Disparity and Equity Research
About the Research Thrust
The Department of Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital seeks to develop critical research findings related to disparities in patient care and outcomes that inform policy, treatments and delivery to better serve diverse and vulnerable populations.
Researchers
Irit Adini, PhD
Irit Adini, PhD, an investigator at the Mass General Center for Engineering in Medicine & Surgery, has a research focus on the role of the melanocytic microenvironment in tissue neovascularization-dependent disorders and inflammatory skin disorders. Specifically, her group aims to uncover molecular basis of differences in the incidence of angiogenesis-dependent diseases among individuals of different skin colors.
James Allan, MD, MBA
James Allan, MD, MBA, is the co-director of the Cardiothoracic Transplantation Lab. His current research efforts are focused on developing strategies to promote the long-term acceptance of transplanted organs without the need for immunosuppression across all patient populations.
Hugh Auchincloss, MD
Hugh Auchincloss, MD, is a thoracic surgeon with research efforts focused on clinical outcomes for thoracic conditions and racial disparities in health care.
David Berger, MD
David Berger, MD, colorectal and gastrointestinal surgeon, conducts research focused on clinical outcomes of colon and rectal cancer.
Liliana Bordeianou, MD
The research interests of Liliana Bordeianou, MD, gastrointestinal surgeon, include colon and rectal cancers, diverticular, inflammatory bowel and anorectal diseases, and pelvic floor physiology and disorders.
Christy Cauley, MD, MPH
Christy Cauley, MD, MPH, colorectal and gastrointestinal surgeon, focuses on research to understand recovery outcomes of older adults and improve the identification and management of unmet needs of older adults and their caregivers.
David Chang, PhD, MPH, MBA
David Chang, PhD, MPH, MBA, is an associate professor of surgery and the director of health care research and policy development of the Codman Center for Clinical Effectiveness in Surgery. His research focuses on surgical outcomes, disparities, quality improvement and health policy issues.
Yolonda Colson, MD, PhD
Yolonda Colson, MD, PhD, is the chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery. She has a specific research interest in increasing and improving the identification and treatment of lung cancer in the operating room for lung cancer treatment, and in understanding the unique differences of lung cancer in women.
Mark Conrad, MD
Mark Conrad, MD, is the director of clinical research in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. He conducts research focused on better understanding and improving vascular care across all patient populations.
James Cusack, MD
Research topics in the Cusack Laboratory, led by James Cusack, MD, include molecular targeted therapies for colorectal cancer, melanoma, Merkel cell cancer and carcinomatosis, and improving delivery of surgical cancer care in resource-limited settings.
Leigh Anne Dageforde, MD, MPH
Leigh Anne Dageforde, MD, MPH, is an abdominal organ transplant surgeon with a focus on research that improves access to transplantation care.
Francis Delmonico, MD
Francis Delmonico, MD, emeritus director of renal transplantation, conducts research to advance transplant access and outcomes.
Cristina Ferrone, MD
Cristina Ferrone, MD, gastrointestinal surgeon, specializes in research related to gastrointestinal cancers.
Michele Gadd, MD
Michele Gadd, MD, oncologic surgeon, conducts research focused on reducing the extent of axillary surgery required to treat breast cancer, improving the cosmetic results of treatment and improving the quality of and access to breast cancer care.
Robert Goldstone, MD
The research interests of Robert Goldstone, MD, colorectal surgeon, involve the clinical outcomes of surgical therapy for colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.
Jeremy Goverman, MD
Jeremy Goverman, MD, burn surgeon, focuses his clinical research on the use of laser for the treatment of burn and traumatic scarring for all patients.
Cornelia Griggs, MD
Cornelia Griggs, MD, pediatric and critical care surgeon, devotes her academic time to health services research.
Matthew Hutter, MD, MPH
Matthew Hutter, MD, MPH, is a general and gastrointestinal surgeon, director of the Weight Center and the Codman Center. Dr. Hutter's research is focused on the study of clinical effectiveness in surgery for all patients.
Haytham Kaafarani, MD, MPH
Haytham Kaafarani, MD, MPH, is a trauma surgeon, the director of the Center for Outcomes & Patient Safety in Surgery (COMPASS) and the director of trauma and emergency surgery research. His research team uses health services research methodologies and artificial intelligence technology to advance the science of risk prediction as well as quality and safety in surgery across all demographics.
Tatsuo Kawai, MD, PhD
Tatsuo Kawai, MD, PhD, specializes in kidney, pancreas and liver transplantation as well as hemodialysis access surgery. His clinical and research interests are primarily focused on development of methods to induce immunological tolerance in organ/cell transplantation.
Cassandra Kelleher, MD
Cassandra Kelleher, MD, is a pediatric general and thoracic surgeon. Dr. Kelleher's laboratory studies late lung development, alveolarization, that is delayed or impaired in many newborn lung diseases.
Hiroko Kunitake, MD, MPH
Hiroko Kunitake, MD, MPH, colorectal surgeon, has research interests focused on inflammatory bowel disease, colon and rectal cancer and cancer survivorship.
Keith Lillemoe, MD
The clinical and research interests of Keith Lillemoe, MD, chief of the Department of Surgery, are in access to pancreatic cancer, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms and other benign pancreatic disorders and biliary tract injuries.
James Markmann, MD, PhD
James Markmann, MD, PhD, is the chief of the Transplant Center. His research interests include developing ways to perform transplants without immunosuppression, new approaches to alleviate the organ shortage and utilizing pancreatic islets to treat patients with Type I diabetes.
Jahan Mohebali, MD, MPH
Jahan Mohebali, MD, MPH, vascular surgeon, conducts research focused on the operative and long-term management of vascular disease for all patients.
John Mullen, MD
John Mullen, MD, gastrointestinal surgeon, performs clinical and translational research to optimize the treatment, access and outcomes of patients with soft tissue sarcomas, desmoid tumors and cancers of the stomach.
Ashok Muniappan, MD
Ashok Muniappan, MD, thoracic surgeon, performs research to optimize the treatment, access and outcomes of patients with thoracic conditions.
T. Salewa Oseni, MD
T. Salewa Oseni, MD, is an oncologic surgeon and the co-director of the Department of Surgery's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Dr. Oseni’s research activities are focused on innovations in oncoplastic techniques to optimize the excision of large tumors while preserving the breast, improving clinical outcomes and access, developing methods of assessing risk of malignancy in women with abnormalities on breast imaging and evaluating nipple-sparing mastectomy techniques.
Colleen Ryan, MD
Colleen Ryan, MD, burn surgeon, conducts research focused on improving the care, access and outcomes for people with burn injuries.
David Shahian, MD
David Shahian, MD, is the vice president for the Center for Quality and Safety. His research interests are focused on cardiothoracic risk models and composite measures.
Michelle Specht, MD
Michelle Specht, MD, is an oncologic surgeon. Her research interests are focused on optimizing surgical treatment of breast cancer for all patients. She is particularly interested in patient's who must undergo multiple surgeries to complete treatment for their breast cancer.
George Velmahos, MD
George Velmahos, MD, chief of the Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care, researches ways to improve access to trauma treatment and care of traumatic conditions.
Heidi Yeh, MD
The Yeh Laboratory, led by Heidi Yeh, MD, surgical director of the Pediatric Transplant Program, researches ways to improve access to transplantation and reduce wait list times. Dr. Yeh's research interests include disparities in access to transplantation care and ex vivo machine perfusion to improve organ quality.
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Research at the Mass General Department of Surgery
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