Surgery research

Division of
Cardiovascular
Thoracic Surgery

Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery is among the most productive surgical division in terms of external funding and academic activities. Research is under way to create better approaches to the surgical management of patients with congenital cardiac birth defects. Several of the division’s recent protocols have been tested in the laboratory and applied soon after in the operating room.

Patients’ own heart stem cells may repair damage. A study by Sunjay Kaushal and colleagues shows that heart stem cells from children with congenital heart disease were able to rebuild the damaged heart in the laboratory.

Faculty

Carl Backer, MD, A.C. Buehler Professor of Surgery
Sunjay Kaushal, MD, PhD
Hyde Russell, MD

Division of Neurosurgery

In Neurosurgery, members of the division are committed to research that will translate to a better understanding of pediatric brain tumors. Tadanori Tomita serves on numerous national and international committees. Ongoing studies in the division include interstitial chemotherapy to treat malignant brain tumors and epigenetic mechanisms on drug resistance during the chemotherapeutic process in malignant brain tumors.

Epigenetic mechanisms rescue neural tube closure. In an animal model that fails to show proper neural tube closure, resulting in spina bifida, a team demonstrated that folic acid rescued the proliferation potential of neural crest stem cells via epigenetic mechanisms.

Faculty

Tadanori Tomita, MD,
Yeager Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery
Tord Alden, MD
Robin Bowman, MD
Arthur DiPatri, Jr., MD
C. Shekhar Mayanil, PhD, Eleanor Clarke Research Scholar in Developmental Neurobiology
David McLone, MD, PhD, David G. McLone, MD, PhD Professorship in Pediatric Neurosurgery

Division of Ophthalmology

In Ophthalmology, Marilyn Mets is researching the effect of surgical correction on stereo acuity in adult strabismus patients and is participating in a collaborative study on the role of MicroRNAs in retinoblastoma. Bahram Rhamani, MD, is conducting a randomized clinical trial of observation versus occlusion therapy for intermittent exotropia. Janice Lasky-Zeid, MD, is researching strabismus and NF-1 associated pathway glioma.

MicroRNAs may play a role in retinoblastoma progression. Marilyn Mets and her fellow members of the Retinoblastoma Center of Excellence are investigating why some genes are overexpressed in this cancer of the retina. These discoveries may lead to new therapies.

Faculty

Marilyn Mets, MD, Lillian Sherman Cowen Reiger and Harold L.S. Cowen Research Professorship in Pediatric Ophthalmology
Bahram Rahmani, MD, MPH
Yana Kiesau, MD
Hawke Yoon, MD
Janice Lasky Zeid, MD

Division of Orthopaedic Surgery

Orthopaedics is actively involved in numerous research initiatives. Joseph Janicki, the designated surgeon-scientist for the division currently has a multi-year grant for bone-mass studies related to fractures in children and adolescents. He also mentors the Feinberg School resident research program. Cynthia LaBella, Director of the Institute for Sports Medicine, continues to research programs to reduce injury in young athletes. The division plans closer collaboration with their colleagues in the nanosciences/cartilage regeneration program at the Feinberg School.

Sports injuries need to be monitored. Governor Pat Quinn recently signed legislation that mandates the development of guidelines for concussions and head injuries. Rebecca Carl is researching the level of sports concussion knowledge in young contact sport athletes, their parents and coaches.

Faculty

John Sarwark, MD, Martha Washington Foundation for Handicapped Children Professor in Pediatric Orthopedics
Rebecca Carl, MD
Luciano Dias, MD
Craig Finlayson, MD
John Grayhack, MD
Joseph Janicki, MD
Erik King, MD
Cynthia LaBella, MD
Shubhra Mukherjee, MD
Michelle Sagan, MD
Vineeta Swaroop, MD

Division of Otolaryngology			Otolaryngology has developed focused research initiatives. James Schroeder, recently appointed Clinical research director, has been awarded a Faculty Practice Plan (FPP) faculty development grant. Schroeder and Bharat Bhushan, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate, are conducting a study to determine the utility of salivary amylase levels in pediatric tracheaobronchial secretions. Jeff Rastatter has continued his clinical research relating to airway access in children using the Air-Q system. Nancy Young is studying cerebral anatomic factors as predictors of cochlear implant outcomes. Newborn hearing screenings don’t identify all children at risk for hearing loss. About 25 percent of children who have a known cause of or risk factor for hearing loss pass the screening; these children are older at the time of cochlear implant.
	Faculty Lauren Holinger, MD, Paul H. Holinger, MD Professor of Pediatric Otolaryngology Kathleen Billings, MD Stephen Hoff, MD Jonathan Ida, MD John Maddalozzo, MD Robert Miller, MD Jeffrey Rastatter, MD James Schroeder, Jr., MD Nancy Young, MD, The Lillian S. Wells Chair in Pediatric Otolaryngology

Division of Pediatric Surgery			Pediatric Surgery is home to long-standing research projects as well as more recent clinical initiatives. Mary Beth Madonna is the division’s surgeon-scientist and researches the behavior of neuroblastoma, focusing on drug resistance and growth-factor effects on neuroblastoma behavior. Katherine Barsness and David Rothstein are researching the utility of lung biopsy in immunocompromised children. Barsness and Erin Rowell are conducting a study determining the positive predictive value of ultrasound in the diagnosis of ovarian torsion in children. Barsness is also working with Shari Meyerson, MD of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on the development of a thoracoscopic ex-vivo tracheoesophageal fistula repair model for training pediatric surgery fellows. Also, in conjunction with researchers at the Northwestern Center for Advanced Surgical Education, Barsness is developing a neonatal thoracoscopic diaphragmatic hernia repair model to be used in training fellows. Time is crucial for children with adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO). Members of the Pediatric Surgery Division investigated the association between operative delay in ASBO patients and the rate of small bowel resection (SBR). They determined that operative intervention should be considered in patients who do not exhibit signs of improvement by the second day after admission to avoid potentially increasing the risk for bowel loss.
	Faculty Marleta Reynolds, MD, Lydia J. Fredrickson Professorship in Pediatric Surgery Katherine Barsness, MD Marybeth Browne, MD Anthony Chin, MD Mary Beth Madonna, MD David Rothstein, MD Erin Rowell, MD

Division of Transplant Surgery

Transplant Surgery continues active research in numerous areas. Children’s Memorial is one of 15 centers in North America participating in the Pediatric Intestinal Failure Consortium (PIFCON). This study aims to retrospectively and prospectively study the pediatric intestinal failure population, including the medical, surgical, nutritional and therapeutic management of those patients. Another aim is to create a multi-center registry of patients with intestinal failure. Riccardo Superina, Division head and Co-director of the Siragusa Transplantation Center, is site-principal investigator for this study. Children’s is also a major contributor to the North American Pediatric Renal Transplant Cooperative Study (NAPRTCS), a cohort of 130 centers from the U.S., Canada and Mexico that maintains the largest transplant database for children. In addition, the physician-researchers on our staff have pioneered influential new methods of studying pediatric liver disease and transplantation. Our commitment to clinical and laboratory research allows the Siragusa Transplantation Center to lead the way in improving the health of children with liver disease.

The leading cause of liver transplant in children in the U.S. is a major focus. Children's Memorial is a leader in research, treatment and management of biliary atresia. The hospital is one of 12 clinical research centers participating in the Biliary Atresia Research Consortium (BARC), a NIH-funded consortium designed to propose, develop and undertake trials related to biliary atresia.

Riccardo Superina, MD, Robert E. Schneider Chair in Transplantation

Division of Urology

Urology is active in both clinical and pedagogical research initiatives. Max Maizels, MD continues to develop his Computer-Enhanced Visual Learning (CEVL) system. This approach to surgical and medical education has shown great promise in advancing the training of residents, hospital staff, as well as creating more efficient and simplified operating room protocols. Collaboration with numerous services at Children’s Memorial and the Feinberg School, in addition to several other large academic medical centers across the country, has led to diverse applications of the technology. Earl Cheng, MD has an active research program with a focus on urinary bladder regeneration using tissue engineering techniques.

Artificial bladder research is moving ahead. Cheng and Arun Sharma, PhD collaborate with colleagues at the Feinberg School. The division plans to leap forward this year with the addition of Edward Gong, MD. His impressive laboratory experience will be the next step to creating the artificial bladder and understanding neuro-vascular concepts vital in the progress to correct congenital abnormalities, as well as to make inroads in the etiology of pediatric cancers. Cheng laboratory website

Faculty

William Kaplan, MD
Antonio Chaviano, MD
Earl Cheng, MD
Bruce Lindgren, MD
Max Maizels, MD
Arun Sharma, PhD
Elizabeth Yerkes, MD

Surgery Research