News

E. Abi Recktenwald, MD, third year resident in the Integrated plastic surgery residency program at the University of Kentucky, is the recipient of the 2024 Bostwick Award, which recognizes excellence in resident research at the 39th Annual Atlanta Breast Surgery Symposium sponsored by the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (SESPRS).

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced a new R01 research grant of $2.6 million over five years. The grant was awarded to Dr. Dongfang Wang and the Wang Lab at the University of Kentucky Department of Surgery.

David Drake, MD, the William S. Farish Endowed Chair of plastic surgery at UK HealthCare, has been named as one of the official visiting professors for the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (SESPRS) for 2024.

By Hilary Brown for UKnow

UKnow - By Hilary Brown
With one smile, 18-year-old Payton Ebertshauer of London can light up any room.

William B. Inabnet III, MD, Johnston-Wright Endowed Professor and Chair of Surgery at UK HealthCare, was interviewed on WTVQ Channel 36's Good Day Kentucky news show for Thyroid Awareness Month in early January. He has agreed to serve on a panel for a new feature segment of the midday show called Prescription Health.

Cortney Lee, MD is the new program director of general surgery residency at the University of Kentucky Department of Surgery. Dr. Lee accepted the role after serving for over 5 years as director of the surgery medical education program in the College of Medicine.

The Elsa U. Pardee Foundation awarded research funding of over $150,000 to Mautin Barry-Hundeyin, MD, in early December to support her research into a potential immunological treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer.

In early November, a University of Kentucky transplant surgeon performed the state’s first ever robot-assisted nephrectomy.
Alejandro Cracco, MD, an assistant professor in the UK Department of Surgery’s Division of Transplantation, performed the donor kidney extraction utilizing the da Vinci Xi surgical robot.

CT Surgery faculty and nursing staff members joined with colleagues from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) in Washington DC during October to meet with congressional leaders and advocate for the interests of patients and providers on matters of health policy specifically affecting the Commonwealth.

With the addition of two new faculty members in early November, the UK College of Medicine Department of Surgery has welcomed 12 new surgeons since the beginning of the new academic year. We are proud to welcome the following new faculty to the divisions of vascular surgery and surgery oncology:
Manda Maley, MD, RPVI - Division of Vascular Surgery

Rashmi Bharadwaj, a third-year medical student in the UK College of Medicine, took a first place award for a research e-poster presentation at the American College of Surgeons 2023 Annual Clinical Congress in Boston.

A third year University of Kentucky medical student was invited to present his research work at the 64th annual world congress of the International College of Angiology (ICA).

The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is excited to announce that Sandra Beck, MD, and Janna Neltner, MD, will join the Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME) leadership team.
Dr. Beck will serve as assistant dean for program development. Dr. Neltner will serve as assistant dean for accreditation.

The following individuals were honored at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Awards Convocation on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. Winners included those in Bowling Green, Lexington, Morehead, and Northern Kentucky.
Biomedical EducationOutstanding Graduate Student Award:
Jamila Tucker, MS

Four new providers began practice as UK College of Medicine Department of Surgery faculty this October. These additions add up to 10 new surgeons so far starting at UK HealthCare since the 2023-24 academic year began. The department anticipates welcoming several more new surgeons in the coming months.
In the meantime, we are proud to welcome the following new faculty:

Burnout is a problem in any profession, but it is rampant in health care. This national problem has been evident recently as the COVID-19 pandemic pushed many learners, practitioners, faculty, and staff to the limit.

This September, the department of surgery is excited to welcome four new members to its faculty. In addition to new faculty that started in August, we anticipate adding about 11 total new surgery faculty to its ranks before the end of 2023.
Alejandro J. Cracco, MD – Division of Transplantation

The V Foundation for Cancer Research recently approved funding of a proposed study from a UK pediatric surgeon and researcher.

Morgan Jones, MD, assistant professor and the newest faculty member with the division of surgical oncology, was recently named a DREAM Scholar at the University of Kentucky (UK). As such, she will receive support for her long range plans to conduct an in-depth study of racial disparities in breast cancer treatment outcomes.