Research and Scholarly Activity

Opportunities for clinical, translational and basic science research are integrated into the five-year residency program. In addition, residents can elect a one or two-year research block after their second year.

The department has supported numerous trainees to present at local and national conferences, write manuscripts and book chapters, lead a research team, and participate in multi-institutional trials.

The MetroHealth System is a national leader in studying population health and health disparities, and research efforts from our department reflects these priorities. Our faculty have strong relationships and partnerships with research faculty at MetroHealth’s Population Health Research Institute, the Center for Health Care Research and Policy, and the Center for Reducing Health Disparities.

Past residents have participated in prospective studies in a variety of topics including: opioid administration in both elective and emergency settings, patterns of gun violence, effectiveness of violence interrupters, post-traumatic deep vein thrombosis prevention, pre-hospital administration of plasma in trauma, reduction of postoperative infections, and antibiotic administration for surgical infections.

Rich opportunities for collaboration and trans-disciplinary partnerships are available for our residents and can be tailored for a resident’s specific interests. Recent collaborations have included cancer biology and treatment including CAR-T cell immunotherapy, and heart and vascular disease.

Researchers at MetroHealth honor the institutions commitment to academia and join the ranks of past basic scientific luminaries including Dr. Frederick C. Robbins and Charles H. Rammelkamp, Jr., who received the Nobel Prize and Lasker Award, respectively.

The research enterprise currently boasts $30 million/year of research and sponsored program grants and contracts. In addition, we have partnerships for research in population health, clinical outcomes, and basic science through the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Case Western Reserve University received more than $300 million in NIH funding in 2019 and is in the top 25 nationwide institutions for research funding.

The cumulative scholarly activity of current faculty includes several hundreds of publications and book chapters. The Department has two endowed CWRU Professorships and holds annual endowed lectureships in Surgical Education, Endocrine Surgery, Trauma/Burn, Ophthalmology, Surgical Oncology and Plastic Surgery.