGHLIGHTS

Dr. David Cooke to Serve as the Inaugural Chief of the New Division of General Thoracic Surgery On January 1st, 2021, Dr. David Tom Cooke was appointed the inaugural Chief of the newest division in the department of surgery, the Division of General Thoracic Surgery. The Division is a direct result of the continued growth and success in our thoracic surgery program under his guidance. In this new role, Dr. Cooke will lead the general thoracic team in advancing stateof-the-art technologies, driving innovative surgical techniques to improve patient outcomes, and in contributing to translational and patient centered research. The motto of the new Division is “Equality of Great Quality.” The group embraces innovative care, which includes premier expertise of robotics and future technologies, concepts and care advances, and collaborations with university, industry, advocacy, and community stakeholders that place our patients in a recovery advantage. The Division faculty will build on a thoracic oncology population health, ambulatory and surgical care strategy, especially in lung and esophageal cancer, that supports the UC Davis Health National Cancer Institute comprehensive designation and National Comprehensive Cancer Network membership. Faculty within the Division will grow a 19

nationally collaborative, health services research program that is unique to our region. The Division is dedicated to composing a learning environment that is inclusive of multiple levels of extraordinary trainees, from diverse backgrounds, and incorporates education in new technology and contemporary competencies. Dr. Cooke joined the UC Davis School of Medicine faculty in 2008 and in 2012 became the founding Head of the Section of General Thoracic Surgery within the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He is known as a national surgical leader, esteemed educator, cancer health services researcher and patient engagement expert. He serves as co-institutional principal investigator for lung cancer clinical trials and has received funding by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and currently serves as supplement project co-leader for the NIH UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center COVID-19 project ‘Impact of COVID-19 on CancerRelated Behaviors Among NonMetropolitan Minorities in Inland Northern California – Seeking Mitigation Strategies’. Dr. Cooke has authored over 100 scholarly works and co-authored the second version of Cardiothoracic Surgery published by Oxford University Press. He has given

numerous invited lectures on topics including surgical thoracic oncology, robotic surgery, lung cancer screening, medical education, mentorship, health disparities and diversity and inclusion, and received several awards including election as American College of Surgeons Associate Member of the Academy of Master Surgeon Educators.™ He is a fellow and governor of the American College of Surgeons, Past President of the Northern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, and a leader within the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Western Thoracic Surgical Association and the Thoracic Surgery Outcomes Research Network, Inc. He is a member of the board of directors of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. In addition, Dr. Cooke is a member of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons, and is a volunteer national spokesperson of the American Lung Association (ALA) and serves on the ALA National Lung Cancer Expert Medical Advisory Panel. He is the co-founder of the patient-centered social media Twitter-based patient engagement network, lung cancer social media (#LCSM). Since its inception in 2013, the #LCSM community has had over 50,000 participants, 700,000 tweets and 2 billion impressions.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Dr. Cooke earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley with honors, and medical degree, cum laude, from Harvard Medical School. He completed a general surgical internship and residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital, a surgical research fellowship at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the University of Michigan Medical School. Well known for his integration of medical social media and surgical education, his continued efforts with student mentoring, faculty wellness and community involvement make him a strong role model for new career surgeon-scientist-leaders. He will continue to serve as the Department of Surgery Vice Chair for Faculty Development & Wellness, and oversee the Department SUCCEED Program as well as the visiting professor exchange program with the University of Alabama, Birmingham. We are very fortunate to have Dr. Cooke as an integral part of the Department of Surgery and are very pleased to announce him as the founding Chief of the Division of General Thoracic Surgery.

Dr. David Tom Cooke, appointed the inaugural Chief of the newest division in the department of surgery, the Division of General Thoracic Surgery.

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | CLINICAL CARE HIGHLIGHTS

Kidney Transplant Living Donor Program experiences a unique first Daughter Donates Kidney to Her Dad on Father’s Day When Jazlyn Estrella thinks of her father, she envisions him in the garage with his tools, creating something. “He’s always working on something,” she said of her father, Ruther Estrella. “He’s so artistic and, if he puts his mind to it, he can build anything.” She recalls a life-size replica of the R2-D2 droid he fabricated when she was young, along with several Star Wars costumes. Whenever Father’s Day arrived, she bought him tools. “Tools for whatever project he was working on, or a gift card to a store where he could buy more tools,” she laughed. Over the years his health deteriorated and for Father’s Day 2021, Jazlyn Estrella gave her dad something you can’t buy.

The 21-year-old donated one of her kidneys to him. The UC Davis Health transplant team made it possible. It was the best gift she could ever give. The hours he once spent in the garage had become hours connected to a dialysis machine. At the age of 47, the man who had been her role model since she was a young girl, now fought aggressive kidney disease and faced a bleak future.

An Unexpected Gift

Ruther Estrella’s kidney disease worsened in 2019. When his daughter drove up from the Bay Area to visit him in Sacramento, she saw how sick he had become and how complicated dialysis can be. “The first thing she did, she hugged me and started crying,” Ruther Estrella recalled. “She sat next to me and said, ‘I don’t like to see you like this, dad.’ But I didn’t expect anything from her.” For Jazlyn Estrella, seeing her father tethered to the machine sparked her strong will and determination to help however she could. Jazlyn Estrella’s earliest memories of her father, Ruther, involve him building things, such as a Star Wars costume.

“No person’s opinion could change my mind on it,” she said. “I knew he couldn’t be strong with a failing kidney. I felt like I was going to lose my dad.”

A Familiar Diagnosis Returns Ruther Estrella had been expecting a moment like this for 16 years. Born in the Philippines, he and his family came to the U.S. when he was seven, and Estrella was diagnosed with an autoimmune kidney disease when he was 13. Doctors told him then that they would keep an eye on his kidneys, because they were not well. Years later, in 1998, when his then-wife was pregnant with Jazlyn Estrella, he went in for routine check-up. “After a simple blood check, they came out with a wheelchair and rushed me to emergency dialysis,” he remembered. He would remain on dialysis awaiting a transplant for five years. In 2003, he received a cadaver kidney. The doctors told him it might last for eight years. While he doubled those expectations, the inevitable scenario returned.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Jazlyn and her dad Ruther Estrella recover at UC Davis Medical Center after she donated a kidney to him the day after Father’s Day.

“I want to save his life”

“When I saw him, I made the decision that I want to do something for my dad,” said Jazlyn Estrella. “If I can do it, I want to save his life.” After learning they were a perfect match, Jazlyn Estrella began her living donor journey. Meanwhile, Ruther Estrella’s fiancée, Grace Cantiller, served as his number-one supporter and full-time caregiver for his home dialysis. His days were restricted, but with his fiancée and daughter fighting with him, he never gave up hope. Finally, the UC Davis Health transplant team set a date, June 21, 2021. “We didn’t even realize that the 20th was Father’s Day. I was laughing and thought, what a great gift. I need to take really good care of this kidney,” Ruther Estrella said. “I thought this was going to be the best gift for him. And I didn’t have to shop for him! It just added more sentimental value to it,” Jazlyn Estrella added. Not only sentimental value, but also quality of life because this time around, the kidney came from a living donor.

“Compared with dialysis therapy, living donor kidney transplant not only improves the quality of life, but also prolongs the life expectancy. It is truly a gift of life.” — Junichiro Sageshima, M.D.

“Compared with dialysis therapy, living donor kidney transplant not only improves the quality of life, but also prolongs the life expectancy,” explained transplant surgeon Junichiro Sageshima. “It is truly a gift of life.”

An Exciting Future Awaits

Living is exactly what the Estrellas plan to do. Before he got sick and before COVID-19, Ruther Estrella and Grace Cantiller planned to return to his birthplace and get married. Now, they’ll make that trip with Jazlyn Estrella and its significance will mean so much more. “It just feels like the ball and chain has been cut. Time is not limited,” Ruther Estrella said. “I can go wherever I want because my

daughter gave me a second chance at life.” For Jazlyn Estrella, it also affords her dad the opportunity to be around for her future milestone moments. “I’ve known people who get married and their dad isn’t there,” she explained. “That would break my heart if he weren’t there for my wedding or to be a grandfather to my kids. The whole process was worth it because it saved a life.”

Dr Junichiro Sageshima, Surgical Director, UC Davis Living Donor Kidney Transplant Program

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | CLINICAL CARE HIGHLIGHTS

Dr. Tina Palmieri, Burn Center Medical Director and Department of Surgery Vice Chair, Clinical Trials.

UC Davis Firefighters Burn Institute Regional Burn Center Receives Re-verification from the American Burn Association

The ABA Burn Center verification provides a true mark of distinction for a burn center, as a recognized leader in meeting the highest current standards for burn care.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

“The verification is a true mark of distinction for a burn center and an indicator of the high-quality patient care it provides to burn patients from the time of injury through rehabilitation,” said Tina Palmieri, Burn Center Medical Director. “We are so proud of the whole team at the burn center. Their efforts and commitment made this recognition possible.” The ABA verification review committee highlighted the center’s many strengths. “We commend the Firefighters Burn Institute Regional Burn Center – UC Davis for its commitment to excellence and its dedication to providing quality burn care to patients,” they wrote. The committee also recognized the tremendous support the center has from the UC Davis academic and hospital community and its leadership team.

Service and Outreach

The UC Davis Burn Center developed the burn disaster triage diagram that is now used in burn disasters across the nation. It has served as the primary center for triage and treatment of Northern California wildfire patients, especially the Tubbs and Camp Fires. It conducts community outreach and training in burn care and prevention. In 2020, the Burn Center treated around 1,600 adult patients and provided 300 emergency room evaluations. Its admissions approached 500 adults. One out of five admitted had severe burns covering more than a third of their body. The Burn Center has excellent outreach and peer support initiatives, such as the Phoenix Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery (SOAR) program. SOAR, designed by The Phoenix Society, addresses the needs of burn patients and their families by providing oneon-one peer support and mentoring during the journey of recovery. This program is in partnership with the Firefighters Burn Institute.

Documentary Series Featuring Dr. Granger Wong’s Involvement in Successful Separation of Craniopagus Twins Wins Emmy Award

The fivepart series documenting the successful separation of conjoined craniopagus twins received an EMMY AWARD from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. This series features the planning efforts lead by Dr. Granger Wong and his plastics team and others who participated in the wellchoreographed 24 hour surgery. To view the video series online visit: https://youtu.be/RaeMsuZgSmg

Research at the Burn Center

The center boasts an excellent research program with many federally funded studies. As a leader in burn research, it receives ongoing funding of more than $12 million from the Department of Defense each year. It leads multicenter trials in resuscitation, early mobility and complex burn and trauma injury.

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | CLINICAL CARE HIGHLIGHTS

Socially Responsible Surgery Through research, education, and advocacy, SRS aims to reposition the role of surgery in public health and elevate social determinants of health in surgical training and care.

Cultivating a Place for Public Health and Advocacy in Surgery Socially Responsible Surgery (SRS) is a fast-growing movement that seeks to improve surgical equity and patient outcomes. First conceived at Boston University, UC Davis launched the second chapter four years ago and despite COVID-19, the program has seen continued interest and support from faculty, residents and medical students. SRS describes socially responsible surgery as a field of study and clinical practice that combines, surgery, public health and a commitment to underserved patients in communities of all kinds. Through research, education and advocacy, SRS aims to reposition the role of surgery in public health and elevate social determinants of health (SDOH) in surgical training and care. Admission to a surgical service is often the first point of care for many under- or uninsured patients in the region. This offers exciting opportunities for residents and attendings to devise and implement leading edge research and educational studies, while advocating for surgical equity in Northern California. “Surgery deals with sick patients,” says Kara Kleber, M.D., a general surgery resident and the founder of the UC Davis chapter of SRS. “And I think it’s our duty, just like any other field, to try to prevent the bad outcomes of surgical disease. How do you do that? You look at what is at the root.” Kleber first became involved with concept of SRS while at Boston University School of Medicine. In fall of 2018 as a first-year resident, and under the encouragement of Diana Farmer, M.D., Chair of the Department of Surgery, Kleber recruited a handful of medical students and fellow residents and launched the UC Davis chapter. The group, which meets every six weeks to discuss a growing portfolio of initiatives and research projects, is focused on many of the same areas as their counterparts in Boston, including SDOH screening in the surgery department and surgical outcomes in patients who have suffered violent injuries. Much like how translational research brings basic science to the bedside, the ultimate goal of SRS is to translate surgical research into policy changes that will address SDOH at a community and national level. Our SRS chapter here at UC Davis provides the opportunity for surgeons and trainees to contribute to these efforts in a systematic way. To track the activities of the UC Davis SRS follow them on Twitter at @UCDavisSRS.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

“I think it’s our duty, just like any other field, to try and prevent the bad outcomes of surgical disease. How do you do that? You look at what is at the root.” — Kara Kleber M.D., General Surgical Resident, Founder of the UC Davis SRS Chapter

Rony Soto Aguilar MS2 and Khadija Soufi MS2 with April Beach DNP, AG-ACNP, Trauma and Surgical Critical Care

2021 ANNUAL REPORT

Research

At a Glance

ranking for surgery per Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research

In UC system

in Western States

research divisions

research staff

principal investigators

research residents

active grants and contracts

33.7

million

annual research funding

Surgical research at UC Davis ranked #1 in the University of California System, #3 in the western states and #14 in the nation. We are at the forefront of basic, translational and clinical research, all aimed at improving surgical outcomes and patient health. Faculty members in the Department of Surgery conduct hundreds of clinical trials each year. Our faculty members publish annually in peer-reviewed journals, disseminating key findings and insights far beyond our walls. As a department within a major academic medical center, the Department of Surgery is able to leverage clinical and research resources to allow patients to access leading-edge treatments and participate in a broad spectrum of clinical trials. Through our four research divisions and the dedication of our research faculty, we are positioned firmly as a national leader in surgical research.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

The Center for Surgical Bioengineering team in our Research II Building

A Leader in Investigation and Innovation

A recognized leader in laboratory and clinical investigation, the UC Davis Department of Surgery is among the top departments of surgery nationally in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding. The department currently has more than 80 active grants and contracts. Our team of dedicated faculty members publish annually in peer-reviewed journals, distributing key findings and insights that extend beyond California. Our faculty members bring pioneering research discoveries from the lab to clinical practice through the pursuit of the latest advances in basic and translational research. Unique among surgical departments, we are home to four distinct research areas: Basic Science, Clinical Science, Clinical Trials, and Translational Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Basic Science Research Highlights Transplant Surgery: Richard Perez, M.D. and his team are focused on addressing the critical shortage of organs available for life-saving transplantation. One ongoing study is identifying the optimal solution to perfuse donor kidneys, especially “high risk” kidneys from deceased donors thought to be unsuitable for transplantation. Studies were conducted in which these kidneys were perfused with a solution containing either oxygen carrying red blood cells (RBCs) or a solution containing all components of whole blood. After 3 hours of perfusion many of the high-risk kidneys showed good viability and normal function. Notably, RBC-perfused kidneys showed superior flow characteristics, function and lower urine levels of injury biomarkers compared with the whole blood group. The two perfusates led to very different patterns of tissue lipid metabolism markers, indicating that perfusion conditions can profoundly impact the kidney’s utilization and trafficking of nutrients. This study demonstrates that ex vivo perfusion of kidneys with blood-based solutions may be a new technology to better assess and safely prepare kidneys for successful transplantation, and highlights that fat metabolism may be an important factor linked to donor kidney function. Bariatric Surgery: Using a mouse model of bariatric surgery, Bethany Cummings, D.V.M., Ph.D. and her team previously found that bariatric surgery reprograms pancreatic alpha-cells to make an antidiabetic hormone (GLP-1) instead of the pro-diabetic hormone glucagon. Since then, her lab has been working on understanding this pathway to enable development of a drug that can activate alpha-cell GLP-1 for diabetes treatment. Her group applied a novel single cell RNA-sequencing platform to human islets to demonstrate that this pathway is translationally relevant in humans (Saikia, et al., JCI Insight, 2021). Further, they have identified a secreted factor that mediates alpha-cell GLP-1 activation and thus is an attractive target for diabetes treatment.

Gut Microbiome: The laboratory of Bethany Cummings, D.V.M., Ph.D. and colleagues found that fecal microbiota transplantation in humans with obesity delays the development of metabolic impairment, and this was associated with changes in microbial bile acid metabolism (Allegretti et al., Hormones, 2021). Her group recently received an NIH research award to define the microbial species and genes involved in bile acid metabolism, so that microbiota transplantation strategies can be developed to target bile acid metabolism. Since specific bile acid metabolites signal in ways that improve metabolic health, new interventions focused on microbiome-bile acid modification represent a promising therapeutic modality for type 2 diabetes. Peripheral Nerve Repair: Studies in the lab of Clifford Pereira, M.D., in collaboration with other Department of Surgery faculty, involve enhancement of peripheral nerve allograft revascularization and axonal regeneration following treatment with the endothelial cell binding ligand LXW7. Initial experiments demonstrated feasibility of LXW7 binding, with increased cell survivability in nerve tissue grafts over 3 and 7 days compared to controls. If further studies are successful, it would open the door to greater success for allografts as tools to leverage for neurological injury repair. This could circumvent the need to harvest autografts from patients and thus save operative time, donor site morbidity and costs. Nerve injuries are challenging so discovery of new drugs or targets to enhance nerve growth or function is critical. So is finding efficient, cost effective, and reliable peripheral nerve injury model to investigate a high volume of interventions simultaneously. Andrew Li, M.D., and colleagues have successfully grown peripheral nerves with axons growing down individual channels on a microfluidics platform. Each channel has intervention wells enabling the testing of several axonal regenerative drugs. This high-throughput “nerve-on-a-chip” platform will save significant time and resources, thus accelerating research discovery in peripheral nerve injury treatments.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Natural Killer (NK) Cells and Cancer: To better understand the mechanisms by which NK cells react to cancer, a team led by Robert Canter, M.D., analyzed gene expression of NK populations from dogs with naturally-occurring cancers. They compared steady-state (control) cells, cytokine-activated cells, or following in vivo treatment in dogs receiving inhaled IL-15 immunotherapy. Dog, mouse and human CD3-NKp46+ NK cells were also compared using a novel method to compare multi-species gene expression patterns. These data, published in Frontiers in Immunology (2021 Sep 14), provide first-ever insight into the molecular signatures that define NK cell gene expression under multiple cancer-relevant conditions and across species, filling an important gap in translational NK studies. Natural killer (NK) cells play a role in immune system defense against viral infection, cancer, and other challenges. NK cells can be divided into subsets based on the ability of different receptors to bind to major histocompatibility (MHC) class 1 molecules, resulting in differential responses upon activation in a process called “licensing” or “arming.” In a recently-published study conducted by Robert Canter, M.D., and colleagues (Blood Advances 2021 Oct 26;5(20):4219-4232), the differential activities of NK subsets in viral infection and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) models were contingent on the level of inflammation and signals from the surrounding environment. These results highlight the intricate tuning of NK cells and how it affects overall immune responses with regard to licensing patterns. Understanding Oxygen Binding Status: The protein myoglobin (Mb) is abundant in most muscle groups and the heart; like the related blood protein hemoglobin, Mb is typically implicated in delivering oxygen in support of oxidative metabolism of fuels such as fat, sugar and amino acids. In collaborative studies with the UC Davis Mouse Biology Program and others, Sean Adams, Ph.D. have questioned this dogma due to results from a Mb “knockout” mouse model that lacks the protein (Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Jul 1;321(1):E47-E62; also 321(1):E63-E79). These data have raised the possibility that Mb instead serves as a molecular signal depending on its oxygen binding status. By sensing the oxygen status of muscle and heart tissues, Mb may relay information to gene expression regulators and other pathways that

enable adaptation to changing conditions in muscle, heart and even brown adipose tissue. These findings, plus others showing that oxygenated Mb binds “lipotoxic” fats and releases them with low oxygen conditions, could have important implications for understanding the molecular events that accompany cardiac ischemia (low oxygen) damage. Sex Differences in Muscle Anatomy and Metabolism: By comparing gene expression markers (RNA transcripts) in muscles from male and female mice, Sean Adams, Ph.D. and colleagues found that thousands of transcripts differed in soleus and gastrocnemius muscles (Physiological Reports 2021 Sep;9(18):e15031). These results, plus data from literature reports of male and female muscle transcriptomes, were compared and curated, leading to the discovery of specific genes and gene regulatory processes on the X and Y chromosomes that likely drive innate sexual dimorphism in skeletal muscle. In addition to learning more about the fundamental biology of muscle, understanding these processes could aid in development of better strategies to improve health and optimize performance, e.g., for the prevention of age-related sarcopenia (muscle atrophy). Boundary DNA Sequences Link the Genome to in vivo (italic) Function: Despite encompassing ~95% of the genome, non-coding sequences are still largely unexplored, and their biological function remains a mystery. One classification of non-coding sequence is known as a topologically associating domain (TAD). The Tad boundaries are thought to partition the genome into distinct regulatory territories. Kent Lloyd, D.V.M., Ph.D., hypothesized that disrupting these regions could interfere with expression of protein-coding genes and cause disease phenotypes. CRISPR genome editing in mice was used to individually delete eight TAD boundaries (11–80kb in size) from across the genome. The majority of deletions (71%) resulted in altered local chromatin interactions. For 5 of 8 (62%) loci examined, boundary deletions were associated with increased embryonic lethality or other developmental phenotypes. For example, a TAD boundary deletion near Smad3/ Smad6 caused complete embryonic lethality, while a deletion near Tbx5/Lhx5 resulted in a severe lung malformation. The findings highlight the importance of non-coding regions of DNA in regulating physiology and development (bioRxiv, May 2021).

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Clinical Trials Selected Studies The Department of Surgery is at the forefront of clinical research aimed at improving patients’ lives. Faculty members in the Department of Surgery are involved with many clinical trials each year. As a department within a major academic medical center, the Department of Surgery is in the unique position to leverage clinical and research resources which allow patients to access leading-edge treatments and participate in a broad spectrum of clinical trials. The CuRe Trial: Cellular Therapy for In Utero Myelomeningocele Repair: Diana Farmer, M.D., Shinjiro Hirose M.D., and Aijun Wang, Ph.D. have launched the groundbreaking clinical trial research using Placental Mesenchymal Stem Cells (PMSCs) to investigate if adding stem cells during the fetal MMC repair will help children walk and control their bowel movements and urination. The UCD-DGMC TBI Precision Medicine Network for Complex Trauma: Tina Palmieri, M.D. is overseeing a prospective observational study to assess biomarkers that may be related to clinical outcomes in patients with traumatic injury. STAT: Standard Therapy Plus Active Therapy to Improve Mobility, Long-Term Activity, and Quality of Life for Severely Burn-Injured Patients After Skin Graft Surgery: Somen Sen, M.D, is accessing the efficacy of STAT, an activity-based therapy protocol compared to standard therapy (ST) to improve functional outcome and reduce disability in patients recovering from burn injury.

A Pivotal Study to Assess the Safety and Effectiveness of NovoSorb® Biodegradable Temporizing Matrix (BTM) in the Treatment of Severe Burn Skin Injuries: As part of a multicenter study, Tina Palmieri, M.D. is assessing the safety and effectiveness of a new method of treating severe burns. Biomarker Analysis of Neoadjuvant Intralesional Therapy In High Risk Primary Melanoma: As part of a multi-institutional phase 1 study, Sepideh Gholami, M.D. is evaluating the pathologic response of melanoma following intralesional T-VEC in the neoadjuvant setting prior to resection of a primary cutaneous melanoma and sentinel lymph node biopsy or in treatment naïve local, in-transit, or dermal oligometastatic recurrence.

Clinical Science Research Selected Studies We understand that clinical science which encompasses elements of basic science and clinical expertise is essential for advancing new discoveries and improving health outcomes. Our research efforts in the area of clinical science are focused on implementation science in the pursuit of new therapeutic breakthroughs. Humacyte HAV: The Trauma and Vascular Divisions are working together on a Phase 2 study for the evaluation of safety and efficacy of Humacyte’s Human Acellular Vessel for Vascular Replacement or Reconstruction in Patients with Life or Limb-threatening vascular Trauma.

The Acute Burn ResUscitation Multicenter Prospective Trial 2 (ABRUPT2): David Greenhalgh, M.D. is participating in a randomized multi-center study which will compare acute fluid resuscitation using a colloid strategy (LR + 5% Albumin) to a crystalloid strategy (LR alone), in adults with an acute burn involving at least 25% of their total body surface area.

Multicenter Prospective/Intravascular Access in Hypotensive Trauma Patients: Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma: David Leshikar, M.D. is collaborating on an EAST Multi Institutional Study with The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas in a multicenter prospective observational trial using trauma video review to look at intravascular access in hypotensive trauma patients.

The North American Therapeutics In Epidermal Necrolysis Syndrome (NATIENS) Study: Tina Palmieri, M.D. is involved in a Phase III Randomized Double Blinded Study to Determine the Mechanisms and Optimal Management of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.

Pain Management After Thoracic Surgery: Lisa Brown M.D. is collaborating on a study entitled Interviews of Patients and Caregivers for Expectations, Education and resources for Pain Management after Thoracic Surgery with Massachusetts General Hospital, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Colorado.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Rachael Callcut, M.D. is the PI on a multi-institutional study with UCSF which is looking at Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for ARDS (in COVID and Non-COVID ARDS). Understanding Platelet Function: Mathew Mell, M.D., and Rachael Callcut, M.D., are investigating changes in platelet architecture in patients treated with antiplatelet medications for peripheral vascular disease.

Translational Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Innovation Highlights The depth and breadth of research happening in the Department of Surgery is truly amazing. Our department has a long history of excellent clinical care and translational research with faculty collaborations across multiple disciplines to bring discoveries in the lab to clinical applications which improve surgical outcomes. Biotech Start Up Seeks to Commercialize New Technology: VasoBio, co-founded by Aijun Wang, Ph.D., is developing a novel coating technology to functionalize vascular grafts that will provide resistance to thrombosis, infection and blood clotting. The company is focused on improving AV grafts for dialysis patients, but the technology may have applications for other medical devices and implants, minimizing blood clot formation and infection. Innovation: Quarter at Aggie Square: Over the past year, we have made great strides with the Quarter at Aggie Square (QAS) program and the launch of the Bench-to-Bedside Biomedical Engineering (BME) undergraduate course held on the UC Davis Health campus. Under the direction of Aijun Wang, Ph.D., and great support from leadership and faculty, the program has been very successful with the clinical needs find-

ing course. Many of Department of Surgery division chiefs have participated and dedicated time to meet and talk with UC Davis BME undergraduate students. In addition, this unique course has provided an opportunity for the faculty from outside the department of surgery to discuss their practice specialty to the BME undergrads and expose them with the first hand clinical unmet needs. This project has been a valiant effort championed by the Department of Surgery but could not be made possible without support from the Dean’s Office, the council of the surgical chairs, and support from several other School of Medicine departments such as orthopedic surgery, anesthesia & pain medicine, neurosurgery, stem cell program and the alpha stem cell clinic, along with College of Engineering departments of biomedical engineering and electrical and computer engineering.

Two Faculty Members Receive Proof-of-Concept Grant Awards Science Translation and Innovative Research (STAIR™) The UC Davis STAIR™ grant program provides awards to campus innovators to enable demonstration of early proof-of-concept for technologies being developed at the university. Aijun Wang, Ph.D. was awarded a STAIR™ grant for: Engineered Placental Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Extracellular Vesicles for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury. Dr. Wang and his colleagues have developed a stem cell treatment for spina bifida, a congenital form of spinal cord injury, that has been shown to be effective in a fetal lamb model and is now in a first-inhuman clinical study. The team plans to expand this technology to treat adult-onset spinal cord injuries, currently for which there is no available medical treatment. Data Informatics and Application Launch (DIAL™) The UC Davis DIAL™ provides awards for innovations specifically geared toward data, information science or software. Misty Humphries, M.D., was awarded a DIAL™ grant for: Diagnosis of arterial insufficiency in patient with peripheral artery disease and diabetes. Dr. Humphries and team are utilizing a machine learning algorithm that combines pulse oximetry measurements of oxygenation and perfusion to detect critical congenital heart disease in newborns to target chronic limb-threatening ischemia.

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Healthy Metabolism Takes Center Stage The Center for Alimentary and Metabolic Science aims to advance understanding of metabolic conditions that plague millions and could impact surgical outcomes It’s an intriguing medical mystery — and one whose answers may hold great promise for touching many lives. After bariatric surgery, improvements to metabolic risk factors like hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia can occur as soon as a week or two post-op. That’s long before the patient has lost much weight due to calorie or nutrient restriction. This phenomenon of “rapid metabolic recovery” suggests there may be other signals or triggers for the metabolic problems associated with obesity, besides the excess body weight itself. Determining how to disable or even avoid those triggers — and possibly without surgery — could make big dents in widespread killers such as type 2 diabetes, heart and vessel diseases, renal disease, and the like. “If you can figure out the signal that turns these levels off so quickly after bariatric surgery — because it’s not weight-related — it would probably be applicable to many, many people,” says UC Davis Health’s chief of bariatric surgery Mohamed Ali, M.D., whose research interests have long included the topic. “Indeed, if we could ‘bottle’ what causes such rapid and profound improvements in metabolic health following bariatric surgery, it would revolutionize medicine,” adds Sean Adams, Ph.D., the Department of Surgery’s Vice Chair for Basic Research.

Contributing to such pursuits is the mission of the department’s new Center for Alimentary and Metabolic Science (CAMS), led by Adams and Ali. Established last year, it’s a collaborative group of basic scientists and clinical colleagues who discover how nutrition, metabolism, gut microbes and endocrine systems interconnect to impact health, function, and obesity-associated conditions. “There’s a whole new world out there in terms of understanding how the GI tract talks to the rest of the body — and what’s interesting is that this ‘cross talk’ is to almost every organ system you can think of,” says Adams, who serves as the center’s scientific director. The core CAMS research group includes several clinician-scientists from Ali’s Division of Foregut, Metabolic and General Surgery, including Dr. Victoria Lyo, M.D., M.T.M.; Dr. Hazem Shamseddeen, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.S.M.B.S.; and Shushmita Ahmed, M.D. Department of Surgery and College of Biological Sciences researcher Bethany Cummings, D.V.M., Ph.D. rounds out the basic-science side.

From Molecule to Bedside

Embedded in one of the nation’s top surgery departments, the CAMS aims to serve as a research and training asset to the School of Medicine and UC Davis campus. The ultimate goal is to foster effective translation of fundamental research developments for improved patient outcomes; the CAMS will also conduct research and seek campus-wide partnerships relevant to metabolism, nutrition, fitness, and “culinary medicine.” “Being embedded within a clinical department — one with strong links to world-class nutrition, metabolism and physiology programs on the Davis campus — allows our CAMS investigators to tackle research questions spanning from molecules to cells to the bedside,” Adams said.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

A major goal is to grow these and other intra- and inter-departmental research collaborations, which will lead to breakthroughs in clinical care. “Ultimately, we think that innovative new approaches, and new knowledge related to control of metabolic and endocrine systems, will significantly improve outcomes and healing for some types of conditions,” he said.

Snapshot: Examples of CAMS Research Current Research:

vasive assessment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis response

A Complex World

The gut microbiome is one area of shared interest among the CAMS investigators. The microbe population provides a vast landscape to explore and mine, and includes at least 1,200 species of bacteria, viruses and yeasts. In all, there’s likely 500 times more genomic diversity than in the human genome. Adams himself has particular interest in identifying xenometabolites derived from gut microbes or foods that reflect diet patterns, poor blood sugar control and microbe-host interactions. “The gut microbiota are ‘enzyme machines,’ creating many thousands of reactions not just around food, but other molecules we’re providing to them as hosts,” he says. “How many end up in the blood? Talk to the body? Touch the liver or pancreas?” “We know xenometabolites exist — we need to know who makes them, and what their molecular targets are, if any,” Adams said. “And once we catalog the metabolites and think about targets, then how does it affect health care?” Other studies by CAMS investigators Lyo, Cummings and Ali are figuring out how the microbiota influence bile acids in the gut, and in turn what these changes mean to hormone responses, energy metabolism, and ultimately clinical outcomes.

A CTSC Highly Innovative Award to conduct a novel, noninto bariatric surgery

A NIH-funded UC Davis Dietary Biomarker Development Center, to identify specific blood and urine molecules that reflect diet patterns and specific foods, to help drive more accurate assessment of nutritional status

A NIH-funded award to define the gut microbial species and genes involved in bile acid metabolism, so fecal microbiota transplantation approaches can be developed for diabetes treatment and prevention

A NIH-funded award to define the physiology and molecular biology of a new pathway that reprograms pancreatic alphacell function

A Hartwell Foundation award to develop a drug that reprograms pancreatic alpha-cell function to treat diabetes

Ali is spearheading studies to analyze fetal microbiota, and the metabolome of gut bacteria comparing gastric bypass patients w/ and w/out metabolic syndrome, pre- and post-surgery. The latter will address how the host’s metabolic health influences the gut microbiome and responses to surgery

Future Concepts and Plans:

Male vs female differences in microbiome/metabolomic features after bariatric surgery

Whether NAFLD is associated with different microbiome/ metabolomic features before/after bariatric surgery

Multidisciplinary Approach

CAMS investigators have already identified new signals impacted by diet and gut microbes, Adams said, which are believed to influence pancreas hormone release and liver metabolism. “There’s a tremendous amount of outreach and collaboration,” Ali said. “If you have ideas about how the microbiome, bioenergetics or metabolism are impacting patient outcomes, we have the group of people in place to think about those questions in a very collaborative way.”

Bile acid metabolism after bariatric surgery

NIH grant under review to determine the impact of gut microbial bile acid metabolism on Alzheimer’s disease risk

NIH grant under review to determine the impact of traffic related air pollution on neurogenic inflammation and diabetes

NIH grant under review to determine the mechanisms by which bariatric surgery decreases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Fetal Care and Treatment Center’s Busy and Historic Year Center faculty members have treated the first patient in a historic spina bifida trial, and are adding more in utero surgical capabilities for other conditions The UC Davis Fetal Care and Treatment Center launched the world’s first human clinical trial using stem cells to treat spina bifida before birth. Meanwhile, center leaders also worked in the background to expand the fetal endoscopic techniques they can offer outside the realm of clinical studies.

In September, the first baby was delivered at UC Davis after becoming the first to receive fetal treatment as part of the CuRe Trial (Cellular Therapy for In Utero Repair of Myelomeningocele). The historic study is testing innovative approach — developed by Department of Surgery physicianscientists over the course of more than a decade — that combines in utero surgery and cellular therapy to tackle the most common cause of lifelong paralysis.

During the procedure, fetal surgeons place a biological scaffold or “patch” of placental mesenchymal stem cells directly over the exposed spinal cord, then close the opening to allow the tissue to regenerate and protect the spinal cord. The Food and Drug Administration issued its approval in late 2020 for clinical trials of the one-of-a-kind treatment, developed by a team led by Department of Surgery Chair Diana Farmer, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.R.C.S., and by Aijun Wang, Ph.D., the department’s Vice Chair for Translational Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Farmer, Wang, and the clinical fetal treatment team led by Shinjiro Hirose, M.D., F.A.C.S., chief of the Division of Pediatric General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery, plan to treat up to six patients sequentially during this initial safety phase of the trial, which is funded by a $9 million grant from California’s stem cell agency (CIRM). Drs. Farmer and Wang’s team is generating the

mesenchymal stem cells, known to be among the most promising in regenerative medicine, from donor placental tissue specifically engineered for neuroprotection and regeneration. The trial’s second phase is designed for concurrent treatment of 29 patients. The team anticipates seeing improvements for those born with the most severe form of spina bifida, myelomeningocele, with the ultimate hope of helping them to boost motor function and walk independently. “We’re cautiously optimistic,” Farmer said in October after the first patient’s birth. “We’re not evaluating efficacy or outcome yet, and it’s too early to talk about that in scientific terms, but it’s pretty exciting, just from a human point of view, to have (the baby) do so well. We expected her, if she’d not had treatment, to not be able to have that kind of leg movement.” Outside of the trial, the Fetal Care and Treatment Center continues to expand its patient base and surgical capabilities to serve inland Northern California families closer to home. Hirose’s team is seeing upwards of 10 patients a week now for evaluations of complex pregnancies with disor-

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

The Fetal Echo room opened in Summer 2021. Fetal Cardiology is an integral service offered at the Fetal Care and Treatment Center (FCTC).

ders such as twin to twin transfusion syndrome, and has added additional nurse specialists and coordinators to help facilitate the high-end, timeintensive care. The center moved to a new patient-centric space in 2010, and added affiliated satellite diagnostic clinics in Sacramento and Stockton. At the time of this writing, Hirose was working to add additional in utero treatment capability for the most severe cases of congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and also the ability to address meningomyelocele via less-invasive fetoscopy. For congenital diaphragmatic hernia, fetoscopic treatment involves occluding the trachea in the fetus so that the lungs fill with fluid — allowing them to grow and stretch, and in the process reduce abdominal contents that have herniated into the chest. Hirose and other UC Davis fetal specialists helped develop the technique while at UCSF.

“We’ll be offering the whole gamut of what is ‘state of the art’ for fetal operations here — and continuing our research as well to see what else we can do.” — Dr. Shinjiro Hirose, Chief, Division of Pediatric, General, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery and Director, UC Davis Fetal Care and Treatment Center

“These babies are in the hospital for months and months, and require very intensive therapy,” Dr. Hirose said. “Allowing local families to stay closer to home is a great service for this patient population.” With the surgical additions, “we'll be offering the whole gamut of what is ‘state of the art’ for fetal operations here — and continuing our research as well to see what else we can do,” he said. UC Davis’ clinical fetal surgery expertise is a key aspect of the spina bifida trial, Farmer said, along with factors such as

UC Davis’ uniquely collaborative schools of medicine, veterinary medicine and engineering, plus its major stem cell program and Good Manufacturing Practices laboratory. “The fact that our fetal team grew the clinical expertise in recent years in parallel to us growing the cell therapy part, just made it perfect,” Farmer said. “They’re a well-oiled machine in terms of taking care of patients with spina bifida and providing fetal surgery for the condition. All of these things had to come together.”

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

32nd Annual Surgery Research Day Symposium note speaker, who presented: Asking the right questions: How Research and Residents can impact practice. This scientific forum gives residents and faculty from across the department the opportunity to present their own research projects and discuss their topics with an audience. This year we received submissions from each division for a total of 67 abstracts. 42 abstracts were accepted for presentation and each and divided into two categories: a 15-minute presentation or a 7-minute quick shot presentation. This year’s Symposium presentation winners were:

Left to right: Drs. JulieAnn Sosa, Ashly Ruf, Tina Palmieri, and Diana Farmer

On April 20th, we held our 32nd Annual Surgery Research Day Symposium and while our attendance format was modified due to Covid-19, the mission of showcasing the exceptional research projects of our residents remained the same.

The event, organized by Tina Palmieri, M.D., Vice Chair Clinical Trials and Sean Adams, Ph.D., Vice Chair, Basic Research brought faculty, residents, fellows, students and researchers together to share the diverse and innovative research being done here in the department. This year’s Symposium featured Julie Ann Sosa, M.D., Chair, Department of Surgery at UCSF as the key-

Basic Science Research Award: Marlena Holter, M.D., “Beta-Cell Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Signaling Activates Alpha-Cell Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Expression Through A Paracrine Protein Factor” Clinical Research Award: Ashly Ruf, M.D., “Incidental Findings Found On Abdominal Imaging Performed For Acute Care Surgery Patients” Best Quick Shot Award: Christina Theodorou, M.D., “Efficacy of Clinical-Grade Human Placental Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Fetal Ovine Myelomeningocele”

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Biomedical Engineering: Bench-to-Bedside Experience at UC Davis Health Campus At Aggie Square, the innovation hub on the Sacramento campus of UC Davis, the Department of Surgery is leading efforts with other clinical departments in the School of Medicine, together with the departments from the College of Engineering, to offer the first bench-to-bedside educational experience to biomedical engineering (BME) undergraduate students this fall. Lead by Aijun Wang, Ph.D., Vice Chair for Translational Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the collaborative course offers BME juniors an opportunity to engage in an authentic clinical needs-finding experience. Students will receive in-depth instruction in the industry-relevant tools and methods used in the product design and development process. They learn physiology in the context of clinical arenas that deploy biomedical technology, such as bring the virtual surgical suites, departmental clinics, and intensive care units to the classroom by the prominent clinical department Chairs, Chiefs and faculty who are enthusiastic about innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as enhanced exposure to critical topics including clinical workflow, FDA and device regulation, standards, and entrepreneurial mindset in the clinical setting. The cornerstone of the course is centered around weekly talks and discussions that feature Department of Surgery faculty innovators and other clinical department Chairs, division Chiefs and faculty from UC Davis Health.

General Thoracic Surgery Awards Medical Student Summer Research Internship The Department of Surgery strongly believes in the value of mentorship and training and seeks to provide a variety of opportunities to engage medical students interested in surgery and research. One such opportunity is the Division of General Thoracic Surgery Underrepresented in Medicine Medical Student Summer Research Internship. The goal of the internship opportunity is to provide underrepresented medical students an opportunity to engage in basic, clinical and/or translational research projects under the mentorship of experienced researchers and principal investigators. This year, the Division named Carlo Fuentes, (MS2) as the 2021 Underrepresented in Medicine Medical Student Summer Research Intern who worked for 8 weeks under the mentorship of David T. Cooke,

Left to right: Dr. David Tom Cooke, Carlo Fuentes (MS2), and Dr. Lisa Brown.

M.D., Lisa Brown, M.D. and Luis Godoy, M.D..

2021 ANNUAL REPORT

Education

At a Glance

1,854

residency applications

1,299 general surgery

120

vascular surgery

323

plastic surgery

102 4

cardiothoracic surgery

ACGME–accredited surgical residency programs

Our four residency programs provide unparalleled clinical and operative experiences; robust didactic, simulation, and conference curricula; career development and mentorship; and many research opportunities. For more than 50 years, we have been committed to training “thinking doctors” versus “cookbook doctors,” and take great pride in the success of our graduates. 39

110

current interns and residents

ACGME fellowship programs

fellows

53%

female residents

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

General Surgery Residents PGY 1

General Surgery Residents PGY 4

Cardiothoracic Residents

Preliminary Residents

Carlos Cuenca, M.D.

Jacob Burns, M.D. Gillian Hoshal, M.D.

Ana Isabel Jacinto, M.D.

Nikia McFadden, M.D.

Amir Sarkeshik, D.O. (PGY 6) Anna Xue, M.D. (PGY 5)

Alexander Battin, M.D.

Rutgers University Loma Linda University

Lauren Perry, M.D.

Jeanine Justiniano, M.D.

Trevor Plescia, M.D.

Loyola University

Ashly Ruf, M.D.

Natalie Liu, M.D.

Michaela Simoncini, M.D.

Howard University

Sarah Stokes, M.D.

Sarah Mahdavi, M.D.

Isabelle Struve, M.D.

UC Davis

Christina Theodorou, M.D.

Maxwell Presser, M.D. University of Miami

Cyrus Sholevar, M.D. Thomas Jefferson University

General Surgery Residents PGY 5

Sneha Swaminathan, M.D.

Lauren Coleman, M.D. Alicia Gingrich, M.D.

Rutgers University

Melissa Grigsby, M.D.

General Surgery Residents PGY 2 Nicholas Antonino, M.D.

Tyler Carcamo, M.D. Jessica Guzman, M.D.

Timothy Guenther, M.D. Sean Judge, M.D. Amanda Phares, M.D.

Nataliya Bahatyrevich, M.D. (PGY 4)

Devon Anderson, M.D. (PGY 2)

John-Allen Smith, M.D.

Jonathan Hyde, M.D. (PGY 1) VASCULAR INTERNS Matthew Schneck, M.D. University of Virginia SOM

Matthew Naede, M.D. University of Central Florida COM

Surgery Fellows

Kyle Thompson, M.D.

David Wallace, M.D.

Christopher Seffren, M.D. Yasamin Taghikhan, M.D. Atrin Toussi, M.D. Stephen Wertheimer, M.D.

Military Preliminary Residents Dorian Crawford, M.D. Kelsey Dimeff, M.D. Christian Figueredo, M.D. Vi Nghiem, M.D. Oana Stroie, M.D. Ul’yana Zagurskaya, D.O.

CRITICAL CARE Jessica Bowman, M.D. Jason Heard, M.D.

Daisy Manzo, M.D

Research Residents

Julia Riccardi, M.D. Colton Ryan, M.D.

Abdul Hassan, M.D. Elise Hill, M.D.

James Ross, M.D.

Priya Suri, M.D.

Alexandra Johns, M.D.

Leah Timbang, M.D.

Kara Kleber, M.D.

Anamaria Robles, M.D. (ACS)

Linda Schutzman, M.D.

Rafael Lozano, M.D.

MIS SURGERY

General Surgery Residents PGY 3

Siobhan Luce, M.D.

Peter Cmorej, M.D. Christina Kim, M.D.

John Arriola, M.D. Alyssa Bellini, M.D.

Elan Sherazee, M.D.

Nicole Moore, M.D.

Ryan McKee, M.D. Colby McWhorter, D.O.

BURN SURGERY

Kaeli Yamashiro, M.D.

Catherine Ho, M.D.

Sarah Chen, M.D., M.S. (PGY 3)

Debi Thomas, M.D.

Sarah Mann, M.D.

Negar Foolad, M.D.

Jacquelyn Yu, M.D.

Kathleen Doyle, M.D. Rachel Ekaireb, M.D. Megan Gilbert, M.D. Matthew Haskins, M.D. Leslie Hopper, M.D. Samy Ramadan, M.D. Alexis Woods, M.D.

Four Training Programs Earn Continued Accreditation Our education program has successfully completed the review process for four training programs. The Surgical Education Fellowship earned continued accreditation from the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This fellowship program is part of the UC Davis Center for Simulation and Education Enhancement and is only one of 17 such programs in the country. In addition, our Vascular Residency Program, Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Program and Surgery Residency Programs each earned their continued accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) with no citations.

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS

Luis Godoy, M.D. Tapped as New Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Department of Surgery values diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) among all faculty, staff, and trainees. The Department is committed to fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment for all human differences, regardless of race, ethnicity, language, nationality, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, geography, disability, or age.

We believe that individual differences and unique perspectives are critical to delivering high-quality care, engaging in scholarly activity, educating trainees, and supporting the careers of all. We recognize the extent to which inequity, social injustice, and systemic racism impact the health of the UC Davis community and the communities we serve. Diverse ideas and innovative solutions are required to effectively tackle issues related to inequity, health disparities, systemic racism, and bias in medicine. Equity and social justice in our communities are essential to the health of our patients and the public at large. We are working hard, but we know we still have much work ahead of us. To help lead Department of Surgery DEI efforts, Luis Godoy, M.D. has been named the new Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In this new role, Dr. Godoy will oversee the department’s DEI program and serve as faculty member for the department’s Socially Responsible Surgery (SRS) program. In addition, Dr. Godoy will also serve as one of the mentors for the Underrepresented in Medicine Medical Student Summer Research program hosted by the Division of General Thoracic Surgery.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Medical Student Research Poster Day Each spring we welcome a handful of UC Davis medical students who are interested in gaining research experience in the areas of surgery. These medical students work on a wide variety of research projects under the guidance of surgery faculty mentors. This past March we had five medical students present their research work during the annual UC Davis School of Medicine Medical Student Research Forum commonly referred to as “Poster Day.” This event is an opportunity for medical students from three programs — the Medical Student Research Fellowship, the 4th Year Scholarly Project, and the NIH-sponsored TL1 program — to highlight their work and educate peers and faculty. Our 2020/2021 Surgery Research Medical Student Participants were:

Kaitlyn Honeychurch (MS2) Pediatric Cardiac Surgery (Dr. Raff) on “Utility of Routine Head Ultrasounds in Screening for Intracranial Hemorrhage in Infants on Extracorporeal Life Support” Irina Karashchuk (MS2) Burn Surgery (Dr. Romanowski, Dr. Palmieri, and Dr. Greenhalgh) “Follow Up After Burn Injury Is Disturbingly Low and Linked With Social Factors” Angelica Martin (MS2) Thoracic Surgery (Dr. Godoy, Dr. Brown and Dr. Cooke) “Research Addressing Racial Health Disparities in Cardiothoracic Surgery Represents Only a Small Fraction of Total Major Meeting Peer-reviewed Content” Kiran Nagra (MS2) Translational Research & Innovation (Dr. Wang) “The Therapeutic Potential of Placental Mesenchymal Stem Cells and their Exosomes for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases” Aida Nasirishargh (MS2) Translational Research & Innovation (Dr. Wang) “Exosomal MicroRNAs from Mesenchymal Stem/stromal Cells: Biology and Applications in Neuroprotection”

Left to right: Kiran Nagra (MS2), Aida Nasirishargh MS2), Angelica Martin (MS2), Irina Karashchuk (MS2), and Kaitlyn Honeychurch (MS2).

2021 ANNUAL REPORT

Development Support the Work of the Department of Surgery For more than 50 years, thousands of people have entrusted the UC Davis Department of Surgery to provide them with first-rate medical care. Many turn to us because of our well-established history of innovative leading-edge treatments and our reputation for attracting some of the finest surgical trainees and surgeons in the country. Over the past five decades we’ve built a strong, nationally recognized and ranked surgery program dedicated to advancing new standards of surgical care through research and pioneering treatments. Our success is furthered by philanthropic contributions from people like you. Here at the Department of Surgery, we don’t just work alone. Your support is essential to our continued discovery of insights, innovations and tools to improve human health. Gifts from our alumni, patients and friends assist us with training in the latest surgical techniques, advancing surgical care through research discovery, and achieving the best possible outcomes for patients. When you make a gift to the Department of Surgery, you enhance our ability to make groundbreaking discoveries that directly and profoundly benefit patients and the community.

Left to right: Dr. Mathew Mell, Patricia (Kinney) Shaw, Dr. Andres Schanzer, Dr. William Pevec, Dr. Diana Farmer, and Mark Kinney.

For more information on how to make a gift to the UC Davis Department of Surgery, or to a specific physician or scientist within the department, please contact Dawn Rowe at 916-734-2620 or dmrowe@ucdavis.edu. We invite you to join us in advancing the future of health care.

UC DAVIS HEALTH | DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

Inaugural William Pevec Lectureship to Feature Andres Schanzer, M.D. Due to the generous gift from the James Kinney family, we are pleased to announce the creation of the William Pevec, M.D. Lectureship in Vascular Surgery. Named in honor of retired Chief of Vascular Surgery and Professor Emeritus, William Pevec, M.D., this new lectureship will provide a forum to present the latest clinical and research developments in the area of vascular surgery. Our inaugural lectureship was held November 2, and featured UC Davis surgery alumni Andres Schanzer, M.D., Professor and Chief, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at University of Massachusetts.

2021 ANNUAL REPORT | DEVELOPMENT

Referral and Contact Information Leadership

Surgery Clinic Locations

Diana Farmer, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.R.C.S.

Surgery Clinic

Chair, Department of Surgery

Cypress Bldg., Suite E

Surgeon-In-Chief, UC Davis Children’s Hospital

2221 Stockton Blvd.

Pearl Stamps Stewart Endowed Chair

Sacramento, CA 95817

Co-Director, Center for Surgical Bioengineering

916-734-2680

Sean Adams, Ph.D.

UC Davis Medical Center

Vice Chair, Basic Research

4251 X St.

Richard Bold, M.D., F.A.C.S. Vice Chair, Finance

Rachael Callcut, M.D., M.S.P.H., F.A.C.S. Vice Chair, Clinical Science

Sacramento, CA 95817 916-734-2011

Plastic Surgery Clinic 3301 C St. Sacramento, CA 95816

David T. Cooke, M.D., F.A.C.S.

916-734-7844

Vice Chair, Faculty Development

UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center

Shinjiro Hirose, M.D., F.A.C.S. Vice Chair, Children’s Services

2279 45th St.

Gregory Jurkovich, M.D., F.A.C.S.

916-734-5959

Vice Chair, Clinical Affairs

Tina Palmieri, M.D., F.A.C.S. Vice Chair, Clinical Trials

Edgardo Salcedo, M.D., F.A.C.S. Interim Vice Chair, Education

Aijun Wang, Ph.D. Vice Chair for Translational Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Sacramento, CA 95817

Transplant Clinic 2315 Stockton Blvd. Sacramento, CA 95817 916-734-2111

Vascular Clinic 4860 Y St., Suite 2100 Sacramento, CA 95817 916-734-3800

Fetal Treatment Center UC Davis Children’s Hospital 2315 Stockton Blvd. Sacramento, CA 916-794-2229

Contact Us Department of Surgery UC Davis School of Medicine 2335 Stockton Blvd. NOAB 6th Floor Sacramento, CA 95817 916-734-3528 health.ucdavis.edu/surgery surgerynews@ucdavis.edu

Department of Surgery 2335 Stockton Blvd. Sacramento, CA 95817 916-734-3528 Referrals: health.ucdavis.edu/referrals 800-4-UCDAVIS (800-482-3284)