Training Grant Trainees
Debolina Banerjee, MD PGY 2 Surgical Resident Term: 7/2022 - 6/2024 Mentor: Frank Sellke, MD Research Project: Effects of Antidiabetic Agents on Vascular Reactivity and Flow Dynamics Dr. Banerjee's experiments aim to evaluate the effects of commonly prescribed antidiabetic agents on vascular reactivity and coronary flow. |
Cynthia Xu, MD PGY 2 Surgical Resident Term: 7/2021 - 6/2023 Mentor: Frank Sellke, MD Research Project: Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles on Diabetic and Non-diabetic Human Coronary Artery Endothelial Cells Dr. Xu's research focuses on extracellular vesicles derived from human bone mesenchymal stem cells, and will attempt to determine the mechanisms by which they exert their therapeutic effects in in vitro, and small and large animal models of cardiovascular disease. |
Emily Hensler, MD PGY 2 Surgical Resident Term: 7/2020 - 6/2022 Mentor: Alfred Ayala, PhD Research Project: Role of the immune checkpoint regulator VISTA in neonatal sepsis Dr. Hensler's project focuses on how VISTA, an immune checkpoint regulator, modulates the immune response to a septic insult (cecal slurry) in neonatal mice, as well as how its activity affects survival. |
Elizabeth Tindal, MD PGY 2 Surgical Resident Term: 7/2019 - 6/2021 Mentor: Alfred Ayala, PhD Research Project: Evaluating selective deletion of check-point protein, PD-L1, in neutrophils as it compares to endothelial cells using specialized Cre-lox mice. Dr. Tindal's research looks at the impact on shock/sepsis-induced mortality and systemic inflammation will be studied following the combined effect of hemorrhagic and septic (ie. cecal ligation and perforation) insults. |
Michelle Wakeley, MD PGY 2 Surgical Resident Term: 7/2019 - 6/2020 Mentor: Alfred Ayala, PhD Research Project: Checkpoint inhibitor protein modulation of immune dysregulation in neonatal sepsis. Dr. Wakeley's research attempts to identify novel targets for treatment of septic immune dysregulation by focusing on the role of checkpoint inhibitor proteins and their ligands including PD-1, PDL-1, and HVEM in modulation of neonatal sepsis in mice. |
Chelsey Ciambella, MD PGY 2 Surgical Resident Term: 7/2018 - 6/2020 Mentor: Jonathan Reichner, PhD Research Project: Identification of a damaging subset of neutrophils that arises in septic patients. Dr. Ciambella will investigate the role of a distinct subset of neutrophils on endothelial barrier function, disease severity and host survival. Her aim is to demonstrate these cells are a target for a therapeutic blockade that could benefit the septic host. |
Joshua Cohen, MD PGY 2 Surgical Resident Term: 7/2018 - 6/2020 Mentor: Craig Lefort, PhD Research Project: Investigating the role of neutrophil progenitor transplantation following hemorrhage in the prevention of ARDS. Dr. Cohen aims to utilize the the mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells from the bone marrow following hemorrhage and trauma as conditioning for transplant of donor hematopoietic progenitor cells. His project's goal is to develop an off-the-shelf neutrophil progenitor cellular therapy for use in the acutely ill trauma patient. |
Roberto Cortez, MD PGY 2 Surgical Resident Term: 7/2017 - 6/2019 Mentor: Jack Elias, MD Research Project: Dr. Cortez's goal is to further define the complex and important roles of chitinase-like protein (CLP) Chi3l1/YKL-40, PLSCR, and PD-1/PDL1 in relation to the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, inflammation, and lung cancer in the mouse model. With the advent of PD-1 antibody therapy to treat advanced melanoma, further developing an understanding for said pathways may allow for the continued development of novel immunotherapeutic options. Current Position: Dr. Cortez returned to the surgical residency program at RI Hospital. |
Laura Scrimgeour, MD PGY 2 Surgical Resident Term: 7/2016 - 6/2018 Mentor: Frank Sellke, MD Research Project: Dr. Scrimgeour’s research focused on investigating treatments for chronic myocardial ischemia in a porcine model. Her research also involved injection of microvesicles isolated from stem cells to improve myocardial blood flow. Current Position: Dr. Scrimgeour returned to the surgical residency program at RI Hospital. |
Catherine Dickinson, MD PGY 2 Surgical Resident Term: 7/2015 - 6/2016 Mentor: Jonathan Reichner, PhD Research Project: Dr. Dickinson's research focused on neutrophils and their role in damaging the endothelial barrier in patients impacted by surgery, trauma, and sepsis. Current Position: Dr. Dickinson returned to the surgical residency program at RI Hospital. |
Brittany Potz, MD PGY 2 Surgical Resident Term: 7/2015 - 6/2017 Mentor: Frank Sellke, MD Research Project: Dr. Potz' focus was on the discovery of new medical therapies for coronary artery disease using a novel pig model of chronic myocardial ischemia in the setting of metabolic syndrome that translates to patients with CAD and their associated co-morbidities. Current Position: Dr. Potz returned to the surgical residency program at RI Hospital. |
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Research Project: Dr. Hutchins investigated how liver sinusoidal endothelial cells are affected during ALI in sepsis, and the potential mediators and/or signaling pathways involved. |
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Research Project: Dr. Blakely's research involved using micromolded hydrogels to create complex microtissues, such as toroids and honeycombs. His focus was on analyzing the mechanical properties of these formed microtissues as well as looking at methods to perfuse the tissues in order to create larger tissues. Current Position: Dr. Blakely is a general surgeon practicing in Rhode Island. |
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Research Project: Dr. Fox studied the regulation of the barrier function of an endothelial monolayer. Normally, the cells of an endothelial monolayer are in close proximity to each other, in order to keep cells and other components of blood in the intravascular space. In the setting of trauma and sepsis, the space between cells increases, resulting in decreased barrier function, and allowing neutrophils to arrive at a site of tissue damage or infection. Dr. Fox attempted to study the role of CAP37 in the regulation of monolayer integrity, specifically as it functions in the absence of neutrophils. Additionally, she evaluated the structure and function of neutrophils obtained from trauma and septic patients and their effect on endothelial resistance. Current Position: Dr. Fox is a general surgeon practicing in Providence, RI. |
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Sean Ciullo, MD Research Project: Ciullo's research focused on liver fibrosis and injury in a rat model of biliary obstruction. Dr. Ciullo's projects focused initially on the development of liver fibrosis over the time of bile duct ligation and then on attempting to activate intrinsic MMP-8 within the liver. To this end, Dr. Ciullo worked extensively with Dr. Reichner’s laboratory to better understand the physiology of neutrophils and what components of them are necessary to activate intrinsic MMP-8 within the liver. Current Position: Dr. Ciullo is a pediatric surgeon in Providence, RI. |
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Zachary Gregg, MD Research Project: Gregg's research included elucidating the connections between, or the role of, cellular senescence in both tissue regeneration/wound healing and inflammation. Current Position: Dr. Gregg is a colon and rectal surgeon in Charlottesville, VA. |
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Samille Brancato, MD |
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Jill Johnstone, MD |
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Gwendolyn Elphick, PhD |
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Ryan Swan, MD Research Project: Dr. Swan researched the contribution of macrophage clearance of apoptotic cells to the pathophysiology of sepsis. A hallmark of sepsis in animal models and human studies is widespread immune cell apoptosis, which has been linked to increased morbidity and mortality. Macrophage phagocytosis of apoptotic immune cells leads to release of anti-inflammatory cytokines as a physiologic mechanism for controlling inflammation; however, in the setting of massive immune cell apoptosis as seen in sepsis, this process may contribute to the immunosuppressed state seen in septic patients. Current Position: At the end of his fellowship, Dr. Swan returned to a Surgical Residency at St. Luke’s Hospital, New York, NY, where he completed his residency in 6/10, subsequently did a 2 year fellowship in surgical oncology at Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, and is now an attending general surgeon in that Department of Surgery. |
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Michael Connolly, MD Current Position: Dr. Connolly completed his surgical residency training in 2009, did a 2 year Trauma and Critical Care fellowship at Brown, and is currently an attending trauma surgeon and Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University. |
