We are proud of the research achievements of our residents, many of which are highlighted below. While all categorical general surgery residents are expected to submit three manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals before the start of their chief year, many have far more submissions and presentations at regional, national and international meetings. Many also receive major awards for their work. Finally, many of our residents successfully compete for intramural and extramural grants and funding awards, including those provided through the National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program.
Resident Awards
2026 Awards
- Dr. Sophia Williams-Perez: Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, Baylor College of Medicine.
- Drs. Amelia Daley, Jean Paul Osula and Sai Nelanuthala: First Place Surgical Skills Olympics.
2025 Awards
- Dr. Yao Yang: Texas Beta Chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha.
- Dr. Sophia Williams-Perez: Resident Chair, Association or Surgical Education Trainee Committee.
- Dr. Mary Elizabeth Guerra: Society of University Surgeons (SUS) Resident Research Scholar Award.
- Dr. Henry Olano Soler: American College of Surgeons (ACS) Leadership Conference and Advocacy Summit Travel Scholarship; American College of Surgeons H.O.P.E. Resident Scholarship.
- Dr. Travis J. Miles: 2025 American Association for Thoracic Surgery Member for a Day.
- Drs. Emma Burke and Ava Mokhtari: top honors at the ACS Committee on Trauma Region 6 competition. Dr. Mokhtari won Best Basic Science Presentation and First Place Overall. Dr. Burke won Best Clinical Science Presentation and placed second overall.
2024 Awards
- Dr. David Holmes: Professional Educator Appreciation and Recognition (PEAR) Award from Baylor College of Medicine students.
- Dr. Ava Mokhtari: Best oral presentation at the European Congress for Trauma and Emergency Surgery.
- Dr. Andy Espinoza: $120,000 NIH grant for project “Defining Protein Signature of Vascular Invasion in Hepatoblastoma.”
- Dr. Lubna Khan: Operation Giving Back Resident Scholarship from the American College of Surgeons.
- Dr. Youmna Sherif: selected for an AMA Journal of Ethics Editorial Fellowship.
2023 Awards
- Dr. Jorge Portuondo and Dr. Samuel Creden: First place, Surgical Jeopardy Competition at the 18th Annual Academic Surgical Congress.
- Dr. Jorge Portuondo: Raleigh R. Ross Scholar, Texas Surgical Society.
- Dr. Katie Nordick: 2023 ASAIO Abstract Award for the project “Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: Why Cardiopulmonary Bypass Time Matters.”
- Dr. Kimberley Rebello: Second place, Robotics Skills Competition at the 18th Annual Academic Surgical Congress.
- Dr. Youmna Sherif: ACS/Pfizer Resident Surgical Volunteerism Award for her 15 years of medical volunteer work in underserved areas around the world.
- Dr. Jennifer Chen: accepted into the Surgical Education Research Fellowship (SERF), part of the Association of Surgical Education (ASE).
- Dr. Melissa Koci: 2023 Women of Excellence, Baylor College of Medicine.
- Dr. Lubna Khan: selected by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) to receive a $500 Operation Giving Back Resident Scholarship to the 2023 Leadership Conference and Advocacy Summit in Washington DC.
- Dr. Rodrigo Zea: Best Resident Poster Award at The American Association for Thoracic Surgery annual meeting in Los Angeles. His poster displayed his research project “Contemporary Midterm Outcomes of Chronic type A dissection”.
- Dr. Andy Espinoza: $120,000 NIH F32 grant for his project “Defining Protein Signature of Vascular Invasion in Hepatoblastoma.”