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2023 AAST/AWS Annual Meeting Scholarship

For the ninth year, AAST has partnered with the Association of Women Surgeons to award a scholarship to one of the association's members. The recipients of this joint-sponsored scholarship are listed below:

Patricia Martinez-Quinones, MD, PhD

 

Dr. Patricia Martinez Quinones is a Fellow in Traumatology, Surgical Critical Care, and Emergency Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. She grew up in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Dr. Martinez Quinones earned her undergraduate degree from Baylor University and completed medical school at the University of Puerto Rico. While completing her general surgery residency at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Dr. Martinez Quinones obtained a PhD with Distinction in Biomedical Sciences, majoring in Physiology. Her doctorate work focused on circulating mitochondrial damage associated molecular patterns in trauma-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome, the innate immune system activation in both traumatic injury and intraabdominal sepsis, and how mitochondrial damage leads to vascular endothelial dysfunction in both disease states. Outside of being a surgeon-scientist, Dr. Martinez Quinones is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion for underrepresented minorities in surgery.  

AAST Military Liaison Committee Annual Meeting Scholarship

The AAST Military Liaison Committee offered a scholarship for the sixth time this year to medical students, residents, or in-training fellows within the military. This scholarship is sponsored by the Always Remember Fund.

Andrew Fisher, MD

Andrew D. Fisher is currently a general surgery resident at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque, NM and 2020 graduate of the Texas A&M University College of Medicine. He enlisted as an infantryman in 1993, serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment. He began his career as a paramedic before attending the Interservice Physician Assistant Program, graduating in 2006. He would spend nine years as a physician assistant assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment, rising to the Regimental Physician Assistant, overseeing medical training for over 5000 soldiers. While assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment, he was part of the team that developed and implemented the modern-day low titer group O whole blood (LTOWB) “buddy transfusion” program that is now utilized throughout the Department of Defense. He transfused the first unit of cold stored LTOWB in combat. He is a member of the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care and Stop the Bleed Education Consortium. Additionally, he is the assistant director for the Resuscitation Adjuncts: Prehospital Transfusion & REBOA course. He serves in the Texas Army National Guard. His interests include prehospital trauma, hemorrhage control, damage control resuscitation, austere surgery, and analgesia, with a focus on ketamine.  

Michelle Mangold, DO

I am a globetrotting Texas native who has spent time all over the world, including studying Medical Engineering at the University of Hong Kong. I served in the Air Force as a BioEnvironmental Engineer for a few years before attending medical school in Las Vegas, NV. I then ventured to the Midwest to St Louis for General Surgery residency and am currently undergoing Trauma/Critical Care Fellowship at UAB. I will continue on as an active duty Air Force Trauma Surgeon upon completion of my training. 

Caleb McClary, MD

Caleb McClary is an Active-Duty United States Air Force Captain and General Surgery resident (PGY-3) at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He spent his research year working in the basic science laboratory with the United States Army Institute of Surgical Research at Brooke Army Medical Center. He attended medical school at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in Rochester, NY. Before medical school, Caleb enlisted as a flight medic and also commissioned as a logistics officer. Prior to the military, Caleb was a Division 1 basketball player at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland. His hometown is Rochester, NY.

2023 20forTwenty In-Training Fellow, Resident, and Medical Student Scholarship Recipients

Nijmeh Alsaadi, MD

Amman native and the University of Jordan School of Medicine graduate, Nijmeh Alsaadi joined the Trauma and Transfusion Medicine Research Center (TTMRC) at the University of Pittsburgh as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 2020. Her translational research focuses on investigating innovative treatments for immunothrombosis in trauma and shock. Nijmeh has made significant contributions to multiple high-impact journal publications and has been recognized with multiple awards for her presentations at international conferences. In addition to her research work, she actively serves as a member of the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) on various committees, where she contributes to campaigns targeting mentorship, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). She aims to complete her surgical training in the United States and become a trauma surgeon-scientist, and is currently in the process of applying for residency. When she is not in the lab, you can find her bakery hopping, experimenting in the kitchen, browsing antique shops, or taking her cats for a stroll in the park while she immerses herself in a good book. Nijmeh is exhilarated to be attending her first Annual Meeting of AAST and Clinical Congress of Acute Care Surgery and is eager to meet and connect with leaders in the field. 

Catherine Beni, MD

Dr. Catherine Beni is a chief resident in General Surgery at the University of Washington. Prior to attending medical school at UCLA, she earned her PhD in Applied and Computational Mathematics from the California Institute of Technology, where she is recognized as their youngest PhD graduate at age 20. In residency, she completed an NIH T32 fellowship under Dr. Grant O’Keefe at Harborview Medical Center, in which she worked on multiple projects to improve ICU resuscitation in critically-ill trauma patients. As part of her research fellowship, she was awarded close to $100,000 to develop a microdialysis-based device for better characterization of volume status in the ICU. Her current work focuses on using mathematical modeling to develop precision resuscitation approaches in trauma. Dr. Beni plans to pursue fellowship in Surgical Critical Care next year.

Artem Boyev, DO

I am a post-graduate year 3 (PGY3) general surgery resident at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas, and an active-duty Captain in the United States Army Medical Corps. My interests include trauma, critical care, and emergency general surgery. I previously served as an enlisted soldier and an officer in the United States Army, with one deployment to Afghanistan from 2012 - 2013, and I will embark on a career as an Army surgeon after completion of my residency. I intend to continue pursuing training in trauma, critical care, and acute care surgery because these fields will best prepare me to receive critically wounded soldiers and get them back into the fight or home to their families. I am excited for this opportunity to attend the 2023 AAST Annual Meeting to learn about the latest research, view the latest surgical innovations, and engage with eminent leaders in the field of trauma surgery. I will be presenting our work on traumatic arterial repairs as an oral presentation at the Military Fallen Surgeons Education Symposium and as a poster presentation at the AAST annual meeting. 

Ted Chung, DO

Dr. Chung was born in Fort Worth, Texas but was raised for most of his life in Lake Forest, California. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology at University of California – Riverside. He went on to attend medical school at Touro University Nevada while on the United States Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). He then matched into general surgery residency at Naval Medical Center – Portsmouth. After a year in training, he was granted a civilian deferment and continued his training at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After being exposed to a high number of penetrating traumas, he developed a passion for Trauma Surgery. While pursuing his passion in Trauma Surgery, he started research projects looking at outcomes in patients who had suffered penetrating traumas. He is looking forward to completing his training at Hennepin County Medical Center and returning to the US Navy so that he can become a forward deployed surgeon. In his free time, he enjoys lifting weights, hiking, and camping with his wife.

Sarah Cottrell-Cumber, DO

Sarah Cottrell-Cumber is a fourth-year general surgery resident at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She developed an interest in trauma and acute care surgery after working with underserved patient populations with a high incidence of penetrating violence in Jackson, MS.  She recently completed a hospice and palliative medicine fellowship at the University of Washington Medical Center during her research year. She is excited to return to surgical residency and apply her palliative care training as a senior resident. Her academic interests include integration of palliative care into trauma and acute care surgery, complex prognostication and communication in the ICU, and evaluation of racial disparities with respect to communication and access to care. She will be applying to surgical critical care fellowship this upcoming 2024 spring application cycle. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys travelling, playing trumpet in local bands, and spending time with her husband and 5 rescue dogs. 

Nicole Fierro, MD

Nicole Fierro is fourth-year resident in general surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She was born and raised in southern California. She attended UCLA as an undergraduate, where she first started her research endeavors at Cedars-Sinai with the Trauma-Research Associate’s Program, during which time she co-authored four manuscripts. She then went on to attend medical school at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, where she first published in the Journal of Trauma as first author. During her time as a resident, she maintained her productivity, dedicating a year to research with a focus on outcomes after chest compressions in trauma patients, as well as on venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Her interest in pursuing a career in trauma, acute care surgery, and critical care began in high school and has never waned. Additionally, she is interested in increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the department of surgery, and is a part of a committee that awards scholarships to underrepresented medical students completing sub-internships at Cedars-Sinai. When not in the hospital, Nicole can be found watching Dodgers games or taking her dogs to the dog park.

Daniel Garcia, MD



My name is Daniel Garcia I’m a highly motivated medical professional with a diverse background. Originally from Medellin, Colombia, I had to seek asylum in the United States to escape the pervasive violence in my home country. Raised in the US, I later returned to Medellin to pursue my passion for medicine at the renowned medical school where several members of my family had graduated. During my time in Colombia, I experienced the beauty of my homeland but also witnessed the unfortunate prevalence of violence and its impact on communities. This profound experience compelled me to specialize in surgery, with a focus on trauma and critical care. Currently training in General Surgery Residency in the US. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have had this opportunity. My ultimate goal is to leverage my training to make a positive impact on the communities back home in Colombia. I remain committed to furthering my education and expertise in the field of trauma and critical care to address the pressing healthcare challenges faced by my patient. With unwavering determination and a compassionate spirit.

Adam Gutierrez, MD

I am currently in the second year of my trauma/surgical critical care fellowship at Ryder Trauma Center/Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, FL. I grew up in the greater Los Angeles area and was an undergraduate at Occidental College where I studied Kinesiology and was a member of the football team. I went to medical school at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California where I graduated with distinction in research. I completed my general surgery training at the Los Angeles County Medical Center/University of Southern California program where I served as administrative chief resident in my final year. I am currently the administrative chief fellow for the trauma fellowship at the Ryder Trauma Center. After the completion of my training I plan to start a career in academic trauma and acute care surgery. In my free time I enjoy playing golf, watching the Los Angeles Dodgers, and spending time with my wife and dog George. I look forward to connecting with mentors and meeting new colleagues to collaborate with for years to come at the AAST meeting.

Justin Hatchimonji, MD, MS



Justin Hatchimonji is a second-year trauma/ACS fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, having previously completed medical school and general surgery residency at Penn. Research interests include gun violence prevention, damage control laparotomy, and emergency general surgery quality and clinical outcomes. Justin is grateful to his mentors at Penn for their ongoing support, as well as the Scholarship Awards and Development Committee for allowing him the opportunity to attend his first AAST meeting.

Raven Hill, DO

My name is Raven Hill, I am currently a PGY 3 General Surgery resident at Morehouse School of Medicine. Since beginning this journey into Surgery, it has been defined by an unwavering commitment to medicine and a profound interest in Trauma Surgery. Fueled by a fascination with human anatomy and the art of surgical intervention, I embrace challenges with tenacity and precision, continually seeking opportunities to expand my knowledge and master new techniques. Beyond the operating room, I enjoy engaging in various philanthropic endeavors, combining my love for surgery with a genuine desire to make a positive impact on the lives of others. With a steadfast dedication to the field of Trauma Surgery and critical care, I aspire to contribute significantly to the advancement of surgical practices and leave a lasting mark on the medical world.

Joseph Hoying, MD

Joe Hoying is a resident at The Ohio State University currently in a dedicated research year working in Dr. Carrie Sims’ lab. He had a non-traditional path into medicine, joining the Army out of high school and being deployed to Iraq in 2006-2007. It was during this time he saw catastrophic injuries and decided to pursue a career in medicine. He pursued a degree in Biology at The Citadel while working as a paramedic. He was accepted and attended medical school at Wright State University with a goal to pursue a surgical residency. He was accepted as a preliminary intern at Medical University of South Carolina, then as a PGY-2 at Ohio State after which he intends to pursue a fellowship into critical care. He is married to his wife of nine years Erin, and has three boy Joe, Luke, and Micah ages 8, 6, and 4. In his free time he enjoys taking his boys outdoors camping and fishing and attending their flag football and soccer games. 

Mathieu Hylands, MD, MS



Mathieu Hylands is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto’s Trauma and Acute Care Surgery and Adult Critical Care Medicine fellowship programs. His research interests include systematic reviews, hemodynamic management of trauma patients, and chest wall reconstruction. He is starting his practice as attending trauma surgeon and intensivist at the University of Sherbrooke in Sherbrooke (QC), Canada. 

Phillip Kim, MD, MBA

Phillip Kim is a board-certified surgeon and a trauma and acute care surgery fellow at Emory University School of Medicine and Grady Memorial Hospital. He graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a BS in both Chemical Engineering and Biology. He first became interested in trauma surgery as a medical student at Harvard Medical School. He then completed his MBA at Harvard Business School. He received his general surgery residency training at New York Presbyterian Hospital – Columbia University Medical Center. During residency, he spent two years as a Biodevice Surgical Innovations fellow at UCSF, where he joined a team of engineers, designers, and clinicians to develop innovative technologies and devices for unmet clinical needs. His professional and research interests include surgical and device innovation, vascular trauma, predictive modeling, hospital quality improvement initiatives, and medical education. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, cooking food, traveling, and testing virtual reality technology. After the completion of his training, he looks forward to working at an academic center as a trauma surgeon and expanding his work as a surgeon-innovator.

Jacob Kirkorowicz, MD

Jacob Kirkorowicz is a current Chief Resident in General Surgery at Kaweah Health in Visalia, California, a public social safety net hospital serving the South San Joaquin Valley. A Southern California native, he completed his undergraduate work in Global Public Health at NYU, his Master’s of Science in Global Health at Duke University, and his Medical Doctorate at the Medical College of Virginia. Dr. Kirkorowicz is pursuing a fellowship in Surgical Critical Care and is passionate about academic surgery and providing excellent surgical care to underserved communities. His career goal is to work as an academic Trauma Surgeon and Surgical Intensivist, with a focus on teaching and research.

Hanna Labiner, MD

Hanna Labiner is a 3rd year general surgery resident at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She recently completed a research fellowship in the Lab of Dr. Carrie Sims at The Ohio State University, where her research was supported by the NIH Advanced Research Training in Immunology for Surgery Trainees T32 award. Hanna is particularly interested in studying education and mentorship within surgery. She hopes to complete a fellowship in trauma surgery and critical care after residency.

Daud Lodin, MD, MPH

A native of Northern California, Daud Lodin earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry, chemistry, and Italian literature at the University of California, San Diego. Shortly after graduating, he unfortunately had to return home to aid in the care of a family member who suffered a traumatic accident. Driven by the idea of becoming a surgeon, he gained entry into a Post-Baccalaureate health sciences program at the University of California, Berkeley before completing a Master in Public Health at Emory University. In Atlanta, he worked in clinical trials in the department of endocrinology on cystic fibrosis research, worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on neglected tropical disease research, and even had his own research project, partnering with an NGO in the Dominican Republic to assess the knowledge and practices of local youth on HIV prevention. He went to medical school in Puerto Rico at San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, eventually matching into the Final Four qualifying Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine's general surgery program. During his Added Value Year, he completed a burn surgery fellowship at Weill Cornell New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. He is currently applying to surgical critical care fellowships, hoping that one day he can fulfill his dream of becoming a burn, critical care, and trauma surgeon to help those that need the most care. 

Ian McKinley, MD

Dr. W. Ian McKinley earned his Medical Degree from the University of Louisville where he developed an interest in trauma and acute care surgery. He is currently a general surgery resident at the University of Chicago, completing a 2-year research fellowship as well as a Master’s Degree in Bioinformatics with a concentration in genomic analysis. His current research focuses on differential gene expression analyses, appropriate development and application of machine learning and AI systems in medicine, and the use of natural language processing to improve operative learning. Outside of the hospital, he enjoys casual philosophy, spending time with his wife and daughter, and always stopping to read the plaque. 

Rachael Palumbo, MD

I am a second-year acute care surgery fellow in the AAST-accredited Yale New Haven Medical Center acute care surgery fellowship program. After earning my undergraduate degree and medical degree at University of Notre Dame and Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, respectively, I completed residency in general surgery at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. I plan to be a trauma and acute care surgeon and surgical intensivist. I love trauma and acute care surgery not only for the technical complexity and spectrum of critical illness but also for the opportunity to provide care to people of all communities. I have a strong dedication to interdisciplinary team building and education, and my clinical and academic interests include development of evidence-based protocols, coagulopathy and shock in trauma, and physician wellness.   

Louis Perkins, MD

Louis Perkins is a general surgery PGY-4 resident at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, having completed two years of clinical training and one of two years of clinical research. Raised in southwest Indiana along the Ohio River, he obtained his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University and medical degree from Indiana University. He intends to pursue a career in academic trauma and acute care surgery. His research interests include leveraging big data to guide management algorithms and using artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the safety and efficiency of patient care. When not placing a central line or programming on his laptop, you can find Louis and his better half Marisa with their dog Juno at the dog beach or barreling down steep slopes on his skis or mountain bike.

Marinda Scrushy, MD

Marinda G. Scrushy is a chief resident in general surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas Texas. She was born and raised in Alabama but matriculated to Texas to receive her Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Texas. She then proceeded to receive her MD from Texas A&M College of Medicine. During residency, her research interests have focused on both adult and pediatric trauma with a specific focus on injury prevention. She looks forward to pursuing both a surgical critical care and pediatric surgery fellowship with plans to focus her career on the care of pediatric trauma patients. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, pilates and spending time with her two dogs Bentley and Daisy. 

Amir Sohail, MD

 

Amir is a Pakistani physician who graduated from medical school at the Aga Khan University in 2015, and then pursued a master's in Global Health Science at the University of Oxford as a Weidenfeld scholar. He recently graduated from his General Surgery residency at New York University Long Island School of Medicine, and is Master of Arts in Bioethics candidate at NYU School of Global Public Health. Amir's research interests – stemming from his work experience with various international organisations, including the World Health Organisation and the Oxford Big Data Institute – lie in global health disparities, health systems and policy making, and health service delivery mechanisms' improvement strategies, particularly in low-income settings. He has authored over a hundred manuscripts, including eight book chapters, and also holds two patents.

Allan Stolarski, MD, MS

Allan Stolarski is currently a 4th year general surgery resident at Boston University/Boston Medical Center. He was previously the NIH-funded Immunobiology of Trauma research fellow at Boston University spending two years of protected research time working on multiple NIH-funded investigations under the mentorship of Drs. Daniel Remick and Peter Burke. Additionally, Dr. Stolarski was independently awarded the Boston Trauma Institute grant to support his research on novel strategies to reduce inflammation of critically ill trauma patients. Dr. Stolarski has served as an investigator in the successfully completed NIH R21 randomized controlled trial into the role of early metabolic support for critically ill trauma patients with Dr. Peter Burke. In addition to his role in the NIH-funded protein metabolism study, Dr. Stolarski has garnished immense experience investigating novel therapies for sepsis as well as septic and inflammatory phenotypes including the use of machine learning and murine sepsis models supported by an additional R21 as well as co-investigator on two of Dr. Daniel Remick’s R01 grants. Dr. Stolarski is an author of nearly 40 publications and book chapters, 17 of which he is the first author. 

Christopher Thomas, MD

Chris Thomas is a fifth year general surgery resident at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina for his undergraduate studies and Georgetown University for graduate school. Chris obtained his Doctorate in Medicine from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. He is pursuing a career as an Acute Care Surgeon and is academically interested in Surgical Education and Quality and Process Improvement.

Miranda Wood, DO

Dr. Wood earned her Osteopathic Medical Degree at Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency in General Surgery at Oklahoma State University Medical Center in Tulsa, OK and is currently a first year Acute Care Surgery and Critical Care fellow at the Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, TX. When not operating, Dr. Wood enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.