The AAS and AAS Foundation sponsor several travel, research, and presentation awards in conjunction with the Annual Academic Surgical Congress. We are delighted to present the 2022 Winners!
Joel J. Roslyn Faculty Research Award
This award provides early-career research support to junior faculty members of the AAS. The award is a one-year $50,000 research grant:
Anne Ehlers, University of Michigan: “Clinical and Patient-Reported Outcomes of Females with Groin Hernia”
Dr. Annie Ehlers, MD, MPH is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Michigan. She is originally from Seattle, WA and completed her clinical training at the University fo Washington. Her clinical practice is largely devoted to MIS and Bariatric surgery at the Veteran’s Affairs Ann Arbor. Her long-term goal is to become an expert in pragmatic, patient-centered clinical trial design. The support provided by the AAS Joel J. Roslyn Faculty Research Award will be used to develop and generate preliminary data that will inform the design of the first ever clinical trial to study groin hernia management in female patients.
Global Surgery Research Fellowship Award
This award is designed for individuals who are interested in advancing the field of Global Surgery. The award is a one-year $30,000 research grant:
Nancy Abu-Bonsrah, Johns Hopkins Hospital: “Assessing the Feasibility of Building Multi-Institutional Neurotrauma Registry in Ghana”
Dr. Nancy Abu-Bonsrah is originally from Ghana. She completed her undergraduate education in biochemistry and chemistry at Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland and her medical school education at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is a 5th-year Neurosurgery Resident at Hopkins, currently pursuing an MPH from the Bloomberg School of Public Health to further expand her interests in health equity and global neurosurgery. She is grateful for the mentorship of the Ghanaian neurosurgical community and is excited to continue to learn from them while fostering mutual collaborations through this grant opportunity.
AAS/AASF Research Fellowship Awards
These awards provide an eligible resident or fellow who has completed at least two years of postgraduate training the opportunity of a full-time research position with an AAS member. These awards are a one-year $30,000 research grant:
For Clinical Outcomes/Health Services Research:
Jordan Rook, University of California, Los Angeles: “Implicit Bias in the Trauma Resuscitation Bay: Disparities in Care for Marginalized Groups”
Dr. Jordan Rook is a general surgery resident at UCLA. He attended medical school at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine where he developed a passion for social justice and health policy. During his dedicated research years, Jordan will attempt to measure and address the disparities that providers’ implicit biases introduce into patient care, particularly within trauma surgery. He hopes his work translates into more equitable care for our healthcare system’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable patients. Outside of the hospital, Jordan enjoys exploring new neighborhoods, hiking, and eating great food with his fiancée, Natalie.
For Basic Science/Translational Research:
Nitin Sajankila, Cleveland Clinic Foundation: “Protective Effects of Tryptophan Catabolites Produced by Lactobacillus reuteri on the Neonatal Immune System and Intestine in Experimental Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC)”
Dr. Nitin Sajankila is a General Surgery Resident at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, OH. Originally from New Jersey, he studied Mathematics at Trinity College before obtaining his M.D. degree from Case Western Reserve University. He is currently pursuing a pediatric surgery research fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital under the guidance of Dr. Gail Besner, and was recently awarded an NIH-T32 grant from Ohio State University’s Advanced Research Training in Immunology for Surgical Trainees (ARTIST) program. In the final two years of his research fellowship, he will investigate the importance of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway (AhR) in the interaction between Lactobacillus reuteri, a probiotic with great therapeutic potential especially when administered in a unique biofilm state, and the host during experimental necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). At the end of his research fellowship, it is his goal to return to residency and complete his training in general surgery prior to pursuing additional training in pediatric surgery. He ultimately plans to pursue an academic career as a dedicated surgeon-scientist.