University of Arizona Department of Surgery

07/08/2025

Dr. Christina Colosimo, Clinical Assistant Professor and Jessica Edwards, specialists in pediatric trauma care, recently appeared on Tucson Now to highlight often-overlooked drowning risks, including how swimsuit color can impact a child’s visibility in water. As summer activities ramp up and families spend more time near pools and lakes, their message serves as an important reminder to stay vigilant—especially with young children, who are at the highest risk for drowning.

Their timely discussion comes as July remains the most dangerous month for drownings in the U.S., with alarming statistics underscoring the need for increased awareness. Our thoughts are also with the families and communities affected by the devastating floods in Central Texas over this past weekend. This tragedy is a sobering reminder of how quickly water-related incidents can escalate and why water safety education is more critical than ever.

There’s never a bad time, especially in Arizona, to talk about drowning prevention and overall water safety.

07/07/2025

We’d like to share that General Surgery resident, Beverley Trutter, MD, was selected and invited to deliver an oral presentation at the 50th Pan American Trauma Society (PTS) Congress Conference last month in Cuenca, Ecuador!

The PTS Congress is a globally respected forum that brings together trauma care experts from across the Americas and beyond. Now celebrating its 50th year, the conference fosters international collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation in trauma surgery and critical care.

Opportunities like this are invaluable for residents, offering the chance to present their work on an international stage, engage with global leaders in the field, and gain insight into trauma care systems across different healthcare environments.

Please join us in recognizing Dr. Trutter on this outstanding opportunity and representation of at this milestone event!

07/04/2025

Happy 4th of July!💥 Clinical Professor and trauma surgeon, Marc Matthews, MD, was featured on to share expert tips on firework safety and how to treat burn injuries. We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and stays safe!

Watch the full segment here:

With the 4th of July Friday, there will be plenty of fireworks popping and lighting up the sky.

07/02/2025

Hello July - the start of a new academic year and new chiefs! 🥼✨ Introducing the incoming Chief Class of 2026! These outstanding leaders will help guide our residency program through another year of clinical excellence, surgical training, and mentorship. Here's to a great year ahead!

06/30/2025

We are pleased to welcome Ramesh K. Batra, MD, MA, FRCS, FACS, as the new Division Chief of Abdominal Transplant Surgery, effective July 1.

Dr. Batra is an accomplished transplant surgeon, educator, and clinical innovator with a strong background in liver and kidney transplantation, living donor transplantation, and medical technology innovation. He joins us from Yale University School of Medicine, where he served as Director of both the Liver Transplant Program and Living Donor Liver Transplantation at Yale New Haven Hospital.

With more than a decade of experience across institutions including the Mayo Clinic, Loyola University Medical Center, and the NHS (UK), Dr. Batra brings deep expertise in complex transplantation and health equity. His current research focuses on applying machine learning to organ allocation and improving access to transplant care in underserved communities.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Batra to the Department of Surgery,” said Geoffrey Gurtner, MD, Chair of the Department. “His experience and passion for advancing transplant care will be transformative for COM-T and Banner Health. I would also like to extend my gratitude to both BUMC-T, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson’s Dean Abecassis, and Dr. Richard Orlandi for making this recruitment possible.”

Please join us in giving Dr. Batra a warm, Tucson welcome!

06/26/2025

Congratulations to Jeanette Dejonghe-Pike, our Vascular Surgery Residency and Fellowship Program Manager, on receiving the 2025 Lura Hanekamp Dedicated Staff Award of Excellence—the highest staff honor given by the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson.

Jeanette has dedicated over 30 years to COM-T, beginning her journey as a student worker in the Division of Vascular Surgery and growing into a pivotal leader in graduate medical education. Her unwavering commitment, professionalism, and deep knowledge of ACGME requirements have been instrumental in the success and national recognition of both the Vascular Surgery Fellowship and Integrated Residency programs. She played a vital role in helping launch the integrated residency in 2009—one of the first in the nation.

The Lura Hanekamp Award honors staff whose contributions go far beyond their formal responsibilities—just as Jeanette has done for decades. We are proud and grateful to celebrate her well-earned recognition!🎉

06/26/2025

Join us and Dr. Tang at the Southwest Regional Trauma Conference July 31 - August 1st! For more information and registration: https://swtrauma.com/

This conference is designed for everyone working in trauma care — from trauma surgeons and emergency physicians to nurses, paramedics, EMS providers and respiratory therapists. It’s also a great fit for those in pre-hospital services, including first responders and flight crews.
University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson
University of Arizona Health Sciences
University of Arizona College of Nursing

06/21/2025

We’re thrilled to announce the 2025 Highberger Research Award recipients! Congratulations to Evelyn Alexander, Annette Mai, Maria Gracia Mora-Pinos, and Ivan Sarabia — each receiving a $5,000 award to support their research in the Department of Surgery.

These awards, made possible by the generous support of Richard and Jan Highberger, provide crucial funding to help kickstart innovative ideas, advance surgical research, and pave the way for future grant success.

Tap each recipient to view their winning proposals⬇️

06/17/2025