Newswise — LOS ANGELES (April 3, 2024) -- Curtis L. Cetrulo Jr., MD, vice chair of Research in the Department of Surgery and director of the Division of Plastic Surgery, has been selected as the General William and Willa Dean Lyon Family Chair in Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery.
Cetrulo is the second physician to fill the chair, which was initially held by the late Randolph Sherman, MD, and was founded by the Lyon family to advance training and research into new technologies to treat patients with complicated health conditions.
“It is a distinct honor to continue the work of Dr. Sherman, and I am grateful to the Lyon family for their generous support of our research at Cedars-Sinai,” said Cetrulo, also the director of Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation Program Development.
Cetrulo, who joined Cedars-Sinai in late 2023, is an expert in complex adult and pediatric reconstructive microsurgery, hand surgery, breast reconstruction and burn reconstruction. Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, he was an associate professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He also served as Massachusetts General Hospital’s director of the Reconstructive Transplantation Service and director of the Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation Laboratory at the Center for Transplantation Sciences.
In addition to his clinical care, Cetrulo is known for his pioneering research. Cetrulo’s research has been published in more than 150 peer-reviewed medical journals. He has made significant research contributions to xenotransplantation, the process of transplanting tissues or organs between different species. This includes the first-in-human clinical trial at Massachusetts General, during which genetically modified laboratory pig skin was used to heal burn patients’ wounds. Cetrulo received an award from the American Burn Association for this innovative work. His work has resulted in multiple patents related to transplantation technology.
“Dr. Cetrulo’s leadership and expertise are tremendous assets to our patients and surgical teams,” said Cristina Ferrone, MD, chair of the Department of Surgery. “He is a world-renowned innovator and extremely deserving of this recognition. His impactful research will continue to drive innovation in medicine.”
After earning his bachelor’s degree at Stanford University, Cetrulo earned his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. He completed a general surgery residency at Lahey Clinic Medical Center, followed by a plastic surgery residency at Long Island Plastic Surgical Group/Nassau County Medical Center. He also completed fellowships at New York University’s Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, Craniofacial and Microsurgical Tissue Engineering Research as well as The Buncke Clinic in San Francisco in hand and microsurgery.
Read more from Cedars-Sinai Catalyst: Donor Spotlight—General William and Willa Dean Lyon
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