Destiny F. Chau, MD, FAAP - Section Editor

Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine / Pediatric Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology
Arkansas Children's Hospital / University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Dr. Destiny F. Chau is a board-certified anesthesiologist and pediatric anesthesiologist. She is currently a Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. After graduating with the highest honors with an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering, Dr. Chau earned her medical degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in 2002.  She finished anesthesiology residency training in 2006 at this institution and later completed a pediatric cardiac anesthesiology fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Since then, she has dedicated her professional time to advancing clinical medicine and medical education at national and international levels. Dr. Chau regularly participates in short-term medical and surgical initiatives in low- and middle-resourced areas with a focus on service and education. Dr. Chau held several leadership positions at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and Eastern Virginia Medical School prior to joining the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences as a Fellowship Program Director in 2020.

Inderpal S. Sarkaria, MD, FACS - Section Editor

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

• Vice Chairman for Clinical Affairs
• Director of Thoracic Robotic Surgery
• Co-Director of the Esophageal and Lung Surgery Institute
• Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery  

Dr. Sarkaria is an expert in minimally invasive approaches to benign and neoplastic diseases of the esophagus, mediastinum, and lung. He is a recognized leader in robotic assisted approaches to these operations, and developed the minimally invasive esophageal program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center prior to moving to UPMC. Dr. Sarkaria has one of the largest international experiences with robotic assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) and other esophageal operations. Dr. Sarkaria has lectured, published, and presented his research and experience nationally and internationally and is a member of the major national and international thoracic surgical societies.

Board-certified in general surgery and thoracic surgery, Dr. Sarkaria earned his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. He completed a residency in general surgery and cardiac surgery fellowship at New York Presbyterian Hospital – Weill Cornell Medical Center. He also completed fellowships in thoracic surgical oncology and cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and in minimally invasive thoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Jonathan D’Cunha, MD, PhD - Section Editor

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

• Associate Professor of Surgery in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Surgical Director of Lung Transplantation
• Associate Program Director of Thoracic Surgery
• Vice-Chair of Academic Affairs

Dr. Jonathan D’Cunha studied molecular biology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison before he earned his PhD and then MD at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He then did his internship, residency, and fellowship at the University of Minnesota before he became an Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery, Department of Surgery, at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. D’Cunha’s research interests include molecular mechanisms of non-small cell lung cancer tumorigenesis,novel therapeutics for non-small cell lung cancer, lung transplantation, and surgical education.

He serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Thoracic Disease, Annals of Surgical Oncology, and Journal of Surgical Oncology. In addition, he is a grant reviewer for the National Institute of Academic Anesthesia.

Danny Chu, MD, PhD - Section Editor

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

• Director of Cardiac Surgery, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System
• Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Heart and Vascular Institute

Dr. Chu received his undergraduate degree from the California Institute of Technology and his M.D. degree from the Tufts University School of Medicine. He completed general surgery residency at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Chu has authored over 70 peer-reviewed articles, 50 abstracts, 4 book chapters, and 4 invited editorials during his career thus far. He currently serves as an editorial board member of 13 peer-review journals and has been an invited reviewer of over 20 other journals. He has also been elected membership to the prestigious Society of University Surgeons. Currently, he is the Director of Cardiac Surgery at the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System and an Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Heart and Vascular Institute.

Joseph W. Turek, MD, PhD - Section Editor

University of Iowa

• Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
• Co-Director, University of Iowa Stead Family Congenital Cardiac Center
• Director of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Services
• Program Director of the Thoracic Surgery Fellowship and Thoracic Integrated Six-Year Residency Programs

Joseph William Turek, MD, PhD graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in Biochemistry in 1994 and received his MD/PhD (Pharmacology) from the University of Illinois – Chicago in 2002.  He completed his general surgery education at Duke University in 2007, where he also completed a cardiothoracic residency in 2010.  During this time he served as a visiting congenital fellow at Texas Children’s Hospital.  He completed a congenital cardiac fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 2011.  Dr. Turek was the third John H. Gibbon Jr. Research Scholarship Recipient awarded by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (2014-2016).  Dr. Turek is Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and Co-Director, University of Iowa Stead Family Congenital Cardiac Center.  He is also the Director of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Services and serves as the Program Director of the Thoracic Surgery Fellowship and Thoracic Integrated Six-Year Residency Programs at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.  His specialties include congenital heart surgery, pediatric heart transplantation and assist devices.  Dr. Turek is quite active nationally, holding board positions and serving on varies committees.  Dr. Turek can be reached at his office number (319) 384-8365 or by e-mail at joseph-turek@uiowa.edu with any questions.

L.D. Britt, MD, MPH, D.Sc (Hon), FACS, FCCM - Section Editor

Eastern Virginia Medical School

• Henry Ford Professor 
• Edward J. Brickhouse Chairman
• Department of Surgery

L.D. Britt, MD, MPH, D.Sc (Hon), FACS, FCCM, FRCSEng (Hon), FRCSEd (Hon), FWACS (Hon), FRCSI (Hon), FCS(SA) (Hon), FRCS(Glasg) (Hon) is a proud native of Suffolk, Virginia, has strong southern roots and is the product of the public school system. He attended the University of Virginia and was named to the Dean’s List each of the eight semesters. He received his Baccalaureate of Arts with Distinction.

Dr. L. D. Britt, a graduate of Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, is the Brickhouse Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School. He is the author of more than 220 peer-reviewed publications, more than 50 book chapters and non-peer-reviewed articles, and three books, including a recent edition of the highly touted Acute Care Surgery (Lippincott, Williams & Wilkens, Medford, NJ).

He serves on numerous editorial boards, including the Annals of Surgery, Archives of Surgery, World Journal of Surgery, Journal of the American College of Surgeons, the American Journal of Surgery (Associate Editor), the Journal of Trauma, Shock, Journal of Surgical Education, the American Surgeon, and others. In addition, he is a reviewer for the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Britt, a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, is the recipient of the nation’s highest teaching award in medicine the Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teaching Award, which is given by the AAMC in conjunction with AOA. He was honored by the Association of Surgical Education with its lifetime achievement award the Distinguished Educator Award given annually to one person considered by his peers to be a true master.

More than 180 institutions throughout the world have invited him to be their distinguished visiting professor. Dr. Britt is the past President of the Society of Surgical Chairs and the past Chairman of the ACGME Residency Review Committee for Surgery. Also, he is past Secretary of the Southern Surgical Association, the past Recorder/Program Chair for the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and past President of the Southeastern Surgical Congress, the Halsted Society, and the Southern Surgical Association. Dr. Britt is the past Chairman of the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons. He is also past President of the American College of Surgeons, the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and the American Surgical Association.

At the inaugural presidential ceremony held in Washington, D.C., during the 96th annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Britt was awarded the U.S. Surgeon Generals medallion for his outstanding achievements in medicine. The Honorable Regina Benjamin, MD, the 18th U.S. Surgeon General, presented this award at a formal ceremony. Dr. Britt was also appointed to the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar Program National Advisory Committee. The National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Medicine (in collaboration with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture) featured Dr. Britt for his contributions to academic surgery. President George W. Bush recognized Dr. Britts leadership role in medicine and nominated him to the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University (confirmed by the United States Senate).

At the end of his tenure, Dr. Britt was awarded the coveted Distinguished Service Medal. The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) also awarded him the Edithe J. Levit Distinguished Service Award.

An active participant in the community, Dr. Britt has received numerous awards for public service. Dr. Britt is the recipient of the 2010 Colgate Darden Citizen of the Year Award and the 2011 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Award. Atlanta Post recently highlighted him as one of the top 21 black doctors in America. Ebony magazine recently listed him as one of the most influential African Americans in the nation.

At the 2012 annual meeting of the American Surgical Association, Dr. Britt became the 132nd President of the organization. He was conferred an Honorary Doctorate by the President of Tuskegee University. Dr. Britt was also elected to the position of Commissioner of the Joint Commission (formerly JACHO). In 2012, he was conferred an Honorary Fellowship in the French Academy of Surgery, and the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa.

Having recently been awarded an Honorary Fellowship in the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow, Dr. Britt now has the distinction of receiving the highest honor given by each of the four Royal Colleges in the United Kingdom England, Edinburg, Ireland, and Glasgow.

Dr. Britt, author of the term Acute Care Surgery and one of the principal architects of this emerging specialty, was the 2013 recipient of the prestigious Roswell Park Medal. He was honored for his major contributions to American surgery. At the 2015 annual meeting of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, Dr. Britt was bestowed the coveted title of Master of Critical Care Medicine (MCCM) by the American College of Critical Care Medicine. Recently, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe appointed Dr. Britt to the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia.

Vincent Obias, MD, MS - Section Editor

Chief, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, George Washington University, Department of Surgery, Washington, DC

Dr. Obias is an Associate Professor of Surgery at George Washington University and Chief of the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery.  Dr. Obias received his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from James Madison University, his Masters degree in Physiology at the Medical College of Virginia, and his Doctorate in Medicine at the Medical College of Virginia.  He performed his internship and general surgery residency at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA. Dr. Obias next undertook a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. He further specialized in Advanced Laparoscopic colon and rectal surgery by undergoing a fellowship at University Hospitals Case Medical Center the following year. He is board certified in both general surgery and colon and rectal surgery.  Dr. Obias’s specialties include robotic and minimally invasive colon and rectal surgery. His interest include robotic single incision surgery, robotic transanal surgery, and clinical outcomes of robotic colorectal surgery.

H. Leon Pachter, MD - Section Editor

George David Stewart Professor of Surgery, Chair of the Department of Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center

Known for his passion, energy, and skill, Dr. Pachter has perfected a number of life-saving techniques over the years, including a multidisciplinary approach to treating tumors of the adrenal gland. By introducing advances in minimally invasive surgical techniques, Dr. Pachter has played a key role in making NYU Langone’s surgical service one of the finest in the country. Dr. Pachter is also a world-renowned educator, whose mentees have become national leaders at other prestigious medical centers.

Dr. Pachter’s roots to NYU Langone stretch back to his days as a student and chief resident in the early 1970s. After completing his MD, residency, and American Cancer Society Fellowship at NYU School of Medicine, Dr. Pachter has had an unbroken record of outstanding contributions—as director of the Trauma Service at Bellevue Hospitals Center from 1978 to 1998; as executive director from 1999 to 2006; as director of Bellevue’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit from 1978 to 1997; as chairman of the Medical Board of Tisch Hospital; as vice chairman for Faculty Affairs; as division chief of General Surgery; and as author, clinical scientist, master laparoscopic surgeon, and world-class mentor. Additionally, Dr. Pachter was instrumental in garnering significant support from the city council to build the Ranson laboratory at Bellevue Hospital, a site of important cancer research investigations.

The author of more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and numerous book chapters, Dr. Pachter serves on the Editorial Board for the American Journal of Surgery, Annals of Surgery and The Journal of Trauma and Critical Care. He also served on the American Board of Surgery as a consultant for the written boards for 8 years and is currently serving on the membership committee of the American Surgical Association. The American College of Surgeons has also designated him a mentor for young female academic surgeons in the U.S. This year Dr. Pachter was chosen by the Society of Black Academic Surgeons for its 2015 fellowship award for his efforts to diversify his department and his seminal contributions to surgery.

Stefan Scholz, MD - Section Editor

Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh

Director of Minimal Invasive Surgery, Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh

Stefan Scholz, M.D., is a Double Board Certified Surgeon born in Marburg, Germany and currently resides in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Scholz received his M.D. degree in 1997 from Philipps-Universitat Marburg school of Medicine in Marburg, Germany. In 2000, Dr. Scholz received his Dr. Med. Degree in Comparative Endocrinology at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA.

Dr. Scholz currently serves as Assistant Professor of Surgery at University of Pittsburgh as well as Director of Minimal Invasive Surgery at Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh. Previous positions held include Clinical Fellow of Surgery at Harvard Medical School (2004-2008), and Clinical Instructor of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University (2008-2010). Dr. Scholz is currently licensed to practice medicine in Germany, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.

Dr. Scholz has completed extensive post-graduate work from 2000-2011 in the fields of pediatric surgery, endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery, and general surgery at various institutions in Germany, Tennessee, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, and UK.

Dr. Scholz has received numerous certifications as follows: The American Board of Surgery – General Surgery (2009) and Pediatric Surgery (2011); Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (2007); Ultrasound Instructor, American College of Surgeons (2007); Basic Life Support (2006); Advanced Cardiac Life Support (2006); Advanced Trauma Life Support (2011/2015); Pediatric Advanced Life Support (2011); and daVinci Surgical System Console Surgeon (2011).

Since 2008, Dr. Scholz held various hospital administrative positions, committee appointments, and committee leadership roles at the following institutions: Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins University (2008-2010), Diana, Princess of Wales Children’s Hospital, University of Birmingham (2010-2011), Magee Women’s Hospital (2011), and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC (2011-2016).

Since 1999, Dr. Scholz has been a member of several professional and scientific societies. Special honors include a Teaching Award – Best Resident at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (2008), and SAGES Service Award Medal (2016).

Dr. Scholz has been extensively published around the world in various articles, reviews, invited papers, abstracts, monographs, books, and book chapters. Professional activities include formal teaching of resident students, grand rounds presentations, and peer teaching. Dr. Scholz has served on numerous national and international committees, panels, and boards.

Sudhen B. Desai, MD, FSIR - Section Editor

Baylor College of Medicine

• Department of Interventional Radiology  

Dr. Desai earned his Doctorate of Medicine with Distinction in Research and Alpha Omega Alpha honors from Albany Medical College, after completing the six-year BS/MD program in conjunction with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. During his latter years of medical school, he was selected as a scholar of the Clinical Research Training Program at the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, a clinical fellowship geared towards the development of translational researchers. He then went on to residency at Stanford University (General Surgery) and UCSF (Diagnostic Radiology), followed by fellowship in Vascular and Interventional Radiology at Northwestern University. He was a private practice adult Interventional and Diagnostic Radiologist for ten years.  In July 2016, he returned to fellowship for an advanced training year with a focus on Pediatric Interventional Radiology, at Children’s Hospital of Boston. Subsequently, he joined Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX), on the staff at Texas Children’s Hospital.  He currently provides interventional care to adult and pediatric patients.

In his time outside of the clinic, he serves as a consultant to multiple established and start-up medical companies (TVA Medical, Exit BD/Bard 2018), Scientific Advisor to Santé Ventures (Austin, TX) and Chief Editor for Interventional Radiology CSurgeries.com.  Previously he was an invited advisor to the Rice University Jones School of Business (Technology Entrepreneurship). He was a member of the Advisory Council for the Masters in Clinical Translation Management at the St. Thomas (Houston, TX) University Cameron School of Business as well.  He has been appointed to multiple committees for the Society of Interventional Radiology and has lectured at multiple SIR annual meetings. He is the Chief Editor for IR Quarterly, a distribution of the SIR.

As Past-President/Founder of the Houston chapter of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, and a Member of the SoPE International Board of Directors, Dr. Desai works to engage physicians interested in innovation and idea development, as well as to provide mechanisms and insights to assist early-stage companies in tackling the many challenges to successful exits.

Jose M Marchena DMD, MD, FACS - Section Editor

• Associate Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - University of Texas Health Science Center
• Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Ben Taub Hospital

Dr. Jose Marchena obtained his dental degree magna cum laude from Harvard School of Dental Medicine and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He completed internships in oral and maxillofacial surgery and general surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and his residency training at Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans. Dr. Marchena is an associate professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. He also serves as chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Ben Taub Hospital in Houston and as vice president of Smile Bangladesh, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing cleft lip and palate repair operations in rural Bangladesh.

Joseph McCain, MD - Section Editor

• OMFS - Director of TMJ and Minimally Invasive Endoscopic
• Associate Professor of OMFS at the Harvard MEdical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine
• Attending Surgeon at MGH

Dr. Joseph McCain is a Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeon. He completed his undergraduate and Dental School education at the University of Pittsburgh. Residency training in OMFS was completed at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital. Dr. McCain was the Founder of Miami Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, a hybrid academic private practice that focused on patient care, graduate medical education, and clinical research.

He has previously served as Chief of OMFS of the Baptist Health System in Miami, OMFS Program Director at Nova Southeastern School of Dental Medicine, and professor and Chairman of the OMFS section of Florida International University School of Medicine. He currently serves as the President of the American Society of TMJ Surgeons.

Dr. McCain's specialty focused interest  include TMJ and OMFS Endoscopic Surgery. Dr. McCain has published, lectured, and operated both nationally and internationally regarding this field of specialized surgery. Dr. McCain joined the Harvard/MGH Family as a a full-time faculty in the Department of OMFS in 2018. Currently he is an Associate Professor of OMFS at the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Attending Surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Robert Keating, MD - Section Editor

Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC

• Professor and Chief of Neurosurgery

Robert Keating, MD is currently Professor and Chief of Neurosurgery at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Dr. Keating graduated from Georgetown University Medical School in 1983 and subsequently went to New York where he did his training in Neurosurgery at the Albert Einstein and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. A fellowship in Pediatric Neurosurgery as well as Craniofacial Surgery followed at Einstein / Montefiore in 1990.

Subsequent to his training, Dr Keating served in the Navy and was stationed at the Oakland Naval Hospital from 1990-1994, during which time he served as the Chief from ’91 to ’94. He then returned briefly for 2 years to the Bronx where he was on staff at Montefiore Medical Center as well as the Bronx Municipal Hospital Center. He came back to Washington in 1996 to join the faculty at the Children’s National Medical Center and later became Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery in 2003 and Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics in 2008. His past appointments include the President of the Medical Staff at the Children’s National Medical Center as well as Head of Credentials and he currently maintains a busy practice of pediatric neurosurgery, with an emphasis on tumors, Chiari malformations, craniofacial reconstruction, spinal dysraphism, spasticity and brachial plexus surgery. As a member of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery and International Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery, he has published and presented extensively in the field. His publications include the previous texts, “An Atlas of Orbitocranial Surgery” and “Tumors of the Pediatric Nervous System” (2nd edition published in 2013) with current work on Neurosurgical Operative Atlas, (2nd ed. Goodrich JT, and Keating RF, Thieme) due for publication in 2017. He is also Chair, Medical Advisory Committee on the Board of the American Syringomyelia Alliance Project as well as a founding member of the Posterior Fossa Society and maintains long-standing membership in the CNS, AANS, ASPN and ISPN.

Theresa O. Wyrick-Glover, M.D. - Section Editor

• Orthopaedic Surgeon - UAMS Health

Theresa Wyrick-Glover, M.D., provides state-of-the-art nonsurgical and surgical treatments for a wide variety of conditions and injuries to the hand, wrist and elbow.

Wyrick-Glover, a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, has made several presentations both locally and nationally on the subject of hand, wrist and elbow surgery.

Walter Jean, MD - Section Editor

George Washington University

• Professor of Neurosurgery

Dr. Walter Jean is Professor of Neurosurgery at George Washington University. His expertise is in open and endoscopic skull base surgery, and his clinical interest range from pituitary adenoma to acoustic neuroma.

Ram Eitan, MD, MPH - Section Editor

Sackler School of Medicine

• Chief of the Gynecologic Oncology Division
• Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Dr. Ram Eitan attended medical school at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Medical School in Beer Sheva, Israel. Dr. Eitan completed his Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel and his Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship on the Gynecology Service, Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY, USA.

Dr. Eitan is now the Chief of the Gynecologic Oncology Division in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel and Assistant Professor at Sackler School of Medicine in Tel Aviv University, Israel. He is a member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, the Society of Memorial Gynecologic Oncologists and the Israel Society of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Dr. Eitan’s expertise and research interests include minimally invasive surgery for the treatment of gynecological cancers, robotic- assisted surgery, pre-invasive cervical dysplasia – colposcopy diagnosis and management, and extensive cytoreductive surgery for advanced ovarian carcinoma.

Nahyoung Grace Lee, MD - Section Editor

Harvard Medical School

• Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Grace Lee, M.D. is an ophthalmologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear (MEE) with a rigorous clinical practice in ophthalmic plastic surgery.  Approximately 80% of her time is devoted to patient care, which is integrated with teaching residents and fellows in the clinic and surgical setting.  This component also includes direct instruction in the wet lab and weekly supervision in the MEE emergency room.  Twenty percent of Dr. Lee‘s time is spent doing clinical and basic science research.Dr. Lee completed her BA of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University followed by a doctorate in Medicine. Upon completing her ophthalmology residency at the University of Southern California, she pursued a fellowship in ocular oncology and pathology at the Casey Eye Institute, at the Oregon Health & Science University. She directly taught residents in the pathology lab as well as through over 15 hours of didactic lectures. Her additional training involved three years of fellowship in oculoplastic surgery at MEE, where she was the recipient of the Fellow of the Year teaching award.  During this fellowship, Dr. Lee collaborated with Dr. Leo Kim to produce an animal model of orbital inflammation and investigated angiogenesis in thyroid eye disease, which was published in Ophthalmology. At the culmination of her training, she was inducted into the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASOPRS) and is now Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School (HMS).Dr. Lee‘s clinical expertise and innovations have focused on thyroid eye disease and common conditions in ophthalmic plastic surgery.  She has expanded her clinical practice to involve anterior segment tumors, building on her fellowship in ocular oncology.  In the process, she has trained 4 fellows, 3 of whom have accepted or will be accepting positions at academic institutions.  Additionally, she serves as an oral board examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Mitul Mehta, MD - Section Editor

University of California, Irvine

• Clinical Assistant Professor
• Department of Ophthalmology, Retina Division
• University of California, Irvine
• Gavin Herbert Eye Institute

Dr. Mitul C. Mehta, completed his undergraduate degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and received a Masters of Science in Physiology & Biophysics from Georgetown University. He earned his medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine of USC in Los Angeles. After completing his ophthalmology residency at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio, he completed fellowship training in vitreoretinal surgery at the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai in New York City.

In addition to the care of patients with vitreoretinal disorders, Mehta teaches medical students, residents and fellows. He also does research on surgical devices and techniques, as well as on vitreoretinal diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. His surgical interests include retinal detachment repair, ocular trauma, secondary lens placement, epiretinal membranes, macular holes, and surgery for endophthalmitis (severe eye infections).

Matthew Wade, MD - Section Editor

University of California, Irvine

• Department of Ophthalmology
• University of California, Irvine
• Gavin Herbert Eye Institute

Dr. Matthew Wade is a fellowship-trained eye surgeon who specializes in LASIK vision correction, complex cataract surgery and cornea transplantation at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute. Dr. Wade earned his medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. He completed his residency in general ophthalmology at UC Irvine, where he also completed a fellowship in cornea, anterior segment and refractive surgery.

Harold C. Pillsbury, III, MD, FACS - Section Editor

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Chair, University of North Carolina Department of Otolaryngology
• Thomas J. Dark Distinguished Professor of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery

Harold C. Pillsbury, III, M.D., F.A.C.S., is the Chair of the UNC Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, as well as the Thomas J. Dark Distinguished Professor of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Pillsbury earned his B.A. and M.D. degrees from George Washington University in Washington, DC (1970 and 1972, respectively). He completed his residency training in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in 1976. Following six years at the Yale University School of Medicine, he joined the UNC faculty in 1982 as an Associate Professor. He served as Chief of the Division of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery from 1983 to 2001.

Dr. Pillsbury has completed an eighteen year term on the American Board of Otolaryngology where he served as Exam Chair and President. He is also past President of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The American Laryngological Association, The Society of University Otolaryngologists, and the Triological Society. He is also past CME coordinator and Vice-President of the Southern Section Triological Society. He is the past President of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy.

Dr. Pillsbury has written and/or contributed to over 270 publications and over 45 textbooks. He has also given over 326 presentations nationally and internationally. He has been the primary investigator or co-investigator on over 21 grants. His special field of interest is neurotology and, most especially, cochlear implantation.

Ehab Hanna, MD, FACS - Section Editor

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

• Professor and Vice Chair
• Department of Head and Neck Surgery

Ehab Hanna, M.D., FACS, is an internationally recognized head and neck surgeon and expert in the treatment of patients with skull base tumors and head and neck cancer. He is Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. After earning his medical degree, he completed a surgery internship at Vanderbilt University, and residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at The Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. He received advanced fellowship training in skull base surgery and head and neck surgical oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He joined the MD Anderson faculty in 2004 with a joint appointment at Baylor College of Medicine. He is the medical director of the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Center and co- director of the Skull Base Tumor program at MD Anderson. Dr. Hanna recently served as President of the North American Skull Base Society (NASBS) which was founded in 1989, and is a professional medical society that facilitates communication worldwide between individuals pursuing clinical and research excellence in skull base surgery. Dr. Hanna is leading the development of minimally invasive and robotic applications in skull base surgery. He has consistently been named one of America’s Top Doctors by the Castle Connolly Guide. In addition to patient care, Dr. Hanna is actively engaged in clinical and translational research with emphasis on skull base tumors. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal of Head & Neck, which is the official journal of the International Federation of Head and Neck Societies. He also co-edited a text book on “Comprehensive Management of Skull Base Tumors”.

Michael M. Johns, III, MD - Section Editor

Emory University School of Medicine

• Director, Emory Voice Center
• Associate Professor
• Department of Otolaryngology

Dr. Johns is a graduate of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Otolaryngology at the University of Michigan and trained as a research fellow through a National Institute of Health program. He then pursued a fellowship in laryngology and care of the professional voice at the Vanderbilt Voice Center at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Johns was awarded the highest honors during his academic career, including membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He is the director of the Emory Voice Center at Emory University, pursing research, teaching and clinical care, with a specific interest in geriatric laryngology and the aging voice.

Ravi N. Samy, MD, FACS - Section Editor

University of Cincinnati

• Director, Cochlear Implant and Auditory Brainstem Implant Program
• Program Director, Neurotology Fellowship
• Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology

Dr. Ravi Samy was born in Madras (now Chennai), India. He emigrated to the United States in 1973, at the age of 4. The first city in the US in which he lived was Canton, OH. After spending a few years in Connecticut during his father’s psychiatry residency, he moved to Wichita Falls, TX. He spent most of his formative years in Texas and considers himself a Texan. After graduating high school as co-valedictorian, Dr. Samy matriculated at Duke University. He graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Zoology in 1991. He then stayed on at Duke University School of Medicine and graduated in 1995. From 1995-2000, Dr. Samy was an intern and then a resident at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he developed a love for otology, neurotology, and skull base surgery. From 2000-2002, he was a fellow in Neurotology at the University of Iowa. After graduating, he was an Assistant Professor from 2002-2005 at UT-Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX. Although he never wanted to leave Texas again, he was enamored with a phenomenal academic opportunity in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Cincinnati/Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. He has been there for almost 8 years. He became an Associate Professor last year. During his time here, he has created an ACGME accredited, two-year Neurotology fellowship, one of only approximately 15 in the country. Dr. Samy serves not only as Program Director for the Neurotology Fellowship but also as the Director of the Cochlear Implant and Auditory Brainstem Implant program. His research interests include cochlear and auditory brainstem implantation as well as acoustic neuromas, neurofibromatosis type 2, facial nerve tumors, and other diseases and disorders of the lateral skull base. Finally, he is interested in using novel techniques and technologies to eradicate tumors, such as the use of surgical robotic systems or synthetic biology in the form of bacterial robotics systems. He is collaborating with researchers in India, including one of his former fellows, to incorporate these technologies and to enhance global health and increase collaboration between UC and international institutions, thus benefiting both US citizens and those of other nations.

Dr. Samy’s website, CiSurgeon.org provides information about Cochlear Implants, including FAQ, Cochlear Implant Surgery, preparation and more.

Adam Zanation, MD - Section Editor

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Director, Head and Neck Robotic Surgery Program
• Director of the Advanced Head and Neck Oncology, Skull Base, and Rhinology Fellowships
• Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery

Dr. Adam Mikial Zanation is a tenure tract Associate Professor within the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also the Director of the Head and Neck Robotic Surgery Program and the Director of the Advanced Head and Neck Oncology, Skull Base, and Rhinology Fellowships. He was born on July 11, 1976, in Concord, North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina where he was a three-year graduate with honors and research commendation in 1997. He then matriculated to the University of North Carolina School of Medicine where he graduated 1of 4 students in his class with highest honors. Following residency, Dr. Zanation completed a Cranial Base Surgical Oncology Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Zanation’s clinical practices focus on cranial base surgery, specifically employing endoscopic and minimally invasive approaches to complex tumor locations. His clinical research focuses on quality of life, neurofunctional, and neurocognitive outcomes, as well as application of new surgical technology such as robotic surgery to reduce patient morbidity. Dr. Zanation’s translational basic research interests focuses on genomic analyses of head and neck tumors and thyroid cancers for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. Dr. Zanation currently has 70 PubMed Indexed publications and in the last five years has presented at over 60 national and international meetings. Dr. Zanation is married to Jennifer Stegall Zanation who is a Neonatal ICU Pharmacist at UNC Hospitals. They have two young children and enjoy a multitude of outdoor activities.

Rohan R. Walvekar, MD - Section Editor

University of Pittsburgh / VA Medical Center

• Assistant Professor in Head Neck Surgery

Rohan R. Walvekar, MD, earned his doctoral degree from the University of Mumbai. After graduating in 1998, he completed a residency in Otolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery at the TN Medical College & BYL Nair Charitable Hospital, Mumbai, India, with triple honors. Subsequently, he completed two head neck surgery fellowships, and trained at at the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, which is India's most prestigious cancer institute. After completing an Advanced Head Neck Oncologic Surgery fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, he became an Assistant Professor in Head Neck Surgery within the Department of Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh/VA Medical Center, prior to joining the LSU Health Sciences Center in July 2008. His clinical interests are head neck surgery and salivary endoscopy. His research interests include evaluating prognostic markers and clinical outcomes of head and neck cancer therapy and treatment of salivary gland disorders.

George W. Holcomb, III, MD, MBA - Section Editor

Children’s Mercy Hospital

• Surgeon-in-Chief
• Director of the Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery

Dr. George W. Holcomb, III was born in Osaka, Japan on December 11, 1953. He was raised in Nashville, Tennessee and attended elementary and high school in Nashville. He attended the University of Virginia for college and then Vanderbilt Medical School. His general surgery training was at Vanderbilt University Medical School and his pediatric surgery training was at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He began his pediatric surgery practice in 1988 as an Assistant and subsequently Associate Professor of Surgery in the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. In 1999, he was recruited to replace Dr. Keith Aschraft as Surgeon-in-Chief at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. In addition to being the Surgeon-in-Chief, he is also the Director of the Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Dr. Holcomb is best known for his interest in minimally invasive surgery in infants and children and his emphasis on evidence-based medicine. He is the author of over 240 peer-reviewed publications and 50 book chapters, and has been the editor of 5 textbooks.

Samir Pandya, MD - Section Editor

New York Medical College

• Assistant Professor
• Department of Surgery and Pediatrics

Dr. Samir Pandya was awarded his Bachelor’s of Science with honors in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Miami. He subsequently pursued medicine to be on the front lines of patient care and medical device development. He completed his medical training at the Medical College of Virginia and then General Surgery residency at the Westchester Medical Center Campus of New York Medical College in Valhalla, NY. He went on to train in Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Emory University in Atlanta. Upon completion of his fellowship training in 2011 he joined joined the faculty at New York Medical College as Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery and Pediatrics.

He has a very strong interest in minimally invasive pediatric surgery with expertise in mini-laparoscopy and single-incision procedures. He is currently the Surgical Director for Newborn Surgery, Pediatric and Neonatal Extracorporeal Life Support programs at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. He has a strong interest in thoracic diseases as related at to pediatric patients such as chest wall anomalies, congenital lung lesions as well as surgical oncology.

Academically he enjoys working with medical students, residents and fellows. He has received numerous teaching awards during his career. He currently also serves as the Associate Program Director of the General Surgery Residency at New York Medical College. Dr. Pandya is an active member on numerous committees in the American Pediatric Surgery Association as well as the International Pediatric Endosurgery Group. Outside of pediatric surgery, Dr. Pandya enjoys running, skiing, diving, digital photography and target shooting.

Steven Scot Rothenberg, MD - Section Editor

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

• Chief of Pediatric Surgery, Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children
• Clinical Professor of Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

Dr. Rothenberg is the Chief of Pediatric Surgery at the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at PSL in Denver, Co. He is also a Clinical Professor of Surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is a world leader in the field of endoscopic surgery in infants and children and has pioneered many of the procedures using minimally invasive techniques.

Dr. Rothenberg completed medical school and general surgery residency at the University of Colorado in Denver. He then spent a year in England doing a fellowship in General Thoracic Surgery prior to returning to the states where he completed a two year Pediatric Surgery fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. He returned to Colorado in 1992 where he has been in practice for over the last 20 years.

Dr. Rothenberg was one of the founding members of the International Pediatric Surgical Group (IPEG) and is a past-president. He was also the Chair of the Pediatric Committee and on the Board of Directors for SAGES (The Society of American Gastro-intestinal Endoscopic Surgeons). He has authored over 180 publications on minimally invasive surgery in children and has given over 300 lectures on the subject nationally and internationally. In 2015 He received “The Pioneer in Surgical Endoscopy Award” from SAGES. He is also on the editorial board for the Journal of Laparoendoscopic Surgery and Advanced Surgical Technique, The Journal of Pediatric Surgery, and Pediatric Surgery International.

Dr. Rothenberg has been married to his wife Susan for over 30 years and has three children Jessica, Catherine, and Zachary. He is an avid outdoorsman and spends most of his free time in the mountains of Colorado skiing, hiking, biking, and fishing.

Neil Tanna, MD, MBA, FACS - Section Editor

Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine

• Associate Program Director of Plastic Surgery
• Northwell Health
• Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery
• Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine

Dr. Neil Tanna is a Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with clinical interest in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. He is among a very small group of Plastic Surgeons in the world to have completed formal training in Otolaryngology, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, and Microvascular Surgery.

After receiving his medical degree from Albany Medical College, Dr. Tanna completed a full Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery residency at The George Washington University. He pursued further training and completed a second full residency in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He then completed a fellowship in advanced reconstructive and microvascular surgery at the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at New York University (NYU).

Beyond his plastic surgery clinical practice, Dr. Neil Tanna is a mentor, respected educator, and prolific author. Currently, he serves in many leadership roles. He is Chief of Plastic Surgery at one of the one of the Northwell Health hospitals. He is an Associate Professor with the Hofstra University School of Medicine, where he is engaged in the education of students. He also serves as Associate Program Director for the Plastic Surgery Residency with Northwell Health System. He trains resident physicians in becoming Plastic Surgeons.

The medical work and clinical research of Dr. Neil Tanna have been widely published in national and international medical journals. He has authored over 75 publications in major peer-reviewed medical journals and written over 10 textbook chapters. Given his interest in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery of the head and neck, breast, and body, Dr. Tanna has been invited to present at over 75 national and international meetings. He presents the latest advances in plastic surgery to his colleagues and other surgeons from all around the world.

Dr. Neil Tanna has been recognized in the 2015 and 2016 New York Times Super Doctors List for his noteworthy and outstanding achievements.

Dov Goldenberg, MD - Section Editor

University of Sao Paulo Medical School

• Coordinator of Pediatric Plastic Surgery
• Supervisor (Residency Program in Plastic Surgery at the Division of Plastic Surgery), Hospital das Clinicas – University of Sao Paulo Medical School
• Attending Cranio-facial Surgeon – Division of Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhiolaryngology, Hospital A.C. Camargo
• Senior Surgeon and head of Cranio-maxillo-facial Surgery Team, Hospital Albert Einstein
• Chief of Pediatric Plastic Surgery Group, Hospital Municipal Infantil Menino Jesus

Residing in São Paulo, Brazil, Dr. Goldenberg graduated from the University of São Paulo Medical School. He then continued his studies with Postdoctoral Training and completed the Residency Program in General Surgery, followed by the Residency Program in Plastic Surgery at the Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Soon thereafter, Dr. Goldenberg earned his PhD in Plastic Surgery at the University of São Paulo Medical School, where he also gained his title as Full Professor of the Department of Surgery.

Dr. Goldenberg is the Editor-In-Chief for the Brazilian Journal of Plastic, International Associate Editor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal (PRS), and past President of the Brazilian Association of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery.

His areas of interest in plastic surgery include Pediatric Plastic Surgery, Cranio-facial Surgery and Vascular Anomalies.

Michael Golinko, MD - Section Editor

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

• Medical Director of Craniofacial Program, Arkansas Children’s Hospital
• Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery, UAMS

Dr. Michael Golinko, M.D., is a Board Certified General Surgeon with clinical interests in Craniofacial, Cleft & Paediatric Plastic Surgery. Dr. Golinko is also Board Eligible with the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and is licensed in the states of Arkansas, and Georgia. Currently, Dr. Golinko serves as one of the Medical Directors of Arkansas Children’s Hospital Craniofacial Program, and is Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences.

Dr. Golinko received his M.D. degree from University of South Florida (USF) in 2004, preceded by a M.A. in Medical Anthropology from Universiteit van Amsterdam (UVA) in 2002, and a B.Sc. in Physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1998.

Dr. Golinko’s professional training includes General Surgery residencies at State University of New York (SUNY) and New York University (NYU), as well as a residency in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine, and he most recently served as a Fellow in Craniofacial Surgery/Pediatric Plastic Surgery at New York University (NYU).

From 1998 to 2008, Dr. Golinko held medical research positions at MIT, Massachusetts General Hospital, and completed Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships in the Department of Surgery, Division of Wound Healing at both Columbia University and New York University.

Dr. Golinko has contributed extensively to numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and abstracts. Moreover, Dr. Golinko has travelled the world to deliver numerous presentations, co-chair lectures and conferences, and media appearances.

Dr. Golinko has been awarded and recognized for the following: Operation Smile Regan Fellowship Recipient (2012), National Institute of Health (NIH) Loan Repayment Program Recipient (2007 – 2009), and Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, Department of Surgery, Startup Grant (2006).

In the spirit of a true leader, Dr. Golinko served as past-President and Mission Leader of Project World Health, Managing Trustee of the Barry Golinko Trust of the Jewish Communal Fund, past-Surgery Department Representative of the Committee on Interns and Residents (CIR) and currently was selected to participate in the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Physician Leadership Development course.

Dr. Golinko currently belongs to several professional societies as follows: American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, American Association of Wound Care, American College of Surgeons, and the Southeastern Society Of Reconstructive Plastic Surgeons.
In 2016, Dr. Golinko served on the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons/Plastic Surgery Foundation Combined Pilot Research Grant Committee. In addition to his professional work, Dr. Golinko has generously donated his time and many talents to numerous volunteer and humanitarian efforts all over the world.

Anand R. Kumar, MD, FACS, FAAP - Section Editor

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

• Associate Professor, Departments of Plastic Surgery and Pediatrics

Anand R. Kumar, MD, FACS, FAAP is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Plastic Surgery and Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. A pediatric plastic/craniofacial surgeon and basic science researcher, he conducts investigation into the cellular biology of muscle derived progenitor cells as a source of pathologic heterotopic ossification and for novel regenerative medicine applications. His clinical practice focuses on craniofacial surgery including craniosynostosis, correction of hypertelorism(wide eyes), pediatric and adolescent facial skeletal deformities (Pierre Robin Sequence) with airway obstruction using traditional orthognathic (jaw) surgery and distraction osteogenesis.

Dr. Kumar established the center for facial skeletal surgery and the center for pediatric craniofacial surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and now at Johns Hopkins respectively with an emphasis on multidisciplinary care for dentofacial anomalies. He has led efforts to improve outcomes in pediatric sleep apnea using skeletal surgery and distraction osteogenesis for multilevel airway obstruction. In addition, he has participated in multi-institutional trials for improvement of clinical outcomes in neonatal tongue base collapse (Pierre-Robin Sequence).

Dr. Kumar as authored over 30 original scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to multiple plastic and orthopedic surgery textbooks over the last 10 years. He serves as a reviewer for many plastic surgery and basic science journals and has been invited as a speaker or panelist to many institutions and at organizational meetings across the United States. He currently serves as Vice President of Communications on the board of the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS). In addition, he serves on multiple committees in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the ASMS.

As an honor student in the biological sciences at the University of California, Irvine, Dr. Kumar received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He completed his general surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic Rochester and later completed a second residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He subsequently completed a pediatric plastic/craniofacial surgery fellowship after his residency at UCLA. In 2004, prior to his academic appointment, Dr. Kumar volunteered for military service and joined the United States Navy until 2010. In Bethesda, MD, he served as director and staff pediatric plastic surgeon of the Military Craniofacial Unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He served as division chief in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda and on board the United States Naval Support Hospital Ship Comfort. In 2010, Dr. Kumar was recruited to the University of Pittsburgh as the director of facial skeletal surgery until 2013 when he was recruited to Johns Hopkins.

Umamaheswar Duvvuri, MD, PhD - Section Editor

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

• Director of Robotic Surgery, Division of Head and Neck Surgery
• Director of the Center for Advanced Robotics Training (CART)
• University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Umamaheswar Duvvuri, MD, PhD, is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania obtaining his Medical Degree in 2000 and his PhD in Biophysics in 2002. He completed an internship in General Surgery in 2003 and residency training in Otolaryngology in 2007 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He completed fellowship training in Head and Neck Surgery in 2008 at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

He joined the University of Pittsburgh in August 2008 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Division and is also a staff physician in the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.

He serves as the Director of Robotic Surgery, Division of Head and Neck Surgery, at the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine and is the current Director of the Center for Advanced Robotics Training (CART) at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He directs the Cart Training Courses which provide technical and circumstantial resources to initiate and optimize robotic surgery programs.

He has authored numerous research publications and book chapters and is an invited guest lecturer/speaker on the subject of robotic surgery both nationally and internationally.

A Fulbright scholar, his research interests include minimally invasive endoscopic and robotic surgery of the head and neck, tumors of the thyroid and parathyroid glands and molecular oncology of head and neck cancer.

He directs a federally funded laboratory that studies the biology of head and neck cancer. He holds funding from the National Institute of Health, Department of Veterans Affairs and the “V” foundation.

Craig Rezac, MD - Section Editor

Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

• Associate Professor of Surgery
• Section Chief, Colon and Rectal Surgery

Craig Rezac, M.D., is a Double Board Certified Surgeon with clinical interest in Colon and Rectal Surgery. American-born, Dr. Rezac received his doctorate degree from Pisa Medical School in Pisa, Italy in 1995, and his undergraduate degree from Adelphi University in Long Island, NY in 1981. Dr. Rezac is licensed to practice in New Jersey and the Republic of Italy.

Currently, Dr. Rezac serves as Associate Professor of Surgery, Section Chief Colon and Rectal Surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) in New Brunswick, NJ. He also serves as Staff Physician, General Surgery at Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, NJ.

After receiving his medical degree, Dr. Rezac completed a Surgical Externship at La Spezia Hospital in La Spezia, Italy. He then completed a General Surgery Internship at the Monmouth Hospital in Long Branch, NJ. This was followed by a General Surgery Residency at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ, and a Colorectal Surgery Fellowship at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Edison, NJ. Lastly, Dr. Rezac completed a Laparoscopic Fellowship at Hackensack University Hospital in Hackensack, NJ.

Dr. Rezac holds numerous medical certifications as follows: Cyberknife, Davinci Laparoscopic Robotic Surgery, Davinci Advanced Laparoscopic Robotic Surgery for Colon and Rectal Surgery, American Heart Association (BLS/CPR), Trans Anal Endoscopic Microsurgery (TEM), and Stapled Trans Anal Rectal Resection (STARR). Dr. Rezac has the distinct honour of being the first doctor in New Jersey to be certified in both TEM and STARR.

Dr. Rezac is a member of several professional associations, including: American College of Surgeons (Fellowship), American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, New Jersey Chapter, and the New Jersey Chapter of American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (past-President).

Dr. Rezac has received a number of honors and awards for outstanding performance both academically and professionally. He currently serves on several major committees, in addition to school and hospital committees, while continuing to meet various teaching and clinical responsibilities.

Dr. Rezac has received substantial grant support for medical studies and has been widely published in national and international medical journals, books, monographs, chapters, and articles. Dr. Rezac has generously shared his time and talents to deliver over 30 scientific and clinical presentations around the world.

Michael Blute, Sr, MD - Section Editor

Massachusetts General Hospital

• Chief of Urology

Dr. Michael L. Blute received his BA Degree from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, and his MD Degree from Creighton University School of Medicine in 1982, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Subsequent to internship and residency in urology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, he remained on the staff and rose rapidly through the ranks to become the Anson L. Clark Professor and Chairman in the Department of Urology in 1999. He remained as Chairman of the Department of Urology and on the Executive Board of the Mayo Clinic until appointed Interim Chief of Urology and Director of the Cancer Center of Excellence at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in 2010. In April 2012 Dr. Blute was appointed Chief of Urology at The Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Dr. Blute has had a major interest in urologic oncology and is well-known in the field of academic urology. His major areas of interest include prostate cancer, nephron-sparing surgery for kidney masses, and the management of complex renal cell and bladder neoplasms. He has been involved in phase III trials of Finasteride, chemoprevention of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia with anti-androgens, minimally invasive surgery for BPH, biomarkers in prostate cancer, and localization of tumor suppressor genes in prostate cancer. He serves as a reviewer on 13 editorial boards. He serves on the AUA Renal Mass Guideline Panel and served on the American Joint Committee on Cancer. He is the recipient of the 2010 AUA Career Contribution Award. He has been honored as Department of Urology Teacher of the Year at the Mayo Clinic on several occasions. His bibliography includes 387 peer-reviewed publications, one book, and 26 book chapters.

Jack Elder, MD, FACS - Section Editor

Massachusetts General Hospital

• Chief of Pediatric Urology

Jack S. Elder, M.D., FACS, is Chief of Pediatric Urology, Mass General. Dr. Elder received an M.D. with distinction from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, and was Vice President of Alpha Omega Alpha. He completed general surgery training at Yale-New Haven Hospital and a residency in urology, including chief resident, at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Elder completed a pediatric urology fellowship at Johns Hopkins and at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He was Director of Pediatric Urology at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital for 21 years, and tenured Carter Kissell Professor of Urology at Case Western University School of Medicine. Subsequently, Dr. Elder was appointed Chief of Urology and Chief of Pediatric Urology, Vattikuti Urology Institute, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI.

Dr. Elder was the Pediatric Urology Section Editor of The Journal of Urology from 1998-2007. Currently, he is on the editorial board of European Urology, Pediatric Surgery International, BJU International, Annals of Urology, and International Scholarly Research Notices. Dr. Elder served as President of the Society for Pediatric Urology and the American Academy of Pediatric Urologists. He was the Chairman of the first American Urological Association Pediatric Vesicoureteral Reflux Guidelines Committee, and was the facilitator of the second AUA Reflux Guidelines Committee, which published updated recommendations in 2010. He also is the Section Head, Pediatric Urology, AUA Online Robotic Surgery Handbook and is an annual reviewer for the European Association of Urology Paediatric Urology Guidelines. Dr. Elder has been Visiting Professor or Visiting Surgeon at 54 U.S. and international medical centers. Dr. Elder has > 160 peer-reviewed publications, edited or authored 6 books, 150 book chapters, and writes the pediatric urology section of the Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. He is listed in Boston Magazine 2016 Top Docs.

Nitin Garg, MD - Section Editor

Wake Forest University School of Medicine

• Assistant Professor, Vascular & Endovascular Surgery

Dr. Nitin Garg is an Assistant Professor in Vascular & Endovascular Surgery at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston Salem, North Carolina. He graduated from the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi and pursued a Master’s in Public Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. Dr. Garg completed General Surgery internship and residency at Creighton University in Omaha and Vascular Surgery Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

Dr. Garg has a strong interest in clinical education and firmly believes that the adequate training of the next generation of surgeons is the responsibility of the surgeons in practice. He also believes that education of patients is critical for their buy in into their own health. Dr. Garg’s clinical interests include complex arterial and venous reconstructions, using both open and endovascular (or hybrid) techniques.

Shadi Abu-Halimah, MD - Section Editor

West Virginia University, Charleston Division

• Assistant Professor of Surgery

Shadi J. Abu-Halimah, M.D. FACS is a Vascular/Endovascular Surgeon. He is Double Boarded in Vascular and General surgery. He was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and currently resides in Charleston, WV. Dr. Abu-Halimah received his doctorate degree in 2000 from the University of Jordan in Amman, Jordan with Honors. He is licensed to practice in the state of West Virginia.

Currently, Dr. Abu-Halimah serves as Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Robert C. Byrd Health Science Center, West Virginia University (WVU), Charleston Division, as well as Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at WVU SOM in Lewisburg, WV.

Since 2000, Dr. Abu-Halimah has completed extensive post-doctoral training, as follows: (2000-2001) General Surgery Internship at the Ministry of Health Hospitals in Amman, Jordan; (2001 – 2003) General Surgery Residency at Ministry of Health Hospitals in Amman, Jordan; (2003 – 2004) General Surgery Prelim at WVU in Charleston, WV; (2004 – 2009) General Surgery Residency at WVU in Charleston, WV; and (2009 – 2011) Vascular Surgery Fellowship at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC.

Dr. Abu-Halimah currently belongs to several professional societies, including the Eastern Vascular Society, the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery, the Society for Vascular Surgery, and the American College of Surgeons. Moreover, from 2011 to present day, Dr. Abu-Halimah has served on numerous medical committees ranging from national, departmental, and institutional levels across the country.

Dr. Abu-Halimah’s previous teaching responsibilities include undergraduate medical education and supervision of medical trainees in a weekly outpatient clinic; at the graduate level, he was Attending Physician for the University V2 Vascular Surgery Service and delivered presentations at various conferences in areas of general surgery and vascular education.

He is a consultant for various medical/device companies involved in developing and teaching new technologies across the country. This involves case reviews, monitoring, and proctoring physicians at the national, local, and institutional levels.

Dr. Abu-Halimah has participated extensively in numerous lectures around the world where he was invited to deliver presentations on various topics of general and vascular surgery. He has been widely published in peer-reviewed articles, and research and clinical trials where he served as primary investigator and sub-investigator, as well as numerous book chapters around the world.

Faisal Aziz, MD - Section Editor

Penn State University

• Assistant Professor of Surgery and Interim Chief of Vascular Surgery

Dr. Faisal Aziz completed his General Surgery Residency at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York and his Vascular Surgery Fellowship at Jobst Vascular Center in Toledo, Ohio. He currently works as an Assistant Professor of Surgery and Interim Chief of Vascular Surgery at Penn State University. Dr. Aziz has authored numerous book chapters and peer-reviewed publications, and was awarded the Servier Traveling Fellowship Award by American Venous Forum. Dr. Aziz also serves as the Section Editor for Venous Disorders, VESAP-4 and Examination Consultant for the American Board of Surgery.