Research – Our Team

William Irish, PhD MSc

William Irish, PhD MSc, is Research Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Surgery and Co-Director of the Big Data & Analytic Research Cluster at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC. Dr. Irish has been involved in health-outcomes and clinical research both in academia and industry for over 25 years; applying various methods to evaluate the effectiveness of health care interventions on clinical and economic outcomes. Dr. Irish has collaborated with clinical investigators internationally, implemented large-scale database analyses and directed analysis/programming teams. He specializes in outcomes research, clinical trial methodology, statistical modeling and prediction, and large-scale database and claims analyses. His major research interest consists of: (1) identification of important prognostic factors of disease progression and clinical outcomes, including validation of biomarkers; (2) developing statistical models and assessing their clinical utility; and (3) designing randomized controlled trials, specifically in low incidence/rare conditions with specific reference to subject enrichment strategies. Dr. Irish is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society of Transplantation and the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcome Research. Dr. Irish is currently Associate Editor for Clinical Transplantation.

Walter J. Pories, MD, FACS

Walter J. Pories, MD, FACS, Professor of Surgery, Biochemistry and Kinesiology at East Carolina University (ECU). After graduation from Wesleyan University as an art major, he received his MD with Honors at the University of Rochester where he also completed his residency in general and cardiothoracic surgery. He was the first to report that zinc was an essential element not only for plants but also for animals and man. A pioneer in the development of bariatric surgery, he was the first to document that the gastric bypass produces rapid, full and durable remission of Type2 diabetes. His primary current research interest with over three decades of NIH funding is the pursuit of the molecular mechanisms underlying that disease.

He established and directed three cancer centers: at the University of Rochester, Case-Western Reserve and East Carolina University. He also served as President of the Society for Environmental Health and Geochemistry, the Association of Program Directors in Surgery, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, as the 2nd Vice President of the American College of Surgeons and Vice President of the Southern Surgical Association as well as editor-in- chief and associate editor of several journals. His multiple awards include the Oxford Cup, the highest national award of Beta Theta Pi and the Presidential Medal by The Obesity Society.

He retired from the US Army with the rank of Colonel after 24 years of service with the Legion of Merit and a Presidential Citation for the performance of the regiment under his command in the first Gulf War.

For fun, he publishes cartoons and tends to his farms that house cattle, goats, poultry deer and even a family of bears by the Tar River. He is married to Dr. Mary Ann Rose, Professor of Nursing. They have six children.

Reba D. Bullard

Reba D. Bullard serves as the Administrative Coordinator for the Division of Surgical Research. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Her background as a paralegal and research assistant is an asset for the Division where she manages the coordination and planning of events, submission of grants and publications, manages the various budgets and human resources as well as support the residents and faculty for their research. Her attention to detail and fiscal responsibility are vital in the administrative efforts of the division. She is a proud U.S. Navy wife and mother of two.