Surgeons and scientists at UCLA Health will present data on the latest basic science, translational and health services research that has the potential to improve patient care at the 19th annual Academic Surgical (ASC) Congress in Washington, D.C., Feb. 6 to 8. 

The annual meeting, which is the joint meeting of the Association for Academic Surgery and the Society of University Surgeons, will feature nearly 80 abstracts from UCLA investigators that highlight topics in subspecialties ranging from oncology, trauma surgery to cardiothoracic surgery. 

Dr. Timothy Donahue, chief of surgical oncology and professor of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine, is the current president of the Society of University Surgeons and noted the importance of the annual meeting for the next generation of academic surgeons.

“The convergence of cutting-edge science, compelling speakers, and robust mentoring initiatives for students, residents and junior faculty creates a pivotal platform for engagement with a diverse array of leading experts,” said Donahue, who is also an investigator in the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“Each year the research presented at the Academic Surgical Congress not only demonstrates the breadth of exceptional scientific advancement, but also instill a sense of optimism for the well-being of our patients,” said Dr. Joe Hines, chair and professor of surgery in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the William P. Longmire, Jr., chair in surgery and surgeon-in-chief at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and investigator in the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

Highlights of UCLA research presented by faculty, residents and students at the ASC Congress include: 

Dr. Alain Chichom-Mefire, professor of general surgery and director of research for Cameroon at PASE-UCLA, is presenting on tranexamic acid administration after trauma in Cameroon: Divergence from CRASH-2 guidelines. The findings will be shared during the Clinical/Outcomes: Global Surgery Oral Session II on Feb. 7 from 7:30 to 9:30am EST. Dr. S. Ariane Christie, assistant professor in residence at UCLA, is the senior author of the study.

Dustin Dillon, a medical student at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, will present study findings on how Latino ethnicity predicts worse survival for gastric cancer in a safety-net patient population. The research will be discussed during the Clinical/Outcomes: Oncology Oral Session II on Feb. 8 from 7:30 to 9:30am EST. Dr. Brian Kadera, assistant professor in residencein the division of surgical oncology, is the senior author of the study.

Dr. Koki Maeda, a visiting assistant project scientist in the department of surgery at UCLA, will be discussing a comprehensive analysis and assessment of risk in early live retransplatation as part of the Clinical/Outcomes: Transplantation Quickshot Session II on Feb. 7 from 2:45 to 4:45pm EST. Dr. Fady Kaldas, director of the UCLA Transplant & Hepatobiliary Surgery Fellowship & Program, is the senior author of the study.

Dr. Alykhan Premji, a general surgery resident at UCLA, is the first author of a study that found STING-driven anti-tumor immunity is limited by adenosine signaling in pancreatic cancer. This oral session will be presented on Feb. 7 from 7:30 to 9:30am EST during the Basic Science: Oncology Oral Session 1. Dr. Premji will also highlight the research during the AAS Resident/Fellow Competition Quickshot Session on Feb. 6 from 5:30 to 6:30pm EST. Dr. Donahue is the senior author of the study. 

Dr. Jordan Rook, a general surgery resident at UCLA, will be leading the discussion on sociodemographic and clinical risk factors for chemical restraint use among adult trauma patients. The findings will be highlighted during the Clinical/Outcomes: Trauma/Critical Care Quickshot Session II on Feb. 6 from 7:30 to 9:30am EST. Dr. Catherine Juillard, a trauma surgeon and critical care physician at UCLA, is the senior author of the study.

Dr. Haley Tupper, a general surgery resident at UCLA, will present findings on community patient navigators’ insight on lung cancer screening awareness, barriers and facilitators during the Clinical/Outcomes: Cardiothoracic Quickshot Session on Feb. 6 from 7:30 to 9:30am EST. Dr. Sha'shonda Revels, assistant professor in the UCLA division of thoracic surgery, is the senior author of the study.

Arjun Verma, a graduate research assistant at UCLA, will be reporting findings on hospital benchmarking with failure to rescue and if adjustment for the type of complication matters as part of the Clinical/Outcomes: Cross-Disciplinary Oral Session II. This session takes place on Feb. 8 from 7:30 to 9:30am EST. Dr. Peyman Benharash, director of the UCLA Adult ECMO Program, is the senior author of the study.

For more information about the ASC Congress, please visit their website.