

The Research Foundation of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) and the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) are pleased to announce the recipients of the first Investigative Robotic Surgery Grants. Through funding generously provided by Intuitive Surgical, multiple research grants to investigate robotic surgery were awarded.
Grant Winners Are:
- Ara W Darzi, MD – Multimodal Mapping for Robotic Surgery: Fusing Rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (REIMS) with 3D Ultrasound Imaging in a Robust Tracking Framework (SAGES)
- Dmitry Oleynikov, MD – Ergonomics of Robotic Surgery: Survey and Analysis of Muscle Effort and Fatigue (SAGES)
- Douglas Marvin Overbey, MD – Characterizing Energy Use and Stray Energy Transfer during Single Site and Traditional Robotic Surgery (SAGES)
- Jeremy Aaron Warren, MD – Open Robotic versus RetrOmuscular Incisional Hernia Repair; ORREO trial (SAGES)
- Vernissia Wei-Si Tam, MD – Robotic Surgery: Does Functional Recovery and Quality of Life Improve? (SAGES)
- Fergal Fleming, MD – Total Healthcare Utilization Costs Following Robotic Colorectal Surgery (ASCRS)
- Yi-Quin Nancy You, MD – Inflammatory Response and Circulating Tumor Elements After Robotic Surgery for Colorectal Cancer (ASCRS)
- Steven Lee-Kong, MD – Effects of a Simulation-based Robotic Surgery Training Curriculum on Operative Performance (ASCRS)
- Anne Lin, MD – Haptic Feedback During Robotic Pelvic Dissection on Autonomic Foundation Preservation (ASCRS)
The Investigative Robotic Surgery Grant was intended to stimulate original research in robotic surgery for either “bench” research or clinical. The grant provides supplemental support for personnel equipment or services required to complete the research. Grants were evaluated with the following criteria in mind: (1) scientific merit, (2) experimental design, (3) potential of the proposed topic, (4) qualifications of the applicant(s), (5) facilities, and (6) grantsmanship.
Awards were based on the scientific merit of the project as well as the investigator’s capability and the likelihood that the project would be completed successfully.
About ASCRS
The 3,500-member American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, located in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, is the premier society for colon and rectal surgeons and other surgeons dedicated to advancing and promoting the science and practice of the treatment of patients with diseases and disorders affecting the colon, rectum and anus. Its board-certified colon and rectal surgeons complete a residency in general surgery, plus an additional year in colon and rectal surgery, and pass an intensive examination conducted by the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. For more information, visit www.fascrs.org.
About SAGES
SAGES, The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, was founded over 30 years ago with the mission improving quality patient care through education, research, innovation and leadership, principally in gastrointestinal and endoscopic surgery. SAGES is a leading surgical society, representing a worldwide community of over 6,000 surgeons that can bring minimal access surgery, endoscopy and emerging techniques to patients worldwide. SAGES has been at the forefront of best practices in laparoscopic surgery by researching, developing and disseminating the guidelines and training for standards of practice in surgical procedures.