The Department of Surgery held its fourth annual Research Retreat October 5. The day started at 7 a.m. when visiting professor Michael B. Yaffe, MD, PhD, presented his research on the role of neutrophils in the body’s response to trauma and cancer.
Yaffe is the David H. Koch Professor of Science, Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering, and Director of the MIT Center for Precision Cancer Medicine. His first lecture of the day was titled, “Neutrophils, Inflammation, & Wound Healing - What Trauma Surgery Teaches Us About Cancer and Vice-Versa.”
Research residents had the opportunity to present their research to Yaffe and receive his feedback following his grand rounds lecture.
The day resumed at 10 a.m. in the Elliman Conference Center when Vice Chair of Research Elizabeth Kovacs, PhD, (pictured with Robert McIntyre, MD) and Associate Vice Chair of Basic & Translational Research Mitchell Cohen, MD, welcomed the group gathered—a mixture of faculty members, residents, fellows, research and administrative staff.
Notably, Surgery’s incoming chair, Michael Englesbe, MD—scheduled to take over the reins from Interim Chair Robert McIntyre on November 1, 2026—traveled from Michigan to attend.
Robert Meguid, MD, MPH, and Catherine Velopulos, MD, MHS, served as moderators for the oral presentations.
Oral Presentations
Kia Washington, MD | Professor, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery | Vice Chair of Access and Engagement, Department of Surgery “Total Human Eye-allotransplantation Innovation Advancement”
Jessica Cardenas, PhD | Associate Professor, Division of GI, Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery “Beyond Anticoagulation: Targeting Heparan Sulfate Biology to Prevent Post-Traumatic Thromboinflammation”
Martin McCarter, MD | Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology | Surgical Director for the Esophageal and Gastric Multidisciplinary Clinic“Leveraging Surgery, Science, Immunology and Cancer”
Heiko Yang, MD, PhD | Assistant Professor, Division of Urology “Retronephric Delivery of Gene Therapy to the Human Kidney”
Robert Meguid, MD, MPH | Stan & Mary Ellen Cope Family Endowed Chair in Thoracic Surgery | Professor, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery | Associate Vice Chair of Clinical Research, Department of Surgery “Development of the Automated Surveillance for Postoperative Infectious and Non-Infectious Complications Reporting System for Surgeon Feedback”
Juan-Pablo Idrovo, MD | Associate Professor, Division of GI, Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery “The Liver Decides – From Resilience After Burn Trauma and Surgery to Biological Aging”
Christopher Erickson, PhD | Research Scientist, Division of GI, Trauma, and Endocrine Surgery “Multi-pathway Protease-Activated Receptor Simulation Mitigates Endotheliopathy from Trauma”
Jessica Rove, MD | Associate Professor, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery | John T.M. Wright Chair in Heart Valve Surgery | Director of Quality and Safety for Cardiothoracic Surgery “Robots, Chest Tubes and Walking Toward Better Outcomes After Heart Surgery”
Yaffe presented part two of his Grand Rounds lecture, titled “A Systems Approach to Protein Kinase Signaling in the DNA Damage Response and Mitotic Control.”
Poster Presentations
In the afternoon, attendees were invited to peruse research posters and converse with the residents and faculty involved in the represented research.
