Research – Our Mission

The mission of the Division of Surgical Research is to improve patient care, provide education in the pursuit of clinical and basic science investigations and health services research, and offer support to faculty, residents and students in the conduct, analysis and reporting of scientific inquiry.

Many of us would not be alive today without surgical research. The wonders of the investigations, usually conducted in busy practices, are remarkably broad: blood transfusions, antibiotics, dialysis, transplantation, surgical repair of the brain, nerves, heart, blood vessels, biliary tree, pancreas and literally every part of the body. New technologies have produced prosthetics that allow replacement of bones, joints and even teeth. Surgical research has also led to far better approaches and outcomes in anesthesia, trauma, cancer and reconstruction.

The goal of our unit is to help our busy surgeons, residents and students as well as investigators in related fields, pursue their ideas and visions, to help design and pursue experiments, to assist applications for grant support, aid in obtaining institutional approval, analyze results and support efforts in presentation and publication.

Fortunately, due to a talented and dedicated faculty with a deep involvement in busy practices and a strong educational program, we have and continue to be productive. The following list of active research programs in our department is only partially complete. There are always new problems to solve.

William Irish, PhD
Professor and Vice Chair for Research