General Surgery Residency Program Scholarly Activity at UPMC in Central Pa.

At UPMC in central Pa., scholarly activity is an essential ingredient of our General Surgery Residency Program.

That’s why we strongly encourage faculty and residents to participate in clinical or laboratory research and present at local and national conferences.

UPMC in central Pa. will support your academic efforts by providing financial and institutional resources, including:

A full-time department dedicated to the creation of graphics, slides, and scientific presentation displays
Full-time medical librarians
24/7 library access
Personnel in the Medical Education Department who can assist in project design, literature review, paper formulation and critical analysis of work in progress
Statistician

On this page:

Our Current Residents.
Our Past Residents.

Current Residents

UPMC in central Pa.'s current general surgery residents have made many outstanding scholarly contributions in the field of general surgery, including:

Brandon Arnsberger, DO

Medical Education Day 2025 Oral Presentation- Outcomes of Ultrasound Guided Versus Laparoscopic Guided Lateral Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

Maria Ahmad, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2022, Research Poster- Pre-Surgical Optimization for High Risk Patients: Clinical Outcomes and Cost of Care Across Surgical Service Lines in a Five-Year Cohort.
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Case Oral Presentation- Thyroid Hematoma, A Rare Complication Following Upper Endoscopy.

William Baumgartner, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2022, Case Poster- Strangulation Of Small Intestines Causes By Paracecal Hernia Due To Congenital Anomaly.
UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2023, Case Poster- Redo Hiatal Hernia Repair and Revisional Bariatric Surgery; Staged Approach With Thoracic and Bariatric Surgery.
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Case Poster- Rare Case of Trichobezoar with Small Bowel Obstruction and Perforation.
SAGES 2025 ePoster presentation- Outcomes of Ultrasound- Guided Versus Laparoscopic Guided Lateral Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Cameron Benedict, MD

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2022, Oral Case Presentation- Rapunzel Syndrome: An Unusual Presentation.
UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2023, Topic Poster- Surgical Smoke Exposure in the Operating Room.

Catharine Bernal, MD

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2023, Oral Research Presentation- Perception Distortions Experienced in Surgery During Intra Operative Stress
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Case Oral Presentation- Medically refractory tertiary hyperparathyroidism in post-deceased, donor renal transplant recipient.
Medical Education Day 2025 poster presentation- Case Report: Atypical Presentation of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Thymus in Coronary Bypass Patient.

Taylor Casey, DO

UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Research Oral Presentation- Mental Health Diagnoses and Surgical Outcomes: Inconsistent Conclusions, But Rehabilitation Can't Hurt.
AsMA poster presentation- Targeting Serotonin Pathways for Astronaut Safety and Performance.

Emily Downing, MD

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2023, Case Poster- Esophageal Perforation with Pharyngostomy Creation.
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Case Poster- Incarcerated Umbilical Hernia Found to Be Adenocarcinoma as Primary Diagnosis.

Richard Evans, DO

ETSS 2024 ePoster presentation- Outcomes of Robotic-Assisted Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass; A Single Institution Experience

Amir Guindi, MD

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2022, Oral Case Presentation- Young & Healthy with Septic Emboli? Think Lemierre’s Syndrome.
UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2023, Oral Topic Presentation- Surgical Street Smarts: An Innovative Initiative for Surgical Intern Well-Being.
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Research Poster- MRCP Use in the Management of Choledocolithiasis: Is It Necessary?
ACS Clinical Congress 2024 ePoster presentation- When to Skip the MRCP.

Hunter Markle, DO

Medical Education Day 2025 oral presentation- Are Clinical Breast Exams Obsolete?; American Society of Breast Surgeons 2025 ePoster presentation- Are Clinical Breast Exams Obsolete?

Bridget Ourada, DO

Medical Education Day 2025 poster presentation- Elevated Indirect Bilirubin in Pyloric Stenosis in Newborns

Jonathon Peters, MD

Medical Education Day 2025 poster presentation- Everything Residents Want to Know About the Psychology of Surgery: But Probably Don’t

Zachary Schneider, MD

UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Research Poster- Outcomes of Gender Difference in Patients Who Have Undergone Abdominal Wall Reconstruction.

Melanie Shpigel, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2023, Topic Poster- “Pilonidal Cystectomy” Revealing Giant Cell Tumor: The Importance of Confirming Common Pathology.
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Case Oral Presentation- Diphallia Revealed Following Attempt at Newborn Circumcision -- A Case Report Detailing a Congenital Rarity.
Medical Education Day 2025 poster presentation- Malignant Upstaging Rate of Proliferative Breast Lesions at a Single Hospital System.

Swhaeb Shubair, MD

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2022, Case Poster- From Throwing Baseballs to Throwing. Clots!

Benjamin Sisco, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2023, Case Poster- A Late- Presenting Meckel’s Diverticulum in a Teenage Male with a Negative Meckel’s Scan.

Hannah Stein, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2023, Oral Topic Presentation- Fibromatosis of the Breast, A Literature Review of Treatment Options.
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Research Oral Presentation- Impact of allograft size in long term outcome of recipient eGFR.
Medical Education Day 2025 Oral Presentation- Omitting Axillary Staging and Radiation: A Retrospective Review of Eligible Breast Cancer Subpopulation; American Society of Breast Surgeons 2025 ePoster presentation- Omitting Axillary Staging and Radiation: A Retrospective Review of Eligible Breast Cancer Subpopulations.

Casey Witmeyer

SAGES 2025 podium presentation- Are We Creating a Hernia to Fix a Hernia?- Long-Term Recurrence Rates Following Robotic Inguinal Hernia Repair

Past Residents

Kathryn McCabe, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2022, Oral Research Presentation- Surgical Resident Attributes Contributing to Success on the ABS Qualifying Exam: A Multivariate Analysis.
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Research Oral Presentation- Post-operative Leukocytosis in Abdominal Wall Reconstruction.

Adrian Lowenfeld, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2021, Oral Topic Presentation- Risk Factors Related to BioZorb Removal: A Single Institution's Experience.
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Case Poster- A Case of Three Concomitant Skin Cancer Types.

Kelly Fening, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2022, Case Poster- Endobronchial Dieulafoy Lesion: A Rare Presentation Of Hemoptysis.
UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2021, Case Poster- Aggressive Breast Fibromatosis: Case Series and Current Management Options.
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Research Oral Presentation- How Important is Psychology in Surgery? What Surgical Residents Think.
SAGES 2025 ePoster presentation- A Rare Case of a Right Inquinal Hernia Containing a Round Ligament Leiomyoma.

Christopher Fan, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2021, Oral Topic Presentation- Closure Methods Following Fasciotomy.
SAGES 2025 ePoster presentation- Presentation and Treatment of a Lesser Sac Internal Hernia.

George Chachati, MD

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2021, Case Poster- Full Thickness Esophageal Injury Following Cryoablation Treatment for Atrial Fibrillation.
UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2023, Case Poster- Accuracy of Robotic Bronchoscopy in Multiple Bilateral Carcinoid Tumors.
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Research Oral Presentation- Novel approach to Endoluminal Vac therapy for distal esophageal perforations.
ETSS 2025 Oral Presentation- Novel Approach to Endoluminal Vac Therapy for Distal Esophageal Perforation; Medical Education Day 2025 oral presentation- Use of Dye-Soaked Fiducials for Accurate Segmentectomy Margins.

Steven Boehm, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2023, Oral Research Presentation- Robotic Ventral Hernia Repair in the Community Setting: 4 Year Follow Up.
UPMC Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2025, Case Poster- Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction Caused by Semaglutide: A Case Report; SAGES 2025 ePoster presentation- Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction Caused by Semaglutide: A Case Report.

Bailey Lien, MD

Research Poster- UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2022

Patrick Hancock, MD

Topic Presentation-Peripheral Vascular Intervention Using Optical Coherence Tomography
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education day 2017
Research Presentation - Opioid Prescribing Patterns between Robotic and Open Inguinal Hernias
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2019
Topic Presentation- A novel microsurgical approach to induce rapid angiogenesis
UPMC Medical Education Day 2020

Renee Aboushi, MD

Topic Presentation- Reoperation and Postoperative Outcomes for Single State Versus Two-Stage Breast Reconstruction Following Mastectomy: A Meta Analysis
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2011
Topic Presentation- A fall from 2011: Can we predict which patient will require completion Axillary Dissection
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2020

John Trangucci, MD

Poster Presentation- Open Versus Robotic Assisted Gastroplasty: Is there a difference?
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2018
Case Presentation - A Unique Presentation of BaroTrauma After Colonoscopy
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2019

Colby Elder, MD

Topic Presentation- Does preoperative imaging increase the rate of adenoma excision in parathyroid exploration
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2020

Dheera Reddy, MD

Poster Presentation: Protocol of Urinary Calculi Diagnosis: Decreasing Radiation Exposure and Increasing Patient Safety
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2015
Topic Presentation: Identify Inappropriate CT Usage and Decrease Subsequent Radiation Exposure to Improve Patient Safety
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2015
Poster Presentation- Efficacy of Belataccpt in Decreasing Donor Specific Antibodies in Renal Transplant Recipients
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2017
Research Presentation - Identification of Optimal Immunosuppresive Dosing for Transplant Patients
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2019

Leahna Cooney, MD

Topic Presentation: Using Brachial BP Cuff and Passive Leg Raising for Assessment of Fluid Responsiveness in Hypotensive, Hospitalized Patients
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2015
Topic Presentation- Incidence and Management of Bile Leaks after Cholecystatomy
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2016

Daniel Lim DO

Topic Presentation- Rupture of Mycotic Psuedoaneurysm Following Common Femoral Artery Stent Placement: A Case Report
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2016
Topic Presentation-Meckels' Diverticulum: A 5 Year Retrospective Analysis
UPMC Medical Education Day 2017

Lindsey Haga, MD

Topic Presentation: Surgery in the Elderly: Should a Growing Older Population Equate to a Growing Number of Elective and Emergent Surgeries or Should There be a Cap? What More Can or Should We Do When it Comes to End of Life Care?
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2015
Poster Presentation: Case Series: Surgical Management of Celiac Artery Compression Syndrome
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2015
Topic Presentation: The Age of CT Diagnosis: The Effect of Technology on Clinician Confidence in management and Diagnosis
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2014
Poster Presentation: Assess the Appropriate Use of CT Scan on Abdomen and Pelvis
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2014

Allison Tompeck, MD

Poster Presentation: Percutaneous Transluminal Intervention for Femoropopliteal Occlusive Disease
UPMC in central Pa. Hospital Medical Education Day 2011
Drexel Medical Student Lecture: Wound Care

Johanna Serrano, MD

Topic Presentation: Robotic vs. Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Analysis: A Retrospective Cohort Study
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2015
Drexel Medical Student Lecture: Nutrition, Surgical Infection and Antibiotics

Jonathan Cook, MD

Topic Presentation: The Colorectal Fast-Track Pathway in the Community Setting
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2015
Poster Presentation: Airing the Dirty Laundry: Do Meaningful Trends Exist on Retrospective Analysis of M&M Data?
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2014
Poster Presentation: Negative Pressure Wound Therapy vs. Negative Wound Therapy with Instillation
Wound Care Conference 2014
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2014

T. Joseph Watson, MD

Poster Presentation: Acute Celiac Trunk Thrombosis Treated with Open Thrombectomy
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2015
Poster Presentation: Airing the Dirty Laundry: Do Meaningful Trends Exist on Retrospective Analysis of M&M Data?
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2014

Sanja Sljivic, DO

Poster Presentation: Intussusception Caused by Pedunculated Cecal Lipoma in an Adult
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2015
Poster Presentation: Forearm Compartment Syndrome of the Newborn
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2014

W. Kurtis Childers, DO

Topic Presentation: Beta Blockers Reduce Breast Cancer Recurrence and Breast Cancer Deaths: Results of a Meta-Analysis
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2015
Poster Presentation: The Diagnostic Yield of Electromagnetic Navigational Bronchoscopy: Are We Getting Everything?
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2015
Topic Presentation-Recurrent Regurgitation in Degenerative Mitral Valve Insufficiency in Complete Versus Partial Ring Annuloplasty.
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2016
Topic Presentation- Outcomes Following Percutaneous Treatment of Aortic Stenosis and Mitral Regurgitation
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2017
Poster Presentation- Implementation of an Intern Curriculum and Impact of ABSITE Score
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2018

Farda Qayyum, MD

Topic Presentation: Robotic vs. Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Analysis: A Retrospective Cohort Study
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2015
Poster Presentation- A Case of Endobronchial Actinomycosis in Kidney Transplant Patient
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2017

Nathaniel Melton, MD

Topic Presentation- Recurrent Mitra I Regurgitation After Mitra I Valve Repair With Insufficiency in Complete Versus Partial Ring Annuloplasty
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2016

Daniel Goldman, MD

Poster Presentation- Colon and Rectal Procedures in the Aging Population: A Central Pennsylvania Experience
Research Presentation - A Single Surgeon's Experience with Robotic Colorectal Surgery
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2019

Douglas Anderson, MD

Topic Presentation- Impact of Clinical Documentation of Comorbid Conditions on Hospital Reimbursement and Reported Quality Metrics
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2017
Topic Presentation- Presurgical Optimization for High Risk Patients: The Impact on Clinical Outcomes & Cost of Care
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2018
Research Presentation - Rib Plating: Incidence of Associated Injuries and When to use VATS
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2019

Jeremy Kaufmann, MD

Poster Presentation: Initiative and Trends in Global Health Participation among UPMC in central Pa. Employees and Staff
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2015

Homa Sadeghian, MD

Case Presentation - A Unique Presentation of Barotrauma After Colonoscopy
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2019

Sheina Bawa, MD

Case Presentation - Dysphasia of Aberrant Right SubClavian Artery Treatment by Endoscopic Dilation: An Alternative to Surgical Treatment in Select Cases
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2019
Poster Presentation- Massive Spontaneous Pneumopericardium with no obvious etiology
UPMC Medical Education Day 2020
Case Poster- UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2022

Yi Wang, MD

Case Presentation - Palatal Brown Tumor Associated with Secondary Hyperparathyroidism in an End Stage Renal Disease Patient
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2019
Poster presentation- Sternoclavicular joint infection: Case series and literature review
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2020
Topic Poster- UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2022
Oral Research Presentation- UPMC Central PA. Medical Education Day 2023

Vanessa Hortian, DO

Poster Presentation- PSA formation in patients receiving Belatacept Immunotherapy vs standard immunotherapy at UPMC in central Pa.
UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2020

Kevin Taylor Spence, MD

UPMC in central Pa. Medical Education Day 2020, Topic Presentation- Is routine excision of Intraductal papilloma always necessary?
UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2021, Research Poster- Is Routine Excision of Intraductal Papilloma Always Necessary?
UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2022, Research Poster- Unit Cost Optimization of Hernia Mesh at UPMC Central PA.

Tylee Rickett, MD

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2023, Oral Case Presentation- The Benefits and Outcomes of Concurrent Shockwave Use with Transcarotid Artery Revascularization in Heavily Calcified Carotid Lesions.
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Topic Oral Presentation- The Use of Deep Vein Arterialization for Limb Salvage In No-Option Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia.

Caroline Lippe, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2021, Case Poster- Getting This Off My Chest: A Case Report About Mediastinal Germ Cell Tumors.
UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2022, Case Poster- Milk Rejection Sign in Breast Cancer Patients: A Forgotten Phenomenon.

Charlotte Floria, DO

UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Research Oral Presentation- Are We Creating a Hernia to Fix a Hernia.

Kristi Dikranis, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2021, Topic Poster- Atypical Presentation of Appendiceal Neuroendocrine Neoplasia.
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Case Oral Presentation- The Dangers of Diaphragmatic Hernias, A Case Report.

Dawn Cox, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2022, Case Poster- Case Report: Cecal Bascule.
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Research Oral Presentation- Limitations of Oncotype Dx® Testing in Specific Patient Populations.

Chance Benner, DO

UPMC in Central Pa. Medical Education Day 2021, Oral Research Presentation- Pre-Operative Anemia is a Risk Factor for Poor Perioperative Outcomes in Ventral Hernia Repair
UPMC Central PA Medical Education Day 2024, Research Oral Presentation- Outcomes of Robotic-Assisted Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass; a Single Institution Experience.

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