2016 Surgical Seed Grant Awards announced

Recipients of the 2016 Surgical Seed Grant Awards were announced at Texas Children’s Hospital Surgical Research Day. This grant program, funded by the Department of Surgery, allows surgery researchers to generate the preliminary data necessary for National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant applications and other extramural funding.

Recipients of the 2016 Surgical Seed Grant Awardees:

• Dr. Rahul Baijal, Anesthesiology, “A Risk Stratification Score for Children with Congenital Heart Surgery Undergoing Non-Cardiac Procedures.”
• Dr. Karina Cañadas, Otolaryngology, “Airway Intubation Requirement Band (AIR Band) As Means to Improve Patient Safety in Difficult Airway Pediatric Patients.”
• Dr. Nicolette Janzen, Urology, “Effect of Caudal and Penile Block on Hypospadias Repair Complications.”
• Mary Claire McGarry, Congenital Heart Surgery, “Maintaining an Optimal Fluid Balance Before, During and After Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Congenital Heart Surgery.”
• Dr. Julina Ongkasuwan, Otolaryngology, “Long Term Follow UP of Vocal Fold Mobility in Children After Congenital Heart Surgery.”
• Dr. Veeral Shah, Ophthalmology, “The Utilization of Nanoparticles for Optic Neuropathies and Oxidative Stress in Ocular Disease.”

Fifteen applications for grants were submitted this year. The Surgical Seed Grant Committee selected the grant recipients based on the merit of the proposal and the ability of the researcher to complete the grant within the specified timeframe and budget. As these research projects progress, faculty who receive grants will publish and present their research results.

The Surgical Seed Grant Committee was chaired by Dr. Jed Nuchtern and Matt Girotto, and included: Drs. Jennifer Dietrich, Chester Koh, Sandi Lam, Carlos Mery and Oluyinka Olutoye with Melinda Mathis from Research Administration, Kathy Carberry from our Outcomes and Impact Service, and Melissa Croft, senior project manager in the Department of Surgery.

In total, more than $275,000 in grants will be awarded to six researchers representing Anesthesiology, Congenital Heart Surgery, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology and Urology.