Annual Scientific Assembly Committee
The Annual Scientific Assembly Committee is responsible for the overall format and program content for the EAST Annual Scientific Assembly. The committee is responsible for reviewing, scoring and selecting clinical abstracts to be presented (oral, quick shot, and video presentations). The committee is responsible for selecting the recipients of the Raymond H. Alexander, MD Residents’ Paper Competition. In addition, the committee selects the plenary sessions, workshops, short courses, and any other special programming or sessions added to the meeting program.
The mission of the Annual Scientific Assembly Committee is to plan, design, and oversee the execution of the top academic scientific meeting for trauma and acute care surgery professionals in the world. This includes ensuring all aspects of the meeting are developed with a focus on the core tenets of the organization: advancing science, fostering relationships, and building careers. As the trauma organization that particularly focuses on development of the “young trauma surgeon/professional”, the Committee should constantly be critically evaluating, revising, and incorporating the most up to date methods and metrics for delivering high quality content and opportunities for all EAST members and non-member attendees.
The Education Division Director is the Chair of the Annual Scientific Assembly Committee.
Committee members are appointed by the President with approval by the Board of Directors. Committee member terms are three years. All terms begin in January and conclude in January in the year specified in "term ends".
Members
Brad Dennis, MD, FACS, Chair- Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN
- Term ends 01/23/2026
Alexandra Briggs, MD, FACS, Committee Member- Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH
- Term ends 01/15/2028
Jessica Burgess, MD, FACS, Committee Member- Eastern Virginia Medical School in ,
- Term ends 01/23/2026
Kyle W. Cunningham, MD, MPH, FACS, Committee Member- Atrium Health - Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC
- Term ends 01/15/2028
Michael K Dalton, MD, MPH, Committee Member- University of Colorado in Aurora, CO
- Term ends 01/15/2028
Caitlin A. Fitzgerald, MD, Committee Member- East Carolina University in ,
- Term ends 01/23/2026
James A. Flippin, MD FACS, Committee Member- University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria, IL
- Term ends 01/15/2028
Rondi Gelbard, MD, FACS, Committee Member- University of Alabama at Birmingham in ,
- Term ends 01/23/2026
Melike N. Harfouche, MD, Committee Member- University of Maryland School of Medicine in ,
- Term ends 01/15/2028
Elinore J. Kaufman, MD, MSHP, Committee Member- University of Pennsylvania in ,
- Term ends 01/23/2026
Matthew E. Kutcher, MD, MS, Committee Member- University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS
- Term ends 01/23/2026
Stefan W. Leichtle, MD, MBA, FACS, Committee Member- Inova Health System in Falls Church, VA
- Term ends 01/23/2026
Catherine L McKnight, MD, Committee Member- University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, TN
- Term ends 01/15/2028
Jonathan P. Meizoso, MD, MSPH, Committee Member- Ryder Trauma Center / University of Miami in Miami, FL
- Term ends 01/16/2027
Alexis K. Nickols, MD, Committee Member- University of Kentucky in ,
- Term ends 01/23/2026
Nimitt J. Patel, MD, Committee Member- MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, OH
- Term ends 01/16/2027
Joseph Posluszny, MD, Committee Member- University Hospitals Cleveland/Case Western Reserve Univ SOM in ,
- Term ends 01/23/2026
Rishi Rattan, MD, Committee Member- Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, OR
- Term ends 01/23/2026
- Jacinta Robenstine, MD, Committee Member
- Oregon Health and Sciences University in ,
- Term ends 01/23/2026
Samuel Wade Ross, MD, MPH, Committee Member- Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in ,
- Term ends 01/15/2028
Ayodele T. Sangosanya, MD, MBA, Committee Member- Yale-Bridgeport Hospital in ,
- Term ends 01/23/2026
Christina Colosimo, DO, MS, Ex Officio- University of Arizona, Tucson in ,
- Term ends 01/15/2028
Bellal Joseph, MD, FACS, Ex Officio- University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ
- Term ends 01/23/2026