Over 12,000 patients in the state of Wisconsin are impacted by kidney failure. Receiving a new kidney from an organ donor can cure kidney failure, but there is nowhere near enough donor kidneys to meet …
research
Dr. Cynthia Kelm-Nelson Awarded Dean’s Research Staff Award
Cynthia Kelm-Nelson, PhD, Director of Biological Sciences and senior scientist III in the Department of Surgery, was recently awarded the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) Dean’s Research Staff Award. Dr. …
Dr. David Harris Honored with Vilas Faculty Early-Career Investigator Award
Dr. David Harris, assistant professor in the Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery, was awarded a Vilas Faculty Early-Career Investigator Award. This award will provide Dr. Harris with flexible research funding for three years. Dr. Harris …
Dr. Courtney Balentine Named Executive Director of WiSOR and Director of Data Science
Dr. Courtney Balentine, associate professor in the Division of Endocrine Surgery, was named the Executive Director of WiSOR, effective Nov. 1, 2025, and the Director of Data Science. Dr. Balentine has a strong track record …
Plastic Surgery Resident and Medical Student Win ASPS Inventors Challenge
Dr. Jasmine Craig, plastic surgery resident, recently won the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Inventors Challenge. Dr. Craig won this award with the support of Nada Botros, a medical student at the Medical College …
ACS Clinical Congress 2025 Recap
The 2025 American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress took place Oct. 2-7 in Chicago. The Clinical Congress is designed to provide individuals with a wide range of learning opportunities, activities, and experiences that will …
General Surgery Resident Awarded Grant from the Society of University Surgeons
Palca Shibale, MD, a general surgery resident who is currently completing two years of dedicated academic development time, was announced as the recipient of the KARL STORZ Resident Research Scholar Award from the Society of …
Brown Lab Awarded Grant to Study the Transplantation Immune Response in Down Syndrome
People with Down syndrome have an increased risk of certain cancers, congenital heart defects, autoimmune diseases, and cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. What do all of these conditions have in common? They all involve irregularities …
Wisconsin Surgery Research Roundup: August 2025
Wisconsin Department of Surgery members engage in remarkable research that yields many impactful publications every month. We’re highlighting several of these publications monthly to showcase the diversity of research in the department; see selections from …
Dr. Joshua Mezrich Awarded Grant to Study Dietary Intervention to Improve the Quality of Donated Organs
When a potential organ donor is declared brain dead, the care of the donor is medically managed to ensure their organs remain healthy and available for donation. Division of Transplantation Professor Joshua Mezrich, MD believes …