Winter VESS Meeting Highlights
The annual winter meeting of the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society (VESS) provided an invaluable opportunity for students, trainees, and young vascular surgeons to exchange scientific data in a casual environment conducive to networking and career development. The Program Committee, chaired by John Rectenwald, MD, organized an outstanding scientific meeting agenda that included 53 abstracts, many presented at the podium by students and trainees. The highlight of the meeting was the Presidential Address by Tom Maldonado, MD, on the evolution and impact of journalism.
Other highlights of this 41st annual meeting of the VESS were the award presentations. This year Jeanie Ruddy, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery from the Medical University of South Carolina, was honored with the Early Career Faculty Research Award.
Dr. Ruddy said: “I wish to extend my gratitude for being granted the Early Career Faculty Research Award and look forward to returning next year to share how this generous award has propelled my research initiative to the next level.”
Also honored this year was Ying Wei Lum, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery from Johns Hopkins Medical Center, who was awarded with the Gore Travel Award.
Dr. Lum stated “I am very grateful to the VESS committee for accepting my application for the 2017 VESS/WL Gore Travel Award. I have a clinical and research interest in thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) and plan on visiting several other centers throughout the US. I am grateful to Dr. Robert Thompson and Dr. Karl Illig to have agreed to host my upcoming visits.”
Peter Nelson, MD, will lead the society as its President over the upcoming year. Vascular surgery trainees and young surgeons are strongly encouraged to become involved and engaged in VESS, a society that has impacted the early career development of many of us. We are looking forward to the Spring meeting in San Diego.
Bernadette Aulivola, MD, and Murray Shames, MD
S. Timothy String Presidential Award
Dr. Shipra Arya
The Southern Association for Vascular Surgery has named Dr. Shipra Arya of Emory University the winner of this year’s S. Timothy String Presidential Award, which is given to the active member with the best presentation at the association’s annual meeting. Dr. Arya’s manuscript, “High Hemoglobin A1c Associated With Increased Adverse Limb Events in Peripheral Arterial Disease Patients Undergoing Revascularization,” has been submitted to the Journal of Vascular Surgery for publication.
David L. Cull, MD
