Strong Showing by McGovern Medical School at the Academic Surgical Congress

March 3, 2026

ASCThe 21st annual Academic Surgical Congress (ASC) was held in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 3-5, 2026. With more than 1,800 registrants, this is one of the largest academic surgical meetings in the world. This joint meeting is co-sponsored by the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS) and the Society of University Surgeons (SUS).

Nineteen residents and five students gave 25 presentations at the meeting. Their research spanned basic science to clinical and health outcomes research; the surgical subspecialties represented included plastic surgery, pediatric surgery, acute care surgery, general surgery, and abdominal wall reconstruction. All of the students and residents did an outstanding job.

Melina R. Kibbe, MD, president of UTHealth Houston and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair, and the 45th AAS president, sponsored four trainees to attend and present research from her lab at the conference. Additionally, Tien C. Ko, MD, FACS, professor and Jack H. Mayfield, MD, Distinguished Professor in Surgery, who was the 35th AAS President, served as a panelist in the SUS Presidential Session entitled “Non-traditional Pathways to Surgical Leadership,” where he spoke of his journey to becoming the Chief of Staff at Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. Lillian S. Kao, MD, MS, FACS, professor and Jack H. Mayfield, MD Chair in Surgery, who was the 46th AAS President, moderated the AAS Resident/Fellow QuickShot Competition. Additionally, she participated in a “Hot Ones” fundraiser, eating spicy wings while answering fun questions about her surgical practice. Her efforts helped raise funds for palliative care research in surgery.

Nicole Villafane-Ferriol, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, who attended the ASC and the SUS Mid-Career Academic Surgery Professional Development Course as part of her second year in the AAS/SUS JUMPStart Program, was selected last year as one of 10 members in the 2024-2026 cohort.

Congratulations to all who attended and their accomplishments!

2026 ASC Presentations

  • Gabriela Barrios, medical student (Michael W. Wandling, MD, MS, FACS) — Transfusing for Functionality: Does Blood Count Relate to Mobility in Older Adult Trauma Patients?
  • Brandon Blair, medical student (Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS) — Evaluating Surgical Performance Through Intraoperative Video: A Pilot Study in Robotic Cholecystectomy
  • Rachel Bordelon, resident (Allison Speer, MD) — Enteric Neuronal Mapping in Pediatric Small Intestine: A Benchmark for Bioengineered Gut Tissue
  • Lindsey Desplinter, medical student (Dalya M. Ferguson, MD, MS) — Discordance Between Surgeon and Pathologist Assessment of Severity in Acute Appendicitis
  • Gabriel Dominguez, medical student (Thaddeus J. Puzio, MD, MS, FACS) — Double Trouble: AKI and CKD Amplify Bleeding Risk in Hip Fracture Patients
  • Alexandra Dunker, medical student (Matthew R. Greives, MD, MS, FACS) — Mechanisms Matter: Intentional Injury and Its Impact on Pediatric Facial Fractures
  • Noah Fulcomer, medical student (Thaddeus J. Puzio, MD, MS, FACS) — High Ejection Fraction, High Risk: Preoperative Heart Function and Outcomes in Geriatric Hip Fracture
  • Ananya Hari, medical student (Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS) — Defining Rectus Abdominus Muscle Changes following Ventral Hernia Repair
  • Srisha Jayakumar, medical student (Dalya M. Ferguson, MD, MS) — Predictors of Failure During Nonoperative Management of Simple Acute Appendicitis
  • Mackenzie Joe, medical student (Dalya M. Ferguson, MD, MS) — Local Adherence with Society Guidelines and Postoperative Outcomes in Perforated Appendicitis
  • Jeannette Joly, resident (KuoJen Tsao, MD) — Do White Blood Cells Count? The Impact of a Practice Change in Post-Appendectomy Discharge Criteria; (Natalie A. Drucker, MD, MS) —
  • Lower Burden May Be Worth Higher Costs: A Hospital Cost Analysis of Dressings for Pediatric Burns
  • Hanuk Kwon, medical student (Brijesh S. Gill, MD, FACS) — Acceleration of Coagulation Kinetics for Clot Burst Pressure Assessment
  • Alex Lee, medical student (Mary T. Austin, MD, MPH) — Enucleation Versus Anatomical Resection of Malignant Pancreatic Tumors in Children and Young Adults
  • Dustin McHalffey, medical student (Matthew R. Greives, MD, MS, FACS) — Good Eye, Bad Break: Investigating Pediatric Facial Fractures in Baseball vs Other Sports
  • Poorna Menon, medical student (KuoJen Tsao, MD) — Complex Care: Impact of Congenital Malformations and Caregiver Health Literacy on Perceived Outcomes
  • Coleman Miller, resident (Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS) — Preoperative Frailty Assessment Prior to Total Joint Arthroplasties to Predict Postop Discharge
  • Erin Morris, resident (KuoJen Tsao, MD) — Reducing Radiation: A Postoperative Quality Improvement Effort in Pediatric Complicated Appendicitis
  • Amelie Perrier, medical student (Mary T. Austin, MD, MPH) — Primary Breast Sarcoma in Pediatric and AYA Patients: A Single-Institution Retrospective Review
  • Will Rieger, resident (Lillian S. Kao, MD, MS, FACS) — Resident Level Does Not Predict Health Communication Complexity or Quality in Simulated Settings
  • Jerome Scott, medical student (Lillian S. Kao, MD, MS, FACS) — Is Health Literacy Associated with PROM Understanding in Injured Inpatients?
  • Avery Sinnathamby, medical student (KuoJen Tsao, MD) — Routine but Rarely Needed: Blood Type and Antibody Screen Testing in Pediatric Surgical Patients
  • Taylor Sweeney, medical student (KuoJen Tsao, MD) — Operating Room Waste Reduction in Watts and Water: Savings Beyond the Shift to Reusable Textiles
  • Marissa Thibodeaux, medical student (Lillian S. Kao, MD, MS, FACS) — Is Health Literacy Associated with Understanding of Injury-Related Discharge Instructions?
  • Jasie Williams-Roberts, medical student (Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS) — Leveraging Sports Analytics and Intraoperative Video to Improve Surgical Quality and Outcomes