Department of Surgery

Resident Awards

Our general surgery residents gain valuable experience presenting at international, national, and regional conferences and have won many distinguished awards. Some of our most recent highlights include:

Joshua B. Brown, MD

  • Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation 2nd Annual Research Award, 1st Place, 2017
  • Raymond H. Alexander Resident Research Award, Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma Thirtieth Annual Scientific Assembly, Hollywood FL, 2017
  • Best Manuscript Award, Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma Thirtieth Annual Scientific Assembly, Hollywood FL, 2017
  • Inaugural Joseph J. Tepas Physician Award for Research, Pediatric Trauma Society, 2016
  • 2nd Place, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Resident Research Award, 2016
  • Poster Award, University of Pittsburgh Department of Surgery Research Day, 2016, 2018
  • 1st Place Paper in Clinical Science, American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma Resident Paper Competition, Region III Committee on Trauma, 2015, 2012, 2011
  • 1st Place Paper in Clinical Science, ACS Committee on Trauma Resident Paper Competition, Pennsylvania State Committee on Trauma, 2015, 2013, 2012, 2011
  • Michael Zinner Health Services Research Fellowship, Surgical Outcomes Club, 2015
  • Outstanding Grant Proposal Award, Institute for Clinical Research Education, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2015
  • Honorable Mention, Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) Oriens Award, 2015
  • AAST Inaugural Resident Research Award, 2014
  • 2nd Place Paper in Clinical Science, ACS Committee on Trauma Resident Paper Competition, Region III Committee on Trauma, 2013
  • 2nd Place, Earl G. Young Resident Paper Competition, Western Trauma Association 42nd Annual Meeting, Vail CO, 2012
  • Best Manuscript Award, EAST 25th Annual Scientific Assembly, Orlando FL, 2012

Kellie E. Cunningham, MD

  • Rangos Research Day Most Outstanding Oral Presentation, 2016
  • Simmons Research Day Award, 2015
  • NIH LRP Two Year Award, 2014 

Stephanie M. Downs-Canner, MD          

  • Best Poster, Simmons Research Day, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2015
  • Charles C. Moore Teaching Award, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2014
  • Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching / "Little Apple" Award, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2013
  • Induction into Gold Humanism Honor Society, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2013

Anthony Cyr, MD, PhD

  • Alumni Invited Speaker, Stupka Undergraduate Research Conference, Iowa State University, 2018
  • American College of Surgeons Resident Research Scholar 2017-2019
  • Association for Academic Surgery Trainee Research Fellowship Award Finalist 2017
  • National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Recipient, 2017-2019

Reza Dadashzadeh, MD

  • Clinical and Human Translational Research Fellowship in Transplantation, 2017 
  • Charles C. Moore Teaching Award, 2017

Mitchell R. Dyer, MD 

  • First Place Oral Presentation, 14th Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science, 2016
  • Excellence in Research Award in Basic Science/Trauma, Owen H. Wangensteen Scientific Forum, ACS Clinical Congress, 2016

James Gallagher, MD

  • American College of Surgeons Leadership & Advocacy Summit Resident Travel Award, 2018
  • International Association of Endocrine Surgeons Travel Scholar at 46th World Congress of Surgery, 2017

Julie Goswami, MD

  • Metored Research Award from Society for Aurgery of the Alimentary Tract (SAAS), 2016
  • Highest scoring abstract at SAAS, 2016
  • AASLD Meeting and Emerging Liver Scholars Award, 2016

John Griepentrog, MD

  • 1st Place, Oral Presentation Award, 7th Annual Meeting of the Surgical Infection Society (SIS) in St. Louis, Missouri, May 2-5, 2017
  • Poster Award, University of Pittsburgh Department of Surgery Research Day, 2018

Robert Handzel, MD

  • Jewish Healthcare Foundation Jonas Salk Fellowship, 2016

Katherine Hill, MD

  • Clinical and Human Translational Research Fellowship in Transplantation
  • Charles C. Moore Teaching Award, 2017
  • The Association for Surgical Education (ASE) Surgical Education Fellowship, 2016

Anthony J. Lewis, MD                   

  • Surgical Infection Society Basic/Translational Research Training Fellowship, 2014

Kerry-Ann C. McDonald, MD

  • ​T32 NIH Training Grant Fellow, Training in Trauma and Sepsis Research, 2012-2014

Kristina Nicholson, MD

  • Clinical and Translational Science Fellowship TL1

Katherine Reitz, MD      

  • Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) Writers Workshop Scholarship, 2018
  • General Surgery Resident Vascular Annual Meeting Travel Scholarship, 2016
  • General Surgery Resident Winner, Vascular Annual Meeting Surgical Skills Competition, 2016

Shahab A. Shaffiey, MD               

  • Sheik Zayed Pediatric Surgical Innovation Award, 2014

Shaun Siow, MD

  • Poster Presentation Award (Quality Improvement), 15th Annual Richard L. Simmons Lecture in Surgical Science and Department of Surgery Research Day on May 10, 2017

Vernissia Tam, MD         

  • “Member for a Day Award,” American Association for Thoracic Surgery Annual Meeting, April 29th – May 3rd, 2017, Boston MA
  • Peter Pairolero Award,30th Annual Meeting of the General Thoracic Surgical Club, March 9-12, 2017, Clearwater FL 
  • Clinical and Translational Science Training Award, University of Pittsburgh, 2017
  • Resident Research Forum, 2nd place Oral Presentation Award, Association of Women Surgeons, 2017
  • Looking to the Future Resident Scholarship, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, 2016
  • $50,000 SAGES grant to compare functional recovery following robotic vs. open pancreas surgery, 2016

Samer T. Tohme, MD    

  • Simmons Research Day Award, 2016
  • Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Research Award, 2015

Dirk J. van der Windt, MD, PhD

  • Charles C. Moore Teaching Award, 2016

Andrew Yeh, MD

  • Joseph Susman Memorial Award, 37th Annual Meeting of the Surgical Infection Society (SIS) in St. Louis, Missouri, May 2-5, 2017