Summaries of Independent Scientist (K) Awards

Likosky, Donald

Institution: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical School
Grant Title: Redesigning Cardiac Surgery to Reduce Neurologic Injury
Grant Number:  K02 HS15663
Duration: 5 years (2006-2011)
Total Award: $481,000

Project Description: This project has two main goals:

1. To understand and identify better the discrete processes of clinical care which produce neurologic injury subsequent to cardiac surgery.
2. To modify these processes of clinical care during cardiac surgery to reduce a patient's risk of developing a neurologic injury.  The research combines the use of outcomes research with continuous quality improvement to redesign processes of cardiac surgery to reduce a patient's risk of developing a neurologic injury.

Career Goals: Dr. Likosky is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Community & Family Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School.  He received his Ph.D. from Dartmouth in  Evaluative Clinical Sciences followed by a National Research Service Award (NRSA) post-doctoral fellowship.  He is committed to a career in health services research and specifically, surgical outcomes research.  Ultimately, he would like to become a Professor in Surgery working on improving the outcomes of patients undergoing surgical procedures.

Progress to Date: All three sites have institutional review board (IRB) approval and have either started or will start enrollment soon.  Sites have clinical quality improvement teams in place to review data and develop future clinical strategies.

Future Plans: Dr. Likosky and his team will determine whether reductions in emboli activity are associated with reductions in biomarkers in tissue-level and neurologic injury.  Recruitment of patients will continue as will his small academic commitment. 

Highlights and Specific Accomplishments:

• Member of numerous professional society.
• Recipient of numerous academic honors.
• Co-director of the Surgical outcomes Assessment Program in the Department of Surgery.
• Director of Departmental Data Center.

K-Generated Publications: None thus far.

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