Today, the Division of Pediatric Surgery in the University of Colorado Department of Surgery welcomes a new chief, one who brings a strong commitment to growing diversity and equity in pediatric surgery and supporting surgeons as research scientists.
Ankush Gosain, MD, PhD, joins the division from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, where he served as vice-chair for academic affairs, senior surgical advisor for quality and safety, and director of surgical research.
Gosain made the decision to come to Colorado because “it’s a really exciting opportunity,” he says. “Children’s Hospital Colorado is a top five children’s hospital widely recognized for clinical excellence, and the Division of Pediatric Surgery is the same. When I look at the people in the division – faculty, advanced practice providers, and staff – there’s so much talent and so much potential there.
“This is a division that’s investing in research, that’s advancing patient care, that’s serving a large catchment area. It’s a really exciting time to be joining the division.”
Supporting surgeons as scholars
Gosain received his medical education at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, and completed his PhD in cell biology, neurobiology, and anatomy at Loyola University Chicago. He completed a pediatric surgery and pediatric surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Tennessee LeBonheur Children's Medical Center and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
He was a pediatric surgeon and assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin Madison before joining the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, where his laboratory has focused on the role of the enteric nervous system in pediatric colorectal diseases.
Two of Gosain’s lab members will join him in Colorado as research faculty, highlighting not only his personal passion for research, but his commitment to supporting surgeons as scientists.
“I think that every surgeon who chooses to work in an academic center has identified themselves as a surgeon scholar, whether it’s in basic science or clinical science, or as an expert educator,” Gosain says. “They’ve made that choice, so one of my goals is to give faculty all the support they need to succeed as scholars.”
Growing opportunities
In his role as division chief, Gosain says his goals include listening and growing collaborative partnerships that nurture and grow talent and vision.
“One of the big draws for me was the quality and commitment of the faculty,” he says. “They’ve been working really hard and have been short-handed, but without any dip in quality, so one of our early efforts is going to be recruiting more faculty strategically and in alignment with the institution's strategic goals.”
In the longer term, Gosain says he aims to grow support for junior faculty in the division who are early in their research careers, helping them pursue grant funding as well as collaborate with colleagues nationally and internationally.
“As I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on my career so far, one of the strongest realizations I’ve had is that much of what I’ve accomplished has been enabled by mentors, by support systems, by the departments I’ve been in, the children’s hospitals that have provided structure and opportunities to develop leadership skills,” Gosain says. “My goal is to pay it forward. I would love to see our faculty engage deeply in the early medical student curriculum, and I’m very committed to growing opportunities for individuals who have been traditionally underrepresented in medicine.”
