Department of Surgery Research Day showcases innovation, collaboration and clinical impact

From developing battlefield procedures during the Civil War, to driving modern advances in burn care, cancer treatment and organ transplantation, the VCU Department of Surgery has a legacy of innovation spanning almost two centuries.

Underpinning this long evolution is a commitment to basic, translational and clinical investigation. To celebrate advances in the field of surgery and deepen the foundational knowledge on which it rests, faculty, residents, alumni and supporters gathered on the MCV Campus in May for the annual Department of Surgery Research Day.

“Our missions of research and education are so vital, and not just to the department, the School of Medicine or VCU Health, but to society at large,” said Vigneshwar Kasirajan, M.D., chair of the Department of Surgery.

“Investing in medical research improves health outcomes for Americans and people around the world, and it fuels the economy by spurring innovation,” he continued.

Kasirajan, who holds the Stuart McGuire Professor of Surgery, pointed to the increasing role philanthropic gifts play in enhancing research and training programs, improving patient health and attracting additional research funding from grantmakers and industry partners.

P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., vice president of research and innovation at VCU, echoed that sentiment by praising research – in both the department and across the School of Medicine – for significant contributions to what he characterized as an “upward trajectory” for the institution. Over the last six years, VCU has experienced 86% growth in external research funding.

“The surgeons and investigators in this department are truly at the forefront of driving our research enterprise,” said Rao, a 2024 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. “Your innovations are moving into practice, patents for new technology are being filed, new companies are being formed and products are getting launched. I feel this is just the start of what is yet to come.”

During the morning’s Grand Rounds, this year’s keynote speaker, Richard D. Schulick, M.D., M.B.A., underscored the importance of mentorship. “I know that all of you have mentors, and that all of you are – or will be – mentors. This is something that you should really focus on,” said Schulick, who is chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center. “I was mentored by many of the leaders of American surgery, and I learned something from each one of them.”

[R-L] Senior Vice President for VCU Health Sciences and CEO of VCU Health System Marlon Levy, M.D., speaking with Jeff Hume, Chris Ertell and Joanne Hume. Levy holds the David Hume Endowed Chair, named for Jeff and Joanne’s father who was an influential leader both on the MCV Campus and in the transplant field. “I think that Dr. Hume would be incredibly proud of the seed that he planted here,” said Levy, a transplant surgeon and former director of the Hume-Lee Transplant Center. “Were he able to see what this department now looks like – he would be amazed.” Today, the department consists of 11 specialty divisions, as well as four residency and seven fellowship programs. (Photo by Skip Rowland)

Keeping to the theme of impacting the future while honoring those who shaped the past, the event also marked the launch of a new alumni society. Named in honor of David M. Hume, M.D., who served as surgery department chair from 1956 to 1973, the Hume Society will emphasize the department’s research and educational missions with the goals of empowering surgery residents toward academic and professional success. Department leaders are planning an annual alumni reception to coincide with Research Day and provide current and former trainees an opportunity to gather to hear about the latest innovations, discoveries and accomplishments in the surgical field.

“The David M. Hume Society is meant to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Hume in our research, education and clinical missions, and to foster strong relationships among current and former residents, fellows and faculty members,” Kasirajan said. “He lived his commitment to these missions throughout his career, and his trainees and colleagues went on to create programs of international renown.”

During the welcome reception, both Harry D. Bear, M.D., Ph.D., (left) and longtime biochemistry professor Bob Diegelmann, Ph.D., shared stories of their colleague and mentor, David Hume, M.D. Bear – a professor and former chair of the Division of Surgical Oncology – recalled working in one of Hume’s labs while in high school. He went on to earn his medical degree and Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the School of Medicine. In the early 1970s, Hume recruited Diegelmann – now a professor emeritus – from the National Institutes of Health to start a wound healing lab on the MCV Campus. (Photo by Skip Rowland)