David Tichansky, MD has joined the Division of General Surgery as the Director of the Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Program. He specializes in totally laparoscopic bariatric surgery and is assisted by Alise Kuhl, CRNP-BC. For a schedule of free patient seminars, go to www.jeffersonhospital.org/bariatric

Susan Lanza-Jacoby, PhD was awarded a R21 NIH grant to study different types of calorie restriction on the progression of PanIN lesions to Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDA).

Gerald A. Isenberg, MD and the Department of Surgery are coinvestigators in a NIH study of Wise-MD, a web based multimedia teaching tool for surgical students created by New York University.

John Kairys, MD is a Co-Investigator on a Department of Defense grant entitled, “3D Projection Environment for Molecular Design and Surgical Simulation.” Eric Wickstrom, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, is the Principal Investigator.

Sharon Molotsky, RN, BSN, CCRC has been promoted to the newly created position of Clinical Research Nurse Project Manager for the Department of Surgery.

Paul J. DiMuzio, MD, PhD, was awarded first place for his presentation, “Endothelial differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells: How close have we really come?”, at the International Federation for Adipose Therapeutics and Science (IFATS) Conference, September 2009 in Toulouse, France.

May 31st marks the 25th anniversary of the first liver transplant in the Delaware Valley performed at Jefferson. A celebratory reception for liver transplant patients and families is planned for Tuesday, May 5, 2009.

Save the Date: The Investiture of Cataldo Doria, MD, PhD as the first Nicoletti Family Professor of Transplantation Surgery will be held on June 17, 2009 at 4 p.m. in Connelly Auditorium, Dorrance H. Hamilton Building. Please contact Lara Allan Goldstein at 215-955-8797 if interested in attending.