The University of Rochester offers exciting research opportunities in addition to excellent clinical training. Whether your interests lie in molecular or cell biology, surgical simulation, resident education, cancer outcomes, population health sciences, systems analysis or any other surgical discipline, we will work together to design a research experience with outstanding mentors. Our goal is for our trainees to be prepared to be the leaders in the next generation of academic surgery.
The research opportunities available for residents during training at the University of Rochester are diverse. Many general surgery residents spend between one and three years of dedicated research time during their residency training between their PGY 2 and PGY3 years, but scheduling of this experience is flexible. While research during surgical residency years is optional, the majority of residents take advantage of the opportunity to expand their academic pursuits for career advancement.
Residents can pursue research opportunities in laboratories in the surgical basic science or other clinical science departments at the University of Rochester. It is important to know that residents are not limited to laboratory work. Many choose to engage in clinical research and participate in the University of Rochester’s Surgical Health Outcomes & Research Enterprise (SHORE) program. Additionally some have chosen to obtain additional advanced degrees such as a Master of Public Health or Master of Science in Clinical Investigation.
A particularly unique resource in our department is the Wilmot Cancer Institute’s Cancer Control and Survivorship Programs led by Gary R. Morrow, Ph.D., M.S., with world-class opportunities for scholarly pursuits to investigate cancer related side effects. The National Cancer Institute awarded $24.8 million to fund Dr. Morrow and is team in their efforts to design and manage clinical studies that will be implemented nationally. Wilmot is one of only two academic cancer centers in the U.S. to be chosen by the NCI as a research hub for the NCI Community Oncology Research Program.
Importantly, funding is available for laboratory expenses and salary for residents during their research years. Many surgical sections have funding to support residents performing specialized clinical and basic science research within their division. As part of their research training, all residents will learn grant writing skills and have the opportunity to present their work at local and national meetings. Residents are also eligible to apply for medical school loan repayment programs through the National Institutes of Health, which may yield an additional $35,000 a year for each spent in laboratory research, in addition to regular salary support.
This year marked the Department of Surgery’s Second Annual Research Symposium in which Gilbert R. Upchurch Jr., MD, our keynote speaker, presented a talk entitled "From Mentoree to Mentor: Academic Lessons Learned Along the Way". His lecture was followed by an abstract competition in which residents presented their research to a panel of peers and a research fair highlighting over 40 poster presentations from the Department of Surgery. Residents whose presentations and posters were awarded the highest scores were given awards.
2019 Awards
2018 Oral Presentation Winners
Basic/Translational
- Bradley Mills, PhD- “Development of a New Strategy to Treat Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer”
Clinical/Outcomes
- Antoinette Esce, BA- “Superior 3-Year Value of Open and Endovascular Repair of AAA with High Volume Providers”
2018 Poster Winners
Basic Science/Translational Poster
- Bart Simon, M.D. “Five-Year Outcomes after Regionalizing Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Centers”
Clinical Science Poster
- Elaa Mahdi, M.D. presented by Anna McGuire, M.D. “Imaging Gently- Computed Tomography Reduction in Pediatric Trauma Patients”
Residents are also free to moonlight during the research years, provided it does not interfere with their research responsibilities.
As Associate Program Director for Research, it is my responsibility to ensure that each resident finds a research opportunity that meets his/her academic and career goals. Towards this end, I meet with each resident early and often during the early years of residency to begin this process and ensure progress.
Peter A. Prieto, M.D., M.P.H.
Director of Research for the Residency Program
Research Residents
Paul Burchard, MD
Research Interest
Basic science and translational research in pre-clinical models of cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Specific focus on the interaction between these malignancies and the tumor microenvironment to develop novel therapeutic approaches to patient care.
Anthony Casabianca, MD
Research Interest
Basic and translational research into pancreatic cancer and the regulation of cancer dormancy, as well as the role of extracellular signaling molecules in the development of cancer metastases.
Alexander Chacon, MD
Research Interest
Basic science and translational research on the role of diet, patient characteristics, and the microbiome on tumor development, tumor immunology, and the response to immunotherapy.
Yatee Dave, MD
Research Interest
Basic science and translational research, with a focus on exploring the interaction between tumor microenvironment and immune system via preclinical models of cholangiocarcinoma and pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Elizabeth Hedges, MD
Research Interest
Immunotherapy and Surgical Oncology Research Fellow at the National Cancer Institute, Surgery Branch focused on basic science and translational research on adoptive cell therapy in epithelial malignancies as well as clinical trials with the application of adoptive cell therapy in phase 1 and trials.
Anthony Loria, MD
Research Interest
Outcomes research at SHORE (Surgical Health Outcomes & Research Enterprise). Specifically focusing on long term outcomes following intestinal resection and novel interventions to preserve renal function.
Alexa Melucci, MD
Research Interest
Basic science, translational, and outcomes research in surgical oncology and cancer immunology. Specifically, focusing on fasting and the impact of immunotherapy in treatment of melanoma.
David Milek, MD
Research Interest
Basic, translational, and outcomes research in vascularized composite allotransplantation and peripheral nerve regeneration. Primarily focusing on VCA donor and recipient characteristics and their role in acute and chronic rejection.
Eric Ndikumana, MD
Research Interest
Clinical outcomes in patient undergoing cardiac surgery. More specifically focusing on the evaluating the outcome of minimally invasive approach with new technology development when compared to standard approach.
Neilesh Parikh, MD
Research Interest
Immunotherapy and Surgical Oncology Research Fellow at the National Cancer Institute, Surgery Branch. Focusing on adoptive cell therapy for the treatment of metastatic epithelial cancer.
Orjola Prela, MD
Research Interest
Brittany Rocque, MD
Research Interest
Basic science and translational research in transplantation and liver transplant immunology using novel computational genomics techniques to provide an in-depth characterization of the immune landscape in organ rejection and to develop a blood-based biomarker assay of rejection.
Boru Wang, MD
Research Interest
Studying biomedical engineering at the University of Buffalo and designing surgical staplers at Medtronic.