Research in the division of General Surgery
The research portfolio within the Division of General Surgery at the Ottawa Hospital/University of Ottawa is led by several highly-prolific attending surgeons. These hold appointments as Scientists or Investigators at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, in addition to cross appointments within the University of Ottawa’s various graduate schools (Epidemiology & Public Health, Education, Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology, etc.). Ottawa surgeons have been highly successful in securing national peer-reviewed funding for research from funding organizations such as CIHR, Canadian Blood Services, and the Canadian Cancer Society. Research supervision of fellows, residents and medical students is either informal or formal, the latter by way of enrolment in the Surgeon Scientist Program and a graduate program at the University.
Research in the General Surgery Program
Research is an integral component to the General Surgery Residency Training Program in Ottawa. The goal of the program is to provide trainees with the basic knowledge needed to interpret and evaluate scientific literature around any given topic. We do this through journal clubs, resident research rounds and informal teaching. In addition, all residents are encouraged to directly participate in a research project with the expectation of submitting one paper to a peer-reviewed journal during their residency. For those interested in a more comprehensive research experience there are many opportunities. Each year there are 1-2 fully funded positions in out surgeon scientist program (SSP) which comes with a Clinical Investigator Program (CIP) certificate. This is a typically two-year program generally beginning after the PGY2 year, and can be done concurrently with a Master's Degree or a PhD. Residents who enroll in the SSP typically do so for 2 years, interrupting their residency training to focus on research. SSP residents will usually continue to participate in call during those two years, but at a reduced frequency. Ottawa trainees have demonstrated an outstanding track record in research, having secured various grants including from CIHR, as well as having published several papers in high impact journals. For instance, in the first 11 months of 2023 (to Dec 5), Ottawa General Surgery trainees published 20 papers in journals as varied as Annals of Surgery, Journal of Trauma & Acute Care, and British Journal of Surgery.
Residents can also choose from a wide variety of research topics including clinical research, basic science, education, public health administration and quality improvement, planetary health. Productive research supervisors are available to work with in Hepatobiliary Surgery, Colorectal, Trauma/ACS, Bariatrics, Breast, and Surgical Oncology. Whether it is the SSP, basic research skills, or anything in between, our goal is to tailor the resident research experience to your needs and goals.
Dedicated Research Blocks
All residents can take 1-month blocks starting in PGY-2 solely for research projects
Monthly Journal CLub
Learn to critically appraise the latest surgical publications while dining at Ottawa’s finest restaurants
Surgeon Scientist Program
Two-year thesis-based Master’s Degrees, 1-2 funded positions per year
Research Rounds
Monthly morning rounds where residents can informally present their research projects for feedback, brainstorming, and foster collaboration.
General Surgery REsearch Day
A full day research conference showcasing our medical student, resident, and fellow research projects, with a number of awards and keynote speakers. Check out our agenda from last year!
“Whether it is the SSP, basic research skills, or anything in between, our goal is to tailor the resident research experience to your needs and goals. ”
A Sample of Resident Publications in the Past Year
1. COVIDSurg Collaborative, Martel AB, Abou-Khalil J, Nessim C. Death following pulmonary complications of surgery before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. British Journal of Surgery. 2021;108(12):1448-1464.
2. Baker L, Park L, Gilbert R, et al. Intraoperative Red Blood Cell Transfusion Decision-Making: A systematic Review of Guidelines. Annals of Surgery. 2021;274(1):86-96.
3. Bastin DJ, Khan ST, Montroy J, et al. Safety and efficacy of autologous whole cell vaccines in hematologic malignancies: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Hematological Oncology. 2021;39(4):448-464.
4. COVIDSurg Collaborative, Martel AB, Abou-Khalil J, Nessim C.. Machine learning risk prediction of mortality for patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2: the COVIDSurg mortality score.
5. COVIDSurg Collaborative, Martel AB, Abou-Khalil J, Nessim C.. Timing of surgery following SARS‐CoV‐2 infection: an international prospective cohort study. Anaesthesia. 2021;76(6):748-758.
6. COVIDSurg Collaborative, Martel AB, Abou-Khalil J, Nessim C.. SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and venous thromboembolism after surgery: an international prospective cohort study. Anaesthesia. 2022;77(1):28-39.
7. Collaborative ISR, Group TARSW Martel AB, Abou-Khalil J, Nessim C.. Effect of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns on planned cancer surgery for 15 tumour types in 61 countries: an international, prospective, cohort study. The lancet oncology. 2021;22(11):1507-1517.
8. COVIDSurg Collaborative GC, Martel AB, Abou-Khalil J, Nessim C.. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination modelling for safe surgery to save lives: data from an international prospective cohort study. British Journal of Surgery. 2021;108(9):1056-1063.
9. Fung BSC, Raiche I, Lamb T, Gawad N, MacNeill AJ, Moloo H. A chance for reform: the environmental impact of travel for general surgery residency interviews. Canadian Medical Education Journal/Revue canadienne de l'éducation médicale. 2021;12(3):8-18.
10. Gawad N, Younan J, Towaij C, Raiche I. Comparing 2 Approaches for the File Review of Residency Applications. Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 2021;13(2):240-245.
11. Lamb T, Abou Khalil J, Balaa F. Exploring Human Factors in the Operating Room - A Scoping Review of Training Offerings for Healthcare Professionals. British Journal of Surgery Open. 2021. Accepted.
12. Lamb T, Jetty P, Roberts D. Hybrid Open and Endovascular Management of a Gunshot Wound to the Carotid Artery. Journal of Endovascular Resuscitation and Trauma Management. 2021;5(2):108-114.
13. Lamb T, Glen, P. A Regional Effort: The Current Landscape of Inguinal Hernia Repair and Post-Operative Opioid Prescription Practices in Eastern Ontario. Canadian Journal of Surgery. 2021. Accepted.
14. Lenet T, Baker L, Park L, et al. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Comparing Intraoperative Red Blood Cell Transfusion Strategies. Annals of Surgery. 2021.
15. Li HO-Y, Smith HA, Brandts-Longtin O, et al. Variation in management of post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after thoracic surgery. General Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2021;69(8):1230-1235.
16. Market M, Angka L, Martel AB, et al. Flattening the COVID-19 curve with natural killer cell based immunotherapies. Frontiers in immunology. 2020:1512.
17. Moloo H, Lamb T, Sundaresan S, Walsh C, Musselman R. Leveraging Financial Incentives and Behavioural Economics to Engage Physicians in Achieving Quality Improvement Process Measures. Canadian Journal of Surgery. 2021; Accepted.
18. Park LJ, Baker L, Smith H, et al. Passive Versus Active Intra-Abdominal Drainage Following Pancreatic Resection: Does A Superior Drainage System Exist? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. World Journal of Surgery. 2021;45(9):2895-2910.
19. Rosenzveig A, Raiche I, Fung BSC, Gawad N. Self-Assessment in General Surgery Applicants: An Insight Into Interview Performance. Journal of Surgical Research. 2022;273:155-160.
20. Sigler G, Anstee C, Seely AJ. Harmonization of adverse events monitoring following thoracic surgery: pursuit of a common language and methodology. JTCVS Open. 2021;6:250-256.
21. Sigler G, Baker L, Tadros S, Rekman J, Apte SS. Acute midgut volvulus in a septuagenarian with secondary jejunoileal diverticulitis and undiagnosed congenital malrotation: an unusual presentation. Journal of Surgical Case Reports. 2020;2020(11):rjaa449.
22. Schmitz E, Nessim C. Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Care in 2021. Cancers. 2021. Accepted.
23. Smith HA, Kanji S, Tran DT, et al. Prophylaxis for patients at Risk to Eliminate Post-operative Atrial Fibrillation (PREP-AF trial): a protocol for a feasibility randomized controlled study. Trials. 2021;22(1):1-10.
24. Tran A, Fernando SM, Rochwerg B, Lenet T, et al. Prognostic Factors Associated with Development of Infected Necrosis in Patients with Acute Necrotizing or Severe Pancreatitis-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The journal of trauma and acute care surgery. 2021.
25. Tran A, Lamb T, Taljaard M, et al. Current practices and challenges in assessing traumatic hemorrhage: an international survey of trauma care providers. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. 2021;90(5):e95-e100.
26. Wang J, Serrano PE, Griffiths C, Parpia S, Simunovic M. Enthusiasm, opinion leaders, comparative advantage, and the uptake of laparoscopic resection for colorectal cancer liver metastases in ontario, canada: a population-based cohort study. Annals of Surgical Oncology. 2021;28(5):2685-2691.