Dear Colleagues and Friends,
I am honored to be the 15th leader of the Department of Surgery and the first female chair in its 200+ year history. Our Department has been a surgical leader with many firsts including development of the first artificial heart and first use of chemotherapy. Our continued commit- ment to improving patient outcomes is evidenced by our research work in biomedical engineered nanoparticle therapies, 3-d printing of tissues, and tricuspid studies. From my very first visit to Yale, I felt that collabo- rative spark where faculty, residents, and students are interested in improving health. Having trained and developed my surgical experience at Duke University and Johns Hopkins, I am a passionate advocate for mentorship of trainees, staff, and faculty. I want these newsletters to be a vehicle for you to hear about highlights of our tripartite missions of research, education, and clinical care. In this newsletter edition:
- We welcome our 12 new faculty members.
- Read about one of our clinical Global Surgery Programs in Nicaragua and the great work they are doing there.
- Our new Cardiac Surgery Section Chief Dr. Arnar Geirsson discusses research advances in his section.
- Dr. Walter Longo, Director of Surgical Education, continues his discussion of our departmental heritage, this time documenting the history of the Plastics Surgery section. In addition, he recognizes the memory of a valued member of our family, Dr. Jeffrey Moley.
I hope you find this newsletter informative and enjoyable. It is our goal to provide you with insight and perspective into the valuable work being done within the department. We appreciate your interest in our great department.
Sincerely,
Nita Ahuja, MD, MBA, FACS
William H. Carmalt Professor of Surgery and Oncology Chair, Department of Surgery Surgeon-in-Chief, Yale-New Haven Health Yale University, School of Medicine