Unsupported Browser
The American College of Surgeons website is not compatible with Internet Explorer 11, IE 11. For the best experience please update your browser.
Menu
Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
ACS
Trauma Programs

2017 Residents Trauma Papers Competition

The ACS Committee on Trauma (ACS COT) held its 40th Annual Residents Trauma Papers Competition during the ACS COT Annual Meeting in National Harbor, MD on March 2nd. The competition is open to surgical residents and trauma fellows. Submissions describe original research in the area of trauma care and/or prevention in one of two categories—basic laboratory research or clinical investigation. The competition is funded by the eastern and western states COTs, Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska), and the ACS.

Submissions begin at the state or provincial level, and winners are then judged at regional competitions. Each region is then eligible to submit two abstracts to a panel of COT judges, who make the final selection for presentation at the Scientific Session of the COT meeting. This year, 15 presentations were given at the session, which was moderated by Leonard J. Weireter, MD, FACS, Vice-Chair of the ACS COT and Chair of the ACS Regional Committees on Trauma. Each of the 15 presenters received a prize of $500, with an additional $500 awarded to the second-place winners in each category, and an extra $1,000 was awarded to the two first-place winners.

First- and Second-Place Winners

1st Place, Basic Laboratory Science
Teresa C. Rice, MD, Cincinnati, OH
“Multiple methods to increase sphingosine rescue burn mice from lung Pseudomonas Aeruginosa infection”

2nd Place, Basic Laboratory Science
Theresa Chan, MD, San Diego, CA
“CHRFAM7A expression implies a uniquely human mechanism gauging vagal responsiveness”

1st Place, Clinical Research
Stephanie Mason, MD, Toronto, ON Canada
“Self-harm emergencies after major burn injury: A population-based analysis”

2nd Place, Clinical Research
Sabrina Balakrishnan, MBBS, Kajang, Malaysia
“Cries In The Dark: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) In Adolescents Following Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVA) Is No 'Small Matter'”

ACS COT Chair Ronald M. Stewart, MD FACS; Dr. Balakrishnan; Dr. Chan; Dr. Rice; Dr. Mason; and ACS RCOT Chair Leonard J. Weireter, MD FACS
ACS COT Chair Ronald M. Stewart, MD FACS; Dr. Balakrishnan; Dr. Chan; Dr. Rice; Dr. Mason; and ACS RCOT Chair Leonard J. Weireter, MD FACS

2016 Regional Winners

Region 1 – Basic Science
“Endothelial barrier disruption of critically ill patient neutrophils is abrogated by Leukadherin-1 treatment
Catherine M. Dickinson, Rhode Island Hospital Division of Surgical Research, Department of Surgery, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI

Region 2- Basic Science
“Stress exacerbates traumatic brain injury”
Joanelle A. Bailey, MD, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ

Region 3 – Basic Science
“Topically applied stem cell conditioned media accelerates burn-related wound healing”
Jason H. Chen, MD, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC

Region 4 – Clinical Research
“The effect of a new surgical residency program on trauma mortality at a Sub-Saharan Africa tertiary center”
Jared Gallaher, MD, MPH, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Surgery, Durham, NC

Region 5 – Basic Science
“Multiple methods to increase sphingosine rescue burn mice from lung Pseudomonas Aeruginosa infection”
Teresa C. Rice, MD, University of Cincinnati, Division of Research, Cincinnati, OH

Region 6 –Clinical Research
“Long-term outcomes of falls in octogenarians taking oral anti-platelet and anti-coagulant medications”
Chad Hall, MD, Scott & White Medical Center, Part of Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, TX

Region 7 –Clinical Research
“Predicting hospital length of stay in trauma patients using sarcopenia”
James P. De Andrade, MD, University of Iowa, Department of Surgery, Iowa City, IA

Region 8 – Basic Science
“Delayed onset of fibrinolysis resistance due to tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)- induced plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) release from liver endothelium”
Benjamin R. Huebner, MD, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO

Region 9 – Basic Science
“CHRFAM7A expression implies a uniquely human mechanism gauging vagal responsiveness”
Theresa Chan, MD, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA

Region 10 – Clinical Research
“Fibrinolytic activation in patients with progressive intracranial hemorrhage after traumatic brain injury”
Kelly A. Fair, MD, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR

Region 11 – Clinical Research
“Processes of health care delivery, education, and provider satisfaction in acute care surgery: A systematic review”
Kristen DeGirolamo, MD, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC

Region 12 – Clinical Research
“Self-harm emergencies after major burn injury: A population-based analysis”
Stephanie A. Mason, MD, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON

Region 13 – Basic Science
“Comparison of alternative decompression devices for tension hemopneumothorax (t- H/PTX) and pulseless electrical activity (PEA) in a Positive-Pressure Ventilation Yorkshire Swine Model”
Matthew Leatherman, DO, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Suffolk, VA

Region 14 – Clinical Research
“Should ultrasound assessment replace chest X ray in chest trauma assessment? Experience in a middle-income country teaching hospital”
Juan Sanjuan, MD, Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia

Region 15 – Clinical Research
“CT angiography is the definitive imaging modality for penetrating neck injury: A South African experience”
Andre Steiner Madsen, MD, Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service, Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Hospital Complex, Department of Surgery, University of KwaZulu-Natal Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Region 16 – Clinical Research
“Cries In The Dark: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) In Adolescents Following Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVA) Is No 'Small Matter'”
Sabrina Balakrishnan, MBBS, Hospital Kajang, Kajang, Malaysia

Leonard J. Weireter with Regional winners: Back row:  Dr Hall, Dr Madsen, Dr Mason, Dr Bailey, Dr Weireter, Dr Gallaher, Dr Huebner Front row:  Dr Letterman, Dr Rice, Dr Chan, Dr Fair, Dr Dickenson, Dr DeGirolamo  Not in the photo: Dr Balakrishnan, Dr Chen, Dr De Andrade, Dr Sanjuan
Leonard J. Weireter with Regional winners: Back row: Dr Hall, Dr Madsen, Dr Mason, Dr Bailey, Dr Weireter, Dr Gallaher, Dr Huebner Front row: Dr Letterman, Dr Rice, Dr Chan, Dr Fair, Dr Dickenson, Dr DeGirolamo Not in the photo: Dr Balakrishnan, Dr Chen, Dr De Andrade, Dr Sanjuan