2025 SUMMER UPDATE FROM DR. NIRULA
Lots of changes have been happening in the Division over the last few months! The Division continues to increase its surgical capabilities and volumes, and with that, some new programs are emerging – The Hernia Center of Excellence is currently being developed, led by Dr. Jo Grudziak, with support from Drs. Colonna and Vargo. The EGS service line (formerly known by many of you as the Green service) is maturing with anticipated plans to become an American College of Surgeons verified EGS center.
As with many academic medical centers, faculty develop and find new opportunities elsewhere, so we will be sadly saying goodbye to Dr. Jade Nunez. Please join me in wishing him future success. You may recall that Dr. Jennwood Chen recently joined IMC after spending several years as faculty with our Minimally Invasive Bariatrics/Foregut group. Fortunately, we were able to recruit Dr. Thomas Shoultz (acute care surgery) and his fiancée, Dr. Carla Holcomb (minimally invasive), from UT Southwestern. Please also take note of some exciting research highlights – Dr. Anna Ibele recently received funding for her R01, and Dr. Sarah Lombardo received a research grant from the AAST! Meanwhile, Drs. McCrum and Thompson are revising their R01 and PCORI submissions, and Drs. Fleming and Lewis have submitted a seed grant that looks promising. Read the full newsletter for details about our new faculty and the excellent research that the faculty are doing.
I am thrilled by the commitment and creativity that I see every day in our faculty and residents. Wishing you all a happy summer, and hope you find some time to enjoy it with your family and friends.
Nirula.