Research

Message from the Division of Plastic Surgery Research Director

University of Wisconsin’s Plastic Surgery Division has been committed over the last four decades to basic and clinical science research, and our current research portfolio makes us even more excited about the future. Whether you are a medical trainee interested in working and learning in our labs, a scientist wanting to collaborate with our faculty, or a grateful patient wishing to donate to research that will impact thousands of patients in the future, we welcome you to our research program.

A unique aspect of our division is the diversity and range of our research interests. As in most programs, Clinical Research constitutes the bulk of our publications. We have published articles in peer reviewed journals within every subspecialty in plastic surgery, including Breast Reconstruction, Microvascular Surgery (including a 26 year follow up of a hand replant and the longest reported follow up of free flaps for facial hemiatrophy), Aesthetic Surgery, Reconstructive Surgery, Hand Surgery, Craniofacial Surgery and Body Contouring.

The Microsurgery and Regenerative Medicine Lab (MSRM); directed by our Chair, Sam Poore, MD, PhD and Senior Scientist Aaron Dingle, PhD has more than 4 million dollars of active external funding through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), Veterans Affairs (VA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The MSRM lab performs basic, translational and clinical research encompassing the whole of plastic and reconstructive surgery. This includes experimental microsurgery, regenerative medicine and education, with a focus on conscientious collaboration. MSRM has dedicated lab space in the Wisconsin Institute of Medical Research and a state of the art education lab located within the UW Health University Hospital. In addition, John Siebert MD, with an endowed Chair for Research, is currently studying the molecular mechanisms of fat grafting and fat flaps in Parry Romberg Syndrome and in breast reconstruction.

Ahmed Afifi, MD, has an externally and internally funded qualitative outcomes research program that is currently studying migraine surgery. UW is one of the few centers in the country offering this cutting-edge surgery, and we are also part of a national multicenter study on this topic. Our qualitative program aims to specifically study how this surgery actually impacts the patients and their quality of life.

Venkat Rao, MD, MBA, and other faculty have contributed several articles about the Business aspects of plastic surgery, an always changing yet important topic. These have included the effects of the Affordable Care Act, how to establish a cosmetic surgery center, and reimbursement for skin cancer surgery.

The Craniofacial Research and Innovation (CRANI) Lab is directed by Daniel Cho, MD, PhD.  The focus on the lab is on enhancing access to high quality and equitable craniofacial surgical care and education.  The lab is supported by grant funding from the Plastic Surgery Foundation, American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Association of Plastic Surgeons, and the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Fund. The CRANI Lab recently founded a multidisciplinary research collaborative to study the role of environmental contaminants on the etiopathogenesis of orofacial clefts through collaborations with the Wisconsin Department of Health, School of Public Health, and Department of Comparative Biosciences.  In partnership with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the lab has worked on the development of multiple prototypes for surgical devices including an implantable intracranial pressure monitor, cleft marking pen, and craniofacial distractors.  The lab also has a strategic research partnership with CranioSure, a startup company focused on the development of a smartphone app for the early screening of infants for head shape differences.  This broad research portfolio provides a wide range of basic, clinical, and translational research opportunities for trainees. The lab also offers a one-year research fellowship for medical students interested in craniofacial surgery research.

With our long-standing Global Health initiative that have been in place for nearly 3 decades, we have published and presented several articles about pediatric and cleft surgery, and the value of global health.

And yes, we are very busy, which is why the article on maintaining a healthy life work balance by our former chair, Mike Bentz, MD, is a must read. In addition to his many publications, Dr. Bentz is the editor of the world’s major textbook on pediatric plastic surgery. He is also interested in Education Research, and the UW Department of Surgery has established itself in the forefront of that field.

All our faculty, including Catey Garland, MD, Brett Michelotti, MD, Brian Gander, MD, Jeff Larson, MD, Jacqueline Israel, MD and Katy Gast, MD are involved in research in their respective subspecialties in plastic surgery.

The “Wisconsin Idea” is a philosophy embraced by UW since 1904, and emphasizes that the impact of our research should extend beyond the walls of our institution, to reach all citizens of the state, country and the world. On behalf of all our faculty, residents, medical students, research fellows and staff, we thank you for your interest and invite you to join us in continuing the “Wisconsin Idea” tradition.

Our division-funded, dedicated research fellows have been extremely productive with grant submissions and securing extramural funding, with presentations at regional and national meetings, and with publications in high impact factor journals.

The Plastic Surgery Research Program is led by Dr. Brett Michelotti. Please contact him with any questions.

Brett Michelotti, MD
Director of Research

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