2023 Award Recipients
Congratulations to the 2023 Thoracic Surgery Award Recipients! These awards have been made possible by generous donors including surgeons, societies, industry partners, grateful patients, and friends who have invested in the future of the specialty.
Shin Yajima, MD, PhD – Stanford University
Stromal cell-derived factor 1α- encapsulated nanoparticles specifically target in the ischemic myocardium and attenuate ischemia myocardial injury.
Constantine D. Mavroudis, MD, MSc, MTR – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
The effect of preoperative cyanosis on cerebral mitochondrial function following cardiopulmonary bypass and neuroprotective perfusion strategies in neonatal swine.
Caitlin T. Demarest, MD, PhD – Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Testing a novel Pulmonary Assist Device in a sheep model of chronic pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure to evaluate exercise physiology and right ventricular recovery.
Nina Starr Braunwald Research Award
Selena S. Li, MD – Massachusetts General Hospital
Proteomic Predictors of Cardiac Recovery
Nina Starr Braunwald Research Fellowship Award (Resident)
Danny Wang, MD – Massachusetts General Hospital
The Role of the Gut and Lung Microbiome in Postoperative Recovery and Complications Following Oncologic Lung Resection.
TSF Resident Research Fellowship Award
Jimmy Kang, MD – University of Alberta
Attenuation of Xenoreactive Immune Response with Allogeneic Recellularized Tissue Engineered Heart Valves.
TSF Resident Research Fellowship Award
Krish C. Dewan, MD, MS – Duke University
Improving Cardiac Transplant Outcomes Through PD-L1 Overexpression Gene Therapy.
Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA) Resident Research Award
Kei Suzuki , MD, MS – Inova
Single-cell RNA sequence profiling of tumor-immune microenvironment for precision therapy in resectable lung cancer.
AstraZeneca Lung Cancer Research Award
Jeffrey B. Velotta, MD – UCSF School of Medicine and Kaiser Permanente Northern California
Identifying novel patient outreach strategies to increase Lung Cancer Screening (LCS) in Asian Americans in an integrated healthcare system.
AstraZeneca Reversing Health Disparities in Lung Cancer Research Award
David Zapata, MD – University of Maryland School of Medicine
Travel to Brussels to study aortic and mitral valve repair.
Thoracic Surgery Foundation/Francis Fontan Fund International Traveling Fellowship
Valentina Mescola, MD, MEBCTS – University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
Travel to 2 sites to learn about setting up a viable OPCAB program — 4-6 weeks at The Valley Hospital
Thoracic Surgery Foundation/Francis Fontan Fund International Traveling Fellowship
Laura A. Torrico Davila, MD – Ignacio Chavez National Institute of Cardiology, Mexico City, Mexico
Travel to Boston Children’s Hospital to study assessment, management, and intraoperative techniques for cardiac reconstruction in neonates.
Marcio Rufino Barbosa Jr., MD – Santa Casa de Misericordia de Vitoria, Espirito Santo, Brazil
Travel to Brussels to learn advanced repair techniques for the treatment of aortic and valvular heart disease.
Ali M. Alakhtar, MD, MSc – McGill University
Structural Heart Fellowship
Michael J. Davidson Structural Heart Fellowship Award
Derrick Tam, MD, PhD – University of Toronto
Advanced cardiac fellowship in minimally invasive and structural mitral valve interventions.
Every Heartbeat Matters Structural Heart Diversity Fellowship
Scott C. DeRoo, MD – University of Washington
Advanced aortic valve repair: strategies for both the bicuspid and trileaflet valve.
Madhuri V. Rao, MD – University of Minnesota
Robotic Complex Segementectomy
Carolyn E. Reed Traveling Fellowship
Simran K. Randhawa, MBBS – University of Colorado
Developing a Robotic assisted foregut surgery practice.
Carolyn E. Reed Traveling Fellowship Award
Dmitry O. Bobylev, MD – Hannover Medical School
Clinical protocols, hybrid cardiac surgery, Ozaki procedure, Ross operation.
Robert L. Replogle Traveling Fellowship Award
Mr. Ariyo Lookman Idowu – Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Complex pediatric perfusion and device implant surgery.
Sarns Terumo Perfusion Education Fellowship Award
Yazan N. AlJamal, MD – Mayo Clinic
Robotic esophageal surgery – esophagectomy and benign foregut procedures.
Advanced Robotic Cardiac Surgery Fellowship
Mian Mustafa Kamal, MBBS – Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, Pakistan
TAVI: Break the Barriers
The Levi Watkins Innovation and Leadership Development Scholarship
Nicolas Contreras, MD – University of Utah
Robotic esophageal surgery – esophagectomy and benign foregut procedures.
Underrepresented Robotic General Thoracic (URGT) Surgeon Development Award
Aditya Sengupta, MD
– SURGICAL OUTREACH TRIPS & VOLUNTEER SCHOLARHIPS –
Pranava Sinha, MD – University of Minnesota
Underserved Region: Uganda
TSF Every Heartbeat Matters Award
Jay D. Pal, MD, PhD – University of Washington
Underserved Region: Nepal
TSF Every Heartbeat Matters Award
Emily A. Farkas, MD, FACS – Indiana University
Underserved Region: Kenya
TSF Every Heartbeat Matters Award
Aldo Elmer Rafael, MD – Baylor University Medical Center
Underserved Region: Lima, Peru
TSF Every Heartbeat Matters Award
Carmelo A. Milano, MD – Duke University
Underserved Region: Honduras
TSF Every Heartbeat Matters Award
Robert C. Neely, MD – Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons, Austin, TX
Underserved Region: Kenya
TSF Every Heartbeat Matters Award
Zachary O. Enumah, MD – Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance
Underserved Region: Rwanda
