News

The Department of Surgery held its 4th Annual Research Day April 17. The department holds this event annually to advance its mission of improving patient care through research and training the next generation of surgeon–scientists. The event recognizes the accomplishments of fellows, residents, and students engaged in clinical or basic and translational research through the department.

Congratulations to Julie Thacker, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology, Betty Tong, MD, MS, MHS, Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, and John Wiener, MD, Professor of Surgery in the Division of Urology, on their election to serve on Duke University’s Academic Council.

The U.S. News and World Report has ranked the Duke University School of Medicine 2nd in surgery among the best medical schools in the country. This 2nd place ranking is up considerably from the department’s 5th place ranking last year.

The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research has released its 2018 rankings of NIH funding for basic and clinical science departments, revealing that Duke Surgery ranks highest nationwide with more than $30 million in funding committed to research.

Dr. Peter Smith, Professor and Chief, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, has been reappointed as Chair of the American Medical Association’s Specialty Society Relative Value Scale (RVS) Update Committee (RUC).

Duke Surgery researchers are bridging the gap between basic research and clinical application, moving gene therapy from the bench to the bedside.

With a buzzing phone and dinging inbox repeatedly begging for her attention, Dr. Georgia Beasley momentarily tunes out the chaos to discuss the journey that led to her current position at Duke. Here, she splits her time between treating melanoma patients in the clinic and researching novel treatments for the disease in the laboratory.

In recognition for his extraordinary efforts to accommodate a patient’s needs, Jeffrey Gaca, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, has received the Strength, Hope, and Caring Physician Award from Duke University Hospital.

As a visiting professor in China 10 years ago, thoracic surgeon Dr. Thomas D’Amico introduced a novel surgical procedure that was showing tremendous benefits in cancer patients back home at Duke University Medical Center.

Surgical Center for Outcomes Research (SCORES) Scholars Awards were established by the Duke Department of Surgery in 2016 to foster new collaborations around surgical health services research. After a rigorous peer review selection process, we are pleased to announce that the 2017 SCORES Scholars Award recipients are: