Research

The SIU General Surgery has a long tradition of nationally and internationally recognized research in the field of surgical education. Recent projects have focused on team based learning and handoff skills, cognitive task analysis of surgical and endoscopic procedures, surgical skills development, operative performance evaluation, and the identification, classification, and remediation of learning deficiencies. 

Projects in development currently include those focused on web based tools and electronic gaming in resident education and resident selection, and studies exploring surgery-specific issues and professionalism. 

Members of the division are also involved in international surgical education projects and research, registry based outcomes research, and translational research focused on surgical oncology including breast, colorectal, and pancreatic neoplasia.

General Surgery Division Current Research Interests

David Stewart, MD: Interventional Agent Development Award, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Focus: C. difficile infection (CDI) including the development of antisense antibiotics as a microbiome sparing CDI therapy, the role of C. glabrata in CDI, the use of neonatal piglets as a model to study CDI and experimental therapies, and the development of clinical models to predict severe CDI

Marc Garfinkel,MD:  Utilization of kidneys from donors with disseminated intravascular coagulation, operative performance ratings in transplantation

Jan Rakinic, MD:  Gender differences in physician stress management, enteric floral transplant for Clostridium difficile, outcomes of complicated diverticulitis managed with percutaneous drainage, quality improvement in surgery

Benjamin Rejowski, MD:  Simulation and resident education, trauma team training.

V. Prasad Poola, MD:  Study of Surgical education and clinical outcomes of surgical treatment of colon and rectal diseases

John Sutyak, MD:  Serious gaming and trauma education, team training in trauma care

Jarrod Wall, MB:  Simulation and student education, trauma team training, blood utilization and quality management, resident competencies and milestones