News

Congratulations to Jennifer K Plichta, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Surgery, and Laura H Rosenberger, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, on approval of their 2020 Cancer Research Pilot Projects from the Duke Cancer Institute and the Gray Foundation.

Congratulations to John Migaly, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, on being elected into the Southern Surgical Association. The association was founded in 1887, and has dedicated itself to disseminating research and improving surgical techniques, outcomes, and applicable knowledge.

Dr. Migaly's membership application was supported by current association members from the Duke Department of Surgery:

Georgia Beasley, MD, MHS, Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology, has received a 2019 award from the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) for her pilot research project, “Oncolytic Poliovirus in Melanoma.”

Using an oncolytic poliovirus has already been tested at Duke as a treatment for recurrent glioblastoma, and in Dr. Beasley’s current research, the therapy will be used for treatment refractory melanoma, or melanoma that has not responded to other treatments. 

Congratulations to Jennifer K. Plichta, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, on being appointed to the editorial board for Breast Cancer Research, one of the most widely read journals in breast cancer research and treatment.

Lola Fayanju, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, recently received a K08 award from the National Institutes of Health for her proposal "Using Modifiable Risk Factors to Predict Inferior Care and Survival After Breast Cancer Diagnosis: A Novel Approach to Addressing Health Disparities." With this grant, Dr. Fayanju and her team will develop a prediction model to identify women with mutable risk factors for compromised breast cancer care, providing a novel approach to addressing disparities in oncologic care.

Dr. Rachel Greenup, Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, has been appointed to serve on the Clinical and Health Services Research Committee for the Association of Academic Surgery. Her 2-year term will begin in the spring of 2020, following the Academic Surgical Congress.

"This honor is a testament to her innovative health services research and leadership in the breast surgical oncology academic community," says Dr. Shelley Hwang, Chair of Research and Chief of Breast Surgery.

Congratulations to Georgia Beasley, MD, MHS, Assistant Professor of Surgery, and Andrew Peterson, MD, MPH, Professor of Surgery, on being elected to the Duke University School of Medicine chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.

The Duke Center for Geriatric Surgery (DCGS) was established by the Department of Surgery to offer a collaborative platform to develop and integrate advances in perioperative care for older adults through clinical innovation, education and research. The Center funds 1-2 grants for researchers annually. After a rigorous peer review selection process, we are pleased to announce that the 2019 DCGS Scholars Award recipients are:

• Hadiza Kazaure, MD: “Timing of a DNR Order and Surgical Outcomes of Older Adults”

But doctors seldom discuss financial differences between similarly effective treatments
 

Even among well-educated women with health insurance coverage, a significant proportion said the costs of cancer treatment influenced the type of surgery they chose for breast cancer treatment, a study led by the Duke Cancer Institute found.

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.