University of Minnesota
Department of Surgery
Mission/Vision/Goals
The faculty, residents, and staff of the Department of Surgery at the University of Minnesota are
committed to nurturing and supporting excellence in patient care, education, and translational
research.
Mission  provide outstanding, empathetic care to each of our patients at all times and to transmit that
same conscientious attitude in our local, regional, national, and international communities
 train our fellows, surgical residents, and medical students with the highest level of
professionalism in patient care and scientific inquiry
 encourage innovation and research discovery at every level and to translate new ideas to our
patients through clinical trials and therapeutic expertise
 achieve recognition as one of the best academic departments of surgery by 2016, locally,
regionally, nationally, and internationally
Vision Be the best academic department of surgery in the world by 2016, recognized locally, nationally,
and internationally for achieving its mission and creating a culture of surgical excellence.
Goals  attract and support the best faculty, best trainees, and best health care professionals, educators,
researchers, and staff
 attain standards for clinical care, patient safety, surgical innovation, productive research,
effective teaching, and novel surgical training that can serve as national benchmarks
 meet or exceed the expectations of patients and referring health professionals for surgical
clinical services
 collaborate with colleagues in the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center,
UMPhysicians, the private practice community, affiliated hospitals, and other entities to
enhance quality across departments, service lines, programs, and institutions
 meet the surgical workforce needs and the tertiary referral health care needs of Minnesota and
the upper Midwest
 shape the United States health system to be more effective, equitable, efficient, safe, timely,
and patient-centered
University of Minnesota Medical School
Areas of research excellence in adult and children’s health include:
 neuroscience, cognition, brain imaging, and neurodegenerative disease;
 infectious disease and immunology, HIV/AIDS, and emerging diseases;
 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome;
 cardiovascular and pulmonary research and care; and,
 cancer research, basic, translational, and clinical.
University of Florida
Department of Surgery
Research Mission Statement
The faculty of the Department of Surgery are committed to the integration of research and
evidence-based medicine into clinical practice. In the current era of molecular medicine, in
which dramatic diagnostic and therapeutic advances have been made in the care of surgical
patients, the faculty recognize that an understanding of research is necessary for the successful
training of surgery house officers. Furthermore, residents need to hone the core competencies of
Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, so that throughout their careers as clinical surgeons,
they can appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, evaluate their own patient care, and assess
and implement improved patient treatments.
All surgical house officers are expected to participate in research during their residency, either
during their clinical years or by taking part in a formal research experience. Research in the
Department of Surgery is defined as the acquisition and dissemination of new knowledge in the
science of surgery through active participation in some aspect of scientific investigation, with
exposure to the peer-review process.
Mentoring by faculty is an important aspect of research, and the Department of Surgery Research
Advisory Committee oversees this process. While research can be performed during the clinical
years of general surgery residency, the faculty recommend that all house officers consider a one
to three year dedicated research experience in the laboratory of an established clinical surgery or
basic research scientist as part of their general surgery training. Such training provides an
important component to the successful preparation of surgeons for both clinical and academic
careers.
Case Western Reserve University
Department of Orthopaedics
The Department of Orthopaedics at Case School of Medicine has one of the preeminent centers in
the world for groundbreaking discoveries in musculoskeletal research.
The mission of the research program of the department is to advance and disseminate basic,
applied and clinical science through excellence in investigation, cooperation and education.
This new mission statement was developed during the Research Retreat of 2004. These words
were chosen very carefully to reflect the emphasis and direction of the Research Section of the
Department of Orthopaedics at Case School of Medicine. The commitment of those of us in
research is that our goal will not be limited to the success of the individual research programs. We
are also committed to the greater goals that will benefit all those whom we serve: the students, the
clinicians, other scientists, the institutions and, above all, the patients. These goals will be
achieved through the development of the best research programs and through the excellent
education of clinicians, residents and graduate students in the science of orthopaedics.
Northwestern University
Department of Neurological Surgery
Research Mission
The Department of Neurological Surgery at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of
Medicine is a community of neurosurgeons and scholars dedicated to (1) generating new
knowledge on the prevalence and impact of diseases and injury of the brain and spine; (2)
developing and optimizing techniques and technology that enhance the safety and effectiveness of
treating these diseases; and (3) elucidating mechanisms of neurosurgical diseases with the aim of
explaining, predicting and modifying their behavior. The Department is committed to a
philosophy of integration and collaboration, translating basic knowledge from various fields of
science and engineering into novel discoveries for the benefit of patients and society, and the
development of future neurosurgical leaders committed to continued scientific innovation.
Texas Tech University Health Science Center
Department of Surgery
Research Mission/Vision/Goals
Mission - To promote expansion and facilitate execution of clinical research in the Department of
Surgery while enhancing faculty development and improving quality of patient care.
Vision - To be the premier division of clinical research in the Texas Tech University Health
Sciences System
Goals –
1. Increase research generated revenue dollars by 25%
2. Have active trials in all subspecialty areas in the department.
3. Establish collaborative clinical research projects with related departments.
4. Provide formalized research education for faculty and student investigators.
5. Develop a structured student research internship program.
6. Facilitate working relationships between clinical and basic science faculty.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Center for Surgery and Public Health
Vision/Mission
Vision - To improve our knowledge of surgical care in the United States and internationally to
impact quality and access to care for all.
Mission –
To set new standards in surgery through the systematic study of processes of care that impact
surgical outcomes in the United States and internationally.
To serve as a multidisciplinary, collaborative vehicle for the transportation of policy implications
of surgical workforce and utilization in the United States and the world.
To provide a full range of services and resources within a multidisciplinary infrastructure to
maximize Brigham and Women's Hospital Department of Surgery's ability to conduct clinical
research.
Duke University
Department of Surgery
Mission Statement
Our research is dedicated to the advancement of patient care as each surgical division pursues
innovative procedures in basic, clinical, and translational research.
Center for Prostate Disease Research
Mission Statement
The Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR) will conduct basic science and clinical
research programs that strive to combat diseases of the prostate. It will integrate basic and clinical
science studies to improve early detection and prognostic factors and develop potential treatments
for prostate disease. The CPDR will focus on the natural history of prostate disease, outcomes
research, as well as behavioral, psychosocial and quality-of-life issues as they relate to prostate
disease. It will also provide for training in molecular biology and clinical research for physicians,
scientists, and medical and graduate students. The Center will support other collaborative
research efforts related to prostate disease within DoD.
The CPDR mission is fulfilled primarily through its three principal programs – the Clinical
Research Center, the Basic Science Research Program and the Tri-Service Multicenter Prostate
Cancer Database– and through a robust education and training program that operates out of its
Headquarters location, the Clinical Research Center, and the original laboratories at USUHS.
CPDR is also committed to patient outreach, primarily through its affiliation with the WRAMC
US TOO! organization and through a heavy schedule of health fairs in which it participates.
University of Pittsburgh
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Mission/Goals
Mission –
The mission for Clinical Research within the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is to support
and conduct research involving patients that shapes the future of evidence-based orthopaedic
practice. This includes support of clinically relevant research involving patients to answer
questions related to the usefulness of examination procedures and diagnostic tests, the
effectiveness, efficacy and safety of surgery and other therapeutic interventions and the power of
prognostic indicators.
Goals –
 Establish an infrastructure to support clinical research
 Seek industry, foundation and federal funding to support clinical research
 Collaborate with basic scientists to enhance translational research
 Provide advice and support related to research design and data analysis
 Educate and mentor fellows, residents and students
 Perform scientific and risk management review
 Ensure compliance with all regulations governing clinical research