A ssociation for A cademic S urger y • S P R I N G 2 0 0 7

New sl e t ter
Pr e si de n t ’ s M e s s ag e
Dr. Fiemu Nwariaku
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you on a very successful meeting in Phoenix last February. The
success of our organization depends on active participation by the membership, and I am proud to note the
significant participation by members at the last annual meeting. There is no doubt that we have a young,
vibrant and progressive membership. It is my pleasure to inform you that our organization, the Association
for Academic Surgery continues to enjoy robust growth in membership and programs.

The Academic Surgical Congress in February 2007 marked the second joint meeting of the AAS and the
Society of University Surgeons. We must acknowledge the hard work of many members, especially our
Recorder – now President – Elect, Dr. Herb Chen, Immediate Past-President, Siobhan Corbett, Treasurer,
Dr. Gary Nackman, current Secretary, Dr. Kevin Staveley-O’Carroll and a host of others. We enjoyed record
abstract submission and meeting attendance. Our abstract acceptance rate was 88% with 104 oral papers and
Dr. Fiemu Nwariaku 190 posters. AAS manuscript submission to the Journal of Surgical Research increased by 200% last year, and
the Journal impact factor has gone up 21%.

In keeping with our mission, the AAS continues to reach out to medical students and surgical trainees with
the goal of attracting them to careers in academic surgery. Last year we created the AAS Student Travel Grant,
to encourage medical student attendance at the annual meeting. In 2008 the program will now include a
In this Issue medical student session, where students can present their scientific work to peers and mentors alike. We
believe that this will be a useful endeavor for the students and encourage the formation and maintenance of
President’s Message mentoring relationships.

1 The Fundamentals of Surgical Research Course and Career Development courses continue to do well. Over
120 faculty and fellows attended both courses in October 2006. We will continue to offer both courses in
Summary of the tandem with the Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. I encourage you to attend these
2007 ASC Meeting courses on October 5th and 6th 2007 in New Orleans.

2 During the application cycle ending in September 2006, 82 new members joined our organization- the
highest ever in our history. This is clearly due to the outstanding effort by the membership committee under
Fall Courses & the leadership of Dr. Peter Nelson, as well as our numerous institutional representatives. At the business
3rd Academic Surgical meeting we approved a new category of student membership and anticipate that this will further boost our
Congress membership.

3&4 Under the leadership of Immediate Past President Siobhan Corbett, the nomination process has been
streamlined, allowing individuals to submit their letters of intent prior to the business meeting. This small
2007 Election Results change was very well received as shown by the enthusiasm during the last election. We also observed a
plethora of superb candidates for many leadership positions within the organization, thus ensuring a strong
5 leadership pipeline for the AAS during the next several years. Hearty congratulations to the newly appointed
officers and Councilors and I look forward to working with all of you to improve our organization.
AAS Commitee Members
Finally, much of the daily activities required to run our organization would not be possible without an
5&6 attentive management company. We are fortunate to have the assistance of BSC as they continue to provide
wonderful support all year round and particularly during the annual meeting. I look forward to seeing you in
AAS 2007 Research Award
New Orleans this October and in Huntington Beach, California next February.
6

We had a record number
of abstracts (498)
presented at the meeting
and also a record
number of attendees
(over 800).
Drs. Nwariaku, Staveley-O’Carroll
and Corbett strategize on the best
way to wrangle a calf during the ASC
Rodeo main event.
Mark your
calendars!
3rd Annual Academic
Surgical Congress
February 13-15, 2008
Huntington Beach, CA
The abstract deadline is
Monday, August 27, 2007
S u mm a r y o f t h e 2 0 0 7 AS C m e e t i n g
Herb Chen, MD, AAS President-Elect & Former Recorder & Program Committee Chair
Dan Albo, MD, AAS Recorder & Program Committee Chair
2nd Annual Academic Surgical Congress is a huge success!
On behalf of the AAS program committee, we would like to thank all of the presenters, moderators,
discussants, members, guests, residents, and medical students who contributed to making the 2nd Annual
Academic Surgical Congress one of the best meetings the AAS has ever had! We had a record number of
abstracts (498!) presented at the meeting and also a record number of attendees (over 800!). We want to
especially thank Dave Geller, the SUS publications chair, for his leadership and collaboration in maintaining
the AAS and SUS meetings as one joint scientific congress.
The program consisted of the AAS and SUS plenary sessions as well as joint scientific oral and oral poster
sessions with both societies. Many attendees commented on how the combined format promoted discussion,
collaboration, and scientific exchange between the two organizations. This was definitely evident in the
Education Forum on “New Initiatives in Graduate and Continuing Education” where
the AAS and SUS Committees on Education worked together to coordinate a very stimulating
session, as well as in the Forum on Social and Legislative Issues, where, again, the AAS and
SUS Issues Committees jointly put forth an excellent program entitled “Surgical Innovation,
Investigation, and the IRB”. The combined efforts of both societies lead to a synergistic
increase in the depth and quality of the meeting.
Although much of the Academic Surgical Congress sessions were jointly held, the program
was similar to last year’s meeting and allowed the AAS to maintain many of the events
which were popular at previous AAS meetings. This year’s AAS Founder’s lecture, “William
Stewart Halsted: Our Surgical Heritage” was delivered by John L. Cameron, M.D. The
AAS Informatics and Technology Committee moderated posters session focused on
Emerging Technologies. The AAS Committee on Leadership led the Resident/Student
Meet the Leaders Forum and Luncheon. The AAS Membership Committee hosted a New
Members Breakfast that provided new AAS members the opportunity to get involved in the
Association.
One of the additional highlights of the 2nd Annual Academic Surgical Congress was the
recognition of the many outstanding oral presentations and posters given by AAS members
and their trainees. Andrea Badillo, M.D, from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,
Catherine Liebig, M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine, and Janak Parikh, M.D., from
UCLA were recipients of the AAS Resident Research Awards. The Best Oral Presentation
by a New AAS Member entitled “Gene Silencing in Pancreatic Cancer: Identification of Novel
Transcriptional Repressors” was delivered by Mark Truty, M.D. from the Mayo Clinic, while the Best Poster
Presentation by a New AAS Member entitled “Attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium with IL-2 Gene Has
Local Effect on Murine Neuroblastoma” was from Kaysie Banton, M.D. from the University of Minnesota. The
Best Manuscript Award went to Anthony Lucci, M.D. from MD Anderson for “Cycloxygenase-2 expression
Induces Genomic Instability in MCF10A Breast Epithelial Cells”. Stephen Kim, M.D. from University of
Washington won the Best Manuscript by a New
AAS Member Award for his paper, “A Perfusion
Bioreactor for Intestinal Tissue Engineering.”
Please mark your calendars for the 3rd Annual
Academic Surgical Congress February 13-15,
2008 in Huntington Beach, CA, which promises
to be an even more outstanding meeting! The
abstract deadline is Monday, August 27, 2007.
See you there!
AAS members enjoy some mingling during the AAS new
member breakfast at the ASC.
2
 Association For Academic Surgery

Fall Courses

October 5 & 6, 2007

New Or le a ns, L A
Advance of the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress

Fu nda menta l s of C a r eer De v elopment

Surgic a l R e se a rch Cour se
Cour se Course Chairs: Erich Kimchi, MD
Course Chair: Siobhan A Corbett, MD & Scott LeMaire, MD

W ho Should At tend? W ho Should At tend?

Those in their First Year of Research Residents
Residents Fellows
Fellows Junior Faculty
New Faculty Medical Students
Medical Students

W h at W ill Be Taught? W h at W ill Be Taught?

This course provides the foundation for a successful basic
or clinical science research experience, including advice and
practical tips.
Topics include “Planning a Career in Surgical Research,”
“Abstract Writing”, “Researching and Writing a Scientific
Manuscript,” “Grant Writing,” and many more.
How to...
Choose the right job and negotiate for
what you will need to succeed.
Choose the right mentors.
Achieve balance between career and family life.
Write effective grant applications.
Plan an effective strategy for getting promoted.

Registration For Those courses will be available through the AAS this summer.
Please watch your email for an announcement and visit www.aasurg.org for more information.
Association for Academic Surgery • 11300 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 600 • Los Angeles, CA 90064
Phone: 310-437-1606 • Fax: 310-437-0585 • Email: registration@aasurg.org
3
 3rd ANNUAL
ACADEMIC SURGICAL CONGRESS
February 13-15, 2008 • Huntington Beach, CA
Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa
AAS President Fiemu E. Nwariaku and SUS President Michael T. Longaker invite you to attend the 3rd Annual
Academic Surgical Congress in Huntington Beach, CA. Huntington Beach is best known for its long 14 km
beach, mild climate and excellent surfing. Each summer Huntington Beach hosts the World Surfing
Championships. This, along with its rich surfing history and culture, have earned it the title of “Surf City.” The
joint meeting will be held at the luxurious Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, overlooking the
waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Meeting Highlights: • Combined AAS and SUS Panel Discussions

• Scientific Sessions
Oral and Oral Poster presentations:
Basic Science (cardiothoracic, oncology,
transplant, vascular, GI, trauma/critical
care, pediatric); Clinical Science (trials
and outcomes research); Trends in Surgical
Education; Emerging Technologies
• Featured Lectures
SUS Joel J. Roslyn Lecture
AAS Founders’ Lecture
Forum on social and legislative issues
Forum on surgical education
• Focused discussion groups
• AAS and SUS new members events
• Association of Women Surgeons Program
• Social events including family-focused
activities
• Special Clinical Session

Abstract Deadline is Monday, August 27, 2007

Additional information is available at
www.academicsurgicalcongress.org

4
 R e s u lt s o f t h e 2 0 0 7 El e c t i o n s
Kevin Staveley-O’Carroll, MD, PhD, AAS Secretary
The following people were elected to leadership positions in the AAS during the AAS Business Meeting at the Academic Surgical Congress or subsequently via
e-mail vote. For a full list of the AAS Executive Council, please visit www.aasurg.org.
President-Elect (2007-2008): Herbert Chen, MD, FACS
Recorder (2007-2009): Daniel Albo, MD, PhD
Treasurer (2007-2010): Christian Max Schmidt, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS
Education Committee Chair (2007-2008): Daniel Scott, MD
Issues Committee Chair (2007-2008): Melina R. Kibbe, MD
Councilors (two-year term to begin in 2008)
1998 representative: David A. Gerber, MD
2000 representative: Ai-Xuan Le Holterman, MD
2002 representative: Leila Mureebe, MD
2004 representative: Hong Jin Kim, MD
2006 representative: Alexander A. Parikh, MD

The following people were appointed to leadership positions in the AAS by President Fiemu Nwariaku.
AAMC Representative (2007-2009): Ruth L. Bush, MD
National Association for Biomedical Research (2007-2009): Emily K. Robinson, MD
Association of Woman Surgeons (2007-2008): Leila Mureebe, MD

AAS C o mm i t t e e M e mb e r s
The AAS Executive Committee would like to thank all the AAS committee members for their hard work in ensuring that the work and mission
of the AAS is being fulfilled. Following is a list of the AAS committees and members. This list, along with e-mails, can be found on the AAS web site

Committee on Education Membership Committee

Chair: Daniel J. Scott, M.D. (2006-2008) Chair: Peter R. Nelson, M.D. (2006-2008)
Anees Chagpar, M.D. (2007-2009) David T. Efron, M.D. (2007-2009)
Lillian S. Kao, M.D. (2007-2009) Sergio Huerta, M.D. (2007-2009)
Nipun Merchant, M.D. (2007-2009) Vikram S. Kashyap, M.D. (2007-2009)
Rebecca M. Minter, M.D. (2006-2008) Leonidas G. Koniaris, M.D. (2006-2008)
Timothy A. Pritts, M.D., Ph.D (2006-2008) Evan P. Nadler, M.D. (2007-2009)
Carla M. Pugh, M.D., Ph.D. (2007-2009) Lisa S. Poritz, M.D. (2007-2009)
Shirin Towfigh, M.D. (2007-2009) Craig H. Selzman, M.D. (2006-2008)
Brian D. Shames, M.D. (2006-2008)
Committee on Issues
Chair: Melina R. Kibbe, M.D. (2006-2008)
Carlton C. Barnett, Jr., M.D. (2007-2009)
Cataldo Doria, M.D., Ph.D. (2007-2009)
Robin D. Kim, M.D. (2007-2009)
Mahesh H. Mankani, M.D. (2007-2009)
Benedict C. Nwomeh, M.D. (2007-2009)
Oluyinka O. Olutoye, M.D., Ph.D. (2006-2008)
Margaret Lee Schwarze, M.D., MPP (2006-2008)
Christoph Troppmann, M.D. (2006-2008)
Continued…

5
Nominating Committee Informatics and Technology Committee
Chair: Fiemu Nwariaku, M.D. (2007-2008) Chair: Jeffrey S. Upperman, M.D. (2006-2008)
Herbert Chen, M.D., FACS (2007-2008) Harry L. Anderson, III, M.D. (2007-2009)
Kevin F. Staveley-O’Carroll, M.D. Ph.D. (2006-2008) John T. Anderson, M.D. (2007-2009)
Christian (Max) Schmidt, M.D., Ph.D. (2007-2010) Paul J. DiMuzio, M.D. (2006-2008)
Daniel Albo, MD, Ph.D. (2007-2009) Julie R. Fuchs, M.D. (2007-2009)
Samir S. Awad, M.D. (2007-2008) James D. Maloney, II, M.D. (2007-2009)
Kamal M.F. Itani, M.D. (2007-2008) Christopher D. Raeburn, M.D. (2006-2008)
Nipun Merchant, M.D. (2007-2008) Sonia Ramamoorthy, M.D. (2007-2009)
Kasper S. Wang, M.D (2007-2008) Tamas J. Vidovszky, M.D. (2006-2008)
Edward E. Whang, M.D. (2007-2008)
Leadership Committee:
Karen J. Brasel, M.D. (2007-2008)
Co-Chair: Eric T. Kimchi, M.D. (2006-2008)
David J. Hackam, M.D., Ph.D. (2007-2008)
Co-Chair: Scott A. LeMaire, M.D. (2006-2008)
Gary B. Nackman, M.D. (2007-2008)
Mark S. Cohen, M.D. (2007-2009)
Program Committee Alessandro Fichera, M.D. (2007-2009)
Chair:Daniel Albo, M.D. (2007-2009) Jason B. Fleming, M.D. (2006-2008)
Karen J. Brasel, M.D. (2006-2008) Scott F. Gallagher, M.D. (2006-2008)
Andrew C. Chang, M.D. (2007-2009) Lawrence T. Kim, M.D. (2006-2008)
Alan Dardik, M.D., Ph.D. (2007-2009) Louis L. Nguyen, M.D. (2007-2009)
Nestor Felix Esnaola, M.D. (2006-2008)
Ad Hoc Development Committee:
David J. Hackam, M.D., Ph.D. (2006-2008)
Chair: Gary B. Nackman, M.D.
Muthusamy Kunnimalaiyaan, Ph.D. (2006-2008)
Edward M. Barksdale, Jr., M.D.
Atul K. Madan, M.D. (2007-2009)
William E. Fisher, M.D.
James F. Pingpank, Jr. M.D. (2007-2009)
Evan P. Nadler, M.D.
Taylor S. Riall, M.D. (2006-2008)
Benedict Nwomeh, M.D.
George A. Sarosi, Jr., M.D. (2006-2008)
Richard V. Perez, M.D.
Shimul A. Shah, M.D. (2007-2009)
Matthias G. Stelzner, M.D.
Rebecca Sippel, M.D. (2006-2008
Kim M. Olthoff, M.D.
Sonia L. Sugg, M.D. (2007-2009)
Richard H. Turnage, M.D.
Omaida C. Velazquez, M.D. (2006-2008)
Thomas N. Wang, M.D., Ph.D. (2007-2009)
Herbert J. Zeh, M.D. (2007-2009)
Wei Zhou, M.D. (2007-2009)
Brian S. Zuckerbraun, M.D. (2006-2008)

AAS 2 0 0 7 R e s e a r c h F e ll o w s h i p Awa r d
The Association for Academic Surgery is pleased to announce the winner of the 2007 Research Fellowship Award. Dr. Scott N. Pinchot has been
selected to receive $30,000 over two years from AAS for his work entitled “The Role of GSK3B Signaling in Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Tumors.”

Dr. Pinchot is currently a general surgery resident at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He received his Medical Degree at the Medical College
of Wisconsin and a B.S. in Biomedical Science summa cum laude from Western Michigan University. In July 2007, Dr. Pinchot will begin a two-year
postdoctoral fellowship studying the role of GSK3B signaling in gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors.