Happy Lunar New Year!

Dr. Sydney Tan, general surgery resident, recently had her research, "Work Hours, Stress, and Burnout Among Resident Physicians," published in JAMA Network Open. #ExceptionalPeople #ExtraordinaryResults Read more: go.wisc.edu/9g551n

Dr. Krystle Lange, assistant professor in the Division of Acute Care and Regional General Surgery, shared about the importance of getting screened for hernias. Learn more: go.wisc.edu/opz6e4

Congratulations to Dr. Gretchen Schwarze, professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery, for receiving the 2026 MacLean Center Prize in Clinical Ethics and Health Outcomes. #ExceptionalPeople #ExtraordinaryResults go.wisc.edu/08r3f3

Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. We are so proud of the life-changing work that all of the women at Wisconsin Surgery do! #ExceptionalPeople #ExtraordinaryResults

Endocrine Surgery Fellowship Applications open TODAY for the 2027-2028 fellowship year. Check out the AAES website for more details: go.wisc.edu/48vb6f

“We take great pride in serving these patients and helping them return to full, healthy lives.” Drs. Dixon Kaufman and Dan McCarthy discuss the extraordinary results of the UW Health Transplant Center in 2025. go.wisc.edu/4d22kl

This Black History Month, UW-Madison is celebrating Black Love in all its forms: self-love, family, friendship and romance. For more information about events, visit: go.wisc.edu/bhm

Today is National Wear Red Day, which should be easy for #Badgers! Wear Red Day raises awareness for women's heart health. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women. Show your support for women across the nation by wearing red.

It's National Burn Awareness Week. We are proud of the outstanding clinical care, exceptional education and ground-breaking research efforts of our Burn and Wound Care Team. Read more about our advancements in burn care: go.wisc.edu/o75650

This World Cancer Day, read about how Drs. Nabeel Zafar and Muhammed Murtaza, members of our Division of Surgical Oncology, are making an impact on cancer research and detection abroad: go.wisc.edu/5vx6yl

It's National Women Physicians Day! We have over 100 exceptional women surgeons and trainees in our department. We are so proud of all the extraordinary work that our women physicians do for the Department of Surgery and beyond. #ExceptionalPeople #ExtraordinaryResults

Thank you to all of our presenters, attendees and to everyone who helped make our 17th annual Research Summit a success! As a part of the summit, several awards were given to recognize excellence in posters, presentations, and images. The 2026 award winners were:

Congratulations to Dr. Jon Odorico, professor in the Division of Transplantation, for receiving a one-year, $70,000 Fall Research Competition grant from the Office of Vice Chancellor for Research. #ExceptionalPeople go.wisc.edu/55r1yd

Dr. Courtney Balentine recently joined HCPLive to discuss his new research published in JAMA Surgery about implementing AI in the operating room, including challenges and next steps. #ExceptionalPeople Learn more: go.wisc.edu/n5228p

We wrapped up our Research Summit with our Shark Tank Pitch Competition. It was incredible to hear about cutting-edge surgical research happening in the Department of Surgery. #ExceptionalPeople #ExtraordinaryResults

Our poster session features more than 60 posters that highlight all the great research happening in the Department of Surgery! #ExtraordinaryResults

During the Abstract Oral Presentations, we got to hear about the vast research happening at Wisconsin Surgery. Thank you to Dr. Chandler Annesi for presenting as a part of our resident exchange program with The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Great job to all of our presenters!

We kicked off our 17th annual Research Summit with a keynote address by Dr. Sandra Wong, Dean of Emory University School of Medicine and the Chief Academic Officer of Emory Healthcare, about “Better Health and Healthcare Through Research.”

Congratulations to Dr. Anna Beck, assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology, for being awarded a position in UW's 2025-27 cohort of the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) scholars program. Read more: go.wisc.edu/m6pjmi

Next Tuesday, Feb. 3, be sure to tune into the webinar "Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery: From Bench to Clinical Translation." Dr. Aaron Dingle is chairing this event. Register for this free event: go.wisc.edu/k3r6dv

January is Thyroid Awareness Month. Many thyroid conditions are treatable when caught early. Our faculty and staff in the Division of Endocrine Surgery provide advanced care, innovative treatments, and ground-breaking research for thyroid conditions. go.wisc.edu/2m4286

Every month, our faculty and staff engage in remarkable research that yields many impactful publications. We are highlighting several of these publications in our Research Roundup series. See the December edition: go.wisc.edu/x1h1qx #ExtraordinaryResults

Dr. Dawda Jawara, general surgery resident, completed his global surgery elective rotation to The Gambia. During his trip, he got to witness the first laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in the country. Read about his experiences in his own words: go.wisc.edu/d737vz

Congratulations to Dr. Muhammed Murtaza, associate professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology, for receiving a one-year, $25,000 Badger Challenge Scholar Grant. #ExceptionalPeople go.wisc.edu/tn0j2i

Last week, members of the Surgery Interest Group participated in the open skills simulation part of our Surgery Olympics. Participants performed tasks after watching instructional videos, then had hands on education by Drs. Werner and DiMusto to help perfect their skills.

Dr. Michael Garren, professor in @wiscsurgerymis.bsky.social, recently spoke about the importance of preparing your own meals, moving away from processed foods, and exercise. go.wisc.edu/q3a71x

We are excited to welcome three new Advanced Practice Providers to the Department of Surgery!

Congratulations to Dr. Evie Carchman, associate professor in the Division of Colorectal Surgery, for receiving a one-year, $50,000 Benefiting Research Innovation Development Growth and Education (BRIDGE) grant from The Research Foundation of the @ascrs.bsky.social. go.wisc.edu/7ea0ns

Every month, our faculty and staff engage in remarkable research that yields many impactful publications. We are highlighting several of these publications in our Research Roundup series. See the November edition: go.wisc.edu/yq401h #ExtraordinaryResults

Congratulations to Dr. Brigitte Smith and her team for being awarded a $1.1M precision education grant from the @ama-assn.org #ChangeMedEd initiative. #ExceptionalPeople Read more: go.wisc.edu/qufd62

Thank you to Dr. Joseph Thomas (@docwithbowtie.bsky.social) for joining us last week! At Grand Rounds, he spoke about “When In Doubt, Cut It Out? Humanism in the Fight Against Disinformation” and then he spoke with our residents about navigating social media during medical training.

Dr. Nikole Neidlinger, associate professor in the Division of Transplantation, joined The Larry Meiller Show to talk about organ donation. #ExceptionalPeople Listen here: go.wisc.edu/6u2y2l

We are so proud to contribute to the ground-breaking research happening at @uwmadison.bsky.social! #ExtraordinaryResults

"Living donation is the gift of a lifetime because a kidney from a living donor often lasts longer than a kidney from a deceased donor." Dr. Dixon Kaufman, professor and Director of the @uwhealth.bsky.social Transplant Center, discusses the Living Donor Initiative. go.wisc.edu/9717hz

Congratulations to Bailey Donahue (research specialist), Betsy Golomski (GME Program Manager) and Rick Ziegler (CFO) for winning our 2025 staff awards! #ExceptionalPeople

Read about the groundbreaking clinical trial that was made possible by Dr. Dixon Kaufman, our Office of Clinical Research, and our whole kidney team and patients. #ExceptionalPeople #ExtraordinaryResults

Congratulations to Dr. Gretchen Schwarze, professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery, for receiving the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Group on Women in Medicine and Science Impact Award. #ExceptionalPeople go.wisc.edu/0o3fq6

Congratulations to Connie Chamberlain, PhD, principal scientist in Dr. Jon Odorico's Lab, for receiving a one-year, $50,000 Translational Basic & Clinical Research Pilot Award from the UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (@uw-ictr.bsky.social). go.wisc.edu/l0q28e

Every month, our faculty and staff engage in remarkable research that yields many impactful publications. We are highlighting several of these publications in our Research Roundup series. See the September and October edition: go.wisc.edu/7uw31b #ExtraordinaryResults

Dr. Elise Lawson, associate professor in the Division of Colorectal Surgery, recently completed her term as President of the Wisconsin Surgical Society. She concluded her presidency by giving a Presidential Address at the WSS 2025 Annual Conference. go.wisc.edu/fil4xh

The DOS Book Club had such a great time discussing the 2025 @uwmadison.bsky.social Go Big Read book, "James" by Percival Everett.

Apply to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Advanced GI MIS/Bariatrics/Foregut & Advanced GI MIS/Hernia and Abdominal Wall Fellowships! Applications open today, Dec. 1, at 5 PM Pacific via The Fellowship Council. go.wisc.edu/7pe0au

Approximately 573,000 adults in Wisconsin have diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes. Drs. David Harris and Jon Odorico are researching ways to tackle diabetes, from altering the body’s chemicals to generating insulin-producing beta cells. #ExceptionalPeople go.wisc.edu/76fv96

@mebrown4.bsky.social explores the nexus of PSC biology and immunology and investigates the mechanisms underpinning the immune response to PSC-derived cell therapies. #WARF100 @uwchancellor.bsky.social @wiscsurgery.bsky.social https://www.warf.org/commercialize/uw-madison-inventor-profiles/brown/

Congratulations to Cynthia Kelm-Nelson, PhD, Director of Biological Sciences and senior scientist III in the Department of Surgery, for receiving the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Dean's Research Staff Award. #ExceptionalPeople go.wisc.edu/4ld59b Photo courtesy of Media Solutions

Muhammed Murtaza's research team developed an approach for analyzing cancer DNA from blood spot samples that could allow collection of samples in clinic or at home. #WARF100 @uwchancellor.bsky.social @wiscsurgery.bsky.social https://www.warf.org/commercialize/uw-madison-inventor-profiles/murtaza/

Earlier this month, Dr. Paul DiMusto, associate professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery, Dr. Alyssa Wiener, vascular surgery fellow, and Dr. Jack Bontekoe, vascular surgery resident, attended the APEX-VS course hosted at St. Louis University.

A @uwhealth.bsky.social story shares the importance of early detection for lung cancer. Last year, Dr. Andrea Axtell performed a life-saving procedure on a patient whose lung cancer was detected early. #ExceptionalPeople #ExtraordinaryResults go.wisc.edu/wqo9g3

Dr. Saad Sahi joins us as an assistant professor in the Division of Acute Care and Regional General Surgery. He completed fellowships in Surgical Critical Care and Acute Care Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Welcome, Dr. Sahi!