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Welcome to the Department of Surgery

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Faculty

Clinical and Scientific

Igal Kam, MD - University of Colorado Hospital Transplant Center, Professor of Surgery and Division Head

Executive Director CCTCARE
igal.kam@ucdenver.edu

 

Ronald G. Gill, PhD - Professor of Surgery and Immunology

Scientific Director CCTCARE
ronald.gill@ucdenver.edu

 

Todd Grazia, MD - Associate Professor, Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine

Research Scientist CCTCARE
todd.grazia@ucdenver.edu

 

Martin Zamora, MD - Professor of Medicine and Medical Director Lung Transplant Program, Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine

Research Scientist CCTCARE
marty.zamora@ucdenver.edu

 

Biagio (Bill) A. Pietra, MD - Associate Professor and Medical Director Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Program and Pediatric Cardiac Mechanical Assist Program, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology

Research Scientist CCTCARE
bill.pietra@ucdenver.edu

 

Igal Kam, MD, Executive Director Transplantation

Dr. Kam began his medical studies in 1969 at the University of Pisa, Italy. He then went to Israel in 1972 to finish his medical degree at the Institute of Technology, which he received in 1976. He did his general and vascular surgery residency at the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa Israeland then came to the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine to do his transplant fellowship with Thomas E. Starzl, MD, PhD. He then stayed on at the University of Pittsburgh for a year as an Assistant Clinical Professor in 1985.

Dr. Kam returned to Israel in 1986 to lead the Transplant Program at the Rambam Medical Center. He performed the first liver transplant in Israel.

In 1988 Dr. Kam returned to the U.S. to Head the Transplant Program at the University of Colorado Health Science Center. Under his leadership the Transplant Program has performed over 1532 Liver Transplants of which 139 were adult live donor transplants (ADLT) using the right lobe of the liver, 1858 kidney transplants, 141 Kidney/Pancreas transplants. The University of Colorado pioneered ADLT using the right lobe of the liver for transplant 1997.

Dr. Kam along with members of his team has published numerous papers and book chapters in the field of transplantation.

Ronald G. Gill, PhD, Scientific Director CCTCARE

Ron Gill, PhD, is Professor of Surgery and Immunology, and the Scientific Director of the Colorado Center for Transplantation Care, Research and Education (CCTCARE) at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Gills interests center on the transplantation of pancreatic cells as a treatment for insulin-dependent diabetes. He has served as an expert panelist on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Executive Committee and Chair of the Transplant Study Section for the National Institutes of Health. He has published over 120 articles on transplant immunology.

More information about Dr. Gill click here

Todd Grazia, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Immunology, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine

Faculty Appointment: University of Colorado, Associate Professor of Medicine and Immunology

Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Integrated Department of Immunology, and Colorado Center for Transplantation Care Research and Education (CCTCARE)

Undergraduate Education: The University of Connecticut, B.S. Biology and Anthropology, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Medical Education: The Chicago Medical School

Residency: Boston University Medical Center

Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship: University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Lung Transplantation Sub-Fellowship: University of Colorado HSC

Dr. Grazia is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine. Additionally, he is a UNOS certification-eligible lung transplant physician. His clinical interests include lung transplantation, end-stage lung disease, and pulmonary vascular disease/right ventricular failure. He has a specific clinical research interest in the attenuation of acute and chronic lung and heart allograft rejection via immune-modulatory therapies, including the potential use of stem cell/progenitor cell therapy. In terms of basic science research, Dr. Grazia is focused primarily on understanding the interface between the donor vasculature and the host immune response as it relates to acute rejection and ultimately to its relationship to the development of maladaptive fibrosis (chronic rejection) in cardiothoracic solid organ transplantation. Dr. Grazia

Professional Research Assistant - Helen Lepper

For more information about Dr. Grazia click here

Martin Zamora, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Medical Director Lung Transplant Program, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine

University of Colorado, Lung Transplant Program
Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine
and
Colorado Center for Transplantation Care, Research and Education

Senior Professional Research Assistant - Robert Plenter


Dr. Zamora received his M.D. (with honors) in 1983 from the University of Colorado Medical School. He joined the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine in 1990 and has been the directing pulmonologist for the lung transplant program since its beginning in 1991 and is a United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) certified lung transplant doctor.

Dr. Zamora is board certified in Critical Care, Internal and Pulmonary Medicine and has 27 years of experience.

Dr. Zamora is widely published, in both clinical and basic research fields and is regarded a world expert on lung transplantation, and viral infection complications, in particular cytomegalovirus (CMV). His current research laboratory was founded in 2008.

For additional information regarding Dr. Zamora click here

Biagio (Bill) A. Pietra, MD, Associate Professor Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology

Dr. Bill Pietra graduated in 1982 with his BS in Microbiology from the University of Florida, Gainesville.  He continued his Post-Baccalaureate at the University of Florida and graduated in 1984.  Immediately after graduation he entered the College of Medicine at the University of South Florida and graduated with his Doctor of Medicine in 1988.  Dr. Pietra completed his Pediatric Internship, Pediatric Residency and Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship at the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Over the years he has served as Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners, American Board of Pediatrics and Sub-Board of Pediatric Cardiology.

In 1994 Dr. Pietra joined the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center as an Instructor/Bugher Physican Scientist in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology at The Children's Hospital, Denver, CO.  He is now an Associate Professor and Medical Director of the Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Program and Pediatric Cardiac Mechanical Assist Program.

Dr. Pietra has expertise in cardiac catheterization of children.  Special emphasis on children pre and post transplantation.  General diagnostic right and left heart catheterization, angiography, septostomy, selective coronary angiography, coronary doppler flow reserve, IVUS (extensive experience in children to 18 Kg), and edomyocardial biopsy.

His Cardiac Critical Care demonstrated as Attending reponsible for the care and management of pediatric patients critically ill from congenital heart disease, end stage heart disease, or post operative care of cardiac transplants or congenital cardiac surgery.  He has extensive experience with immune manifestations of cardiac disease, kawasaki, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy and rheumatic fever.

For more information click on Bill Pietra, MD