Our Team

Ours is a robust, collaborative team that integrates efforts with a variety of other colleagues across Hartford HealthCare to investigate new, innovative ways to address obesity with approaches tailored to the personal needs of our patients.

Co-directors

Pavlos K. Papasavas, MD, FACS, FASMBS, DABS-FPMBS

Dr. Pavlos Papasavas is Director of Research at the Department of Surgery, Hartford Hospital and Co-Director of the Center for Obesity Research, Innovation, and Education within the Hartford HealthCare Digestive Health Institute.

Dr. Papasavas has devoted his surgical career to treating obesity and its associated comorbid diseases. He has performed more than 4000 metabolic and bariatric surgical procedures. His research involves assessing the neuropsychological and behavioral underpinnings of obesity and studying the variability in metabolic and bariatric surgery outcomes. Dr. Papasavas is the recipient of a grant from the National Institutes of Health to examine whether individual differences in neural pathways measured via functional MRI tasks probing the reward circuitry and executive areas of the brain can predict weight loss, weight-related behaviors, and metabolic outcomes after bariatric surgery.

Dr. Papasavas serves as the Co-Chair of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Clinical Issues Committees and is a member of the ASMBS Research Committee. He has co-authored several impactful statements that guide clinical practice, including standardized outcomes reporting in metabolic and bariatric surgery and the 2022 ASMBS/IFSO Indications for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Papasavas has served as president of the CT chapter of ASMBS. Dr. Papasavas plays a significant role in medical education; he is the Program Director of the Surgical Research Fellowship at Hartford Hospital and the Director of Research for the University of Connecticut General Surgery Program.

Dale S. Bond, PhD

Google Scholar

ResearchGate

Dr. Dale S. Bond, PhD, is Director of Research Integration at Hartford HealthCare and Co-Director of the Center for Obesity Research, Innovation, and Education within the Hartford HealthCare Digestive Health Institute.

Dr. Bond’s research involves assessing and intervening on behavioral, biological and psychosocial aspects of obesity and related conditions. Much of his work has centered on the goals of: promoting sustainable changes in physical activity and other movement behaviors among individuals with obesity; and (2) then leveraging those changes to enhance efficacy and durability of different obesity treatments, most notably metabolic bariatric surgery. He has been awarded grants from National Institutes of Health and other organizations to conduct prospective observational and randomized clinical trials pursuant to these areas. His work stemming from these grants and others has been honored for its rigor and innovation.

Dr. Bond serves as Chair of the Research and Innovation Committee for the Integrated Health Section of the International Federation of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) and is an associate editor for Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases and Obesity Surgery. He is a former member of the Behavioral Medicine and Health Outcomes NIH study section and continues to serve as an ad hoc member on various review panels.

Executive Sponsor

Darren Tishler, MD, FACS, FASMBS, DABS-FPMBS

Dr. Darren Tishler is the Chief of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at Hartford Hospital and the System Director for Medical and Surgical Weight Loss at the Hartford HealthCare Digestive Health Institute. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.

Dr. Tishler started the Surgical Weight Loss Program at Hartford Hospital in 2004 and has performed more than 5000 lifetime metabolic bariatric surgical procedures. He has dedicated his career to the safe and effective treatment of obesity. He is a passionate advocate for patient access to lifesaving treatments of obesity and is currently the Co-chair of the ASMBS Access to Care Committee. He is the immediate past president of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. He has co-authored or presented more than 100 peer reviewed abstracts and publications.

Dr. Tishler actively participates in the research activities of the department and believes that we have an obligation to improve the care of patients through our Center for Obesity Research, Innovation, and Education. He is passionate about teaching residents and medical students and has recently received the John Civetta University of Connecticut Teacher of the Year Award. Dr. Tishler works to decrease the stigma of obesity and eliminate obesity bias though his advocacy work. Dr. Tishler has worked to bring together the necessary resources for Hartford HealthCare to be a nationally and internationally recognized leader in obesity research. He has worked collaboratively with Dr. Pavlos Papasavas for nearly two decades. According to Dr. Tishler, "our legacy is the research we perform for the betterment of our patients here at Hartford HealthCare as well as for future patients with obesity worldwide. It is our obligation to investigate new treatments, understand the disease of obesity, and the role of surgery and medical treatments for obesity."

Investigators

Devika Umashanker, MD

Dr. Devika Umashanker is the System Medical Director for Obesity Medicine at Hartford HealthCare Medical and Surgical Weight Loss Hartford HealthCare Digestive Health Institute. She is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at Frank Netter School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University and the Program Director of the Obesity Medicine Fellowship at Hartford Healthcare. She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and fellowship trained in Obesity Medicine at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medicine.

Dr. Umashanker’s passion for research started during her fellowship training at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medicine. It was further fostered after joining the Hartford Healthcare Department of Bariatric Surgery Research team in 2017. For Dr. Umashanker research creates an avenue that allows clinicians to continuously foster an inquisitive thought process that creates new knowledge and improves patient care. Dr. Umashanker was awarded the 2023 Integrated Health Emerging Scientist Award by the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders.

Dr. Umashanker research interests includes optimization of non-surgical treatment modalities in patients with history of bariatric surgery and obesity, association of weight stigma and bias on patient clinical outcomes, and prevalence of migraine in patients seeking treatment in medical and surgical weight loss.

Aziz Benbrahim, MD, FACS, FASMBS, DABS-FPMBS

Dr. Aziz Benbrahim is a Professor of Surgery at the Frank H. Netter, M.D. School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, where he emphasizes research and innovation since 2012. His extensive education spans several countries and prestigious institutions, including a research fellowship in vascular surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He has completed his surgical residency at Yale. Dr. Benbrahim has a notable history of clinical and academic appointments, with significant contributions to surgical techniques, particularly in bariatric and robotic surgery. He has been actively involved in the development of novel surgical devices and techniques, including the AirSeal device and a new surgical robot with Medtronic Corporation. His research interests focus on minimally invasive, robotic and bariatric surgery, with numerous publications and presentations to his credit. He has performed a number of robotic and minimally invasive surgery cases for the last 24 years including more than 1300 bariatric procedures. Dr. Benbrahim's dedication to mentoring medical students and surgical trainees underscores his commitment to advancing the field of surgery through both education and innovation.

Edward Hannoush, MD, FACS

Dr. Edward Hannoush is a bariatric and complex hernia surgeon at Hartford Hospital, where he has been practicing since 2013. He holds an academic appointment in Surgery at the University of Connecticut and serves as the physician lead for Hartford Healthcare's Swallowing, Reflux, and Esophageal Disorders Program.

Dr. Hannoush completed his general surgery training at Rutgers University and pursued a fellowship in bariatric and minimally invasive surgery at Yale University. Additionally, he completed a one-year research fellowship focused on basic science and tissue healing after trauma, contributing to numerous presentations and publications in this area. He is an active member of professional societies, including the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, where he contributes to ongoing innovations in his field.

Dr. Hannoush specializes in bariatric and complex hernia surgery. He is deeply committed to surgical education, having received an Excellence in Teaching Award, and continues to mentor surgical residents. He is passionate about research that directly impacts clinical practice, with a focus on surgical outcomes and advances in bariatric, foregut, and complex hernia surgeries.

Yin Wu, PhD

Curriculum Vitae

ResearchGate

Dr. Yin Wu, PhD, is a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Research Design and Support at Hartford HealthCare. He primarily works with the Center for Obesity Research, Innovation, and Education within the Hartford HealthCare Digestive Health Institute.

Dr. Wu’s research involves assessing the relationship between physical activity/exercise and obesity and related health conditions. Specifically, Dr. Wu is investigating how to achieve positive and sustainable physical, psychological, and behavioral changes through mind-body exercise (i.e., Tai Chi) among patients undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery (ACHIEVE study). In addition, he is a co-investigator and an interventionist of the NIH/NIDDK funded study Exercise Values of Life & Vitality Everyday (EVOLVE).

Anna Schwartz, MPH

Anna E. Schwartz, MPH, is a Clinical Research Associate at Hartford HealthCare, where she helps to coordinate and manage the research studies of CORIE. Through this work, Anna has played a critical role in piloting studies that aim to optimize feasibility and acceptability of health-promoting preoperative interventions for patients seeking surgical weight loss treatment. Anna also serves as project manager of the EVOLVE study (PI: Dale S. Bond, PhD) funded by the NIH, which involves supporting patients as they complete longitudinal study procedures. Anna values her role to empower and encourage patients as they embark on their respective health journeys.

Anna received her BA from Brown University, where she studied the intersection of music cognition, clinical art therapy, and neuroscience. After completing her undergraduate education, Anna was awarded a Fulbright grant to develop and evaluate a music-based breathing exercise for adults with Huntington’s disease. Anna received her MPH from Yale School of Public Health, where she studied Social and Behavioral Sciences and conducted research on the life satisfaction of older adults and psychosocial interventions for dementia caregivers.

Dawn Garcia, APRN

Fellows & students

Amir Ebadinejad, MD
Sara Saeidi, MD
Arit Esu, MD

Former fellows & students

Jason Wade, MD
Alexander Friedman, MD
Juan Cobar, MD
Jodian Hemmings, DO

Support staff

Tara McLaughlin, PhD, medical writer
Jane Sweeney, director, Digestive Health Institute medical and surgical weight loss
Connie Santana, database manager, surgical review coordinator
Isabel Michalak, clinical research associate research coordinator
Aimee Fucci, bariatric program coordinator, Hartford region

In our work, we are fortunate to collaborate with Hartford HealthCare colleagues from a variety of backgrounds, including:

Jennifer L. Ferrand, PsyD, director, Well-Being Department
Brian Grosberg, MD, director, Ayer Neuroscience Institute Headache Center
Jane Keating, MD, FACS, director of research, Hartford Hospital Acute Care Surgery Division
Raymond McKay, MD, director of research, Heart & Vascular Institute
Godfrey Pearlson, MD, director, Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Institute of Living
Vaughn Steele, PhD, director, Steele Lab, Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center
Michael Stevens, PhD, director, Clinical Neuroscience & Development Lab, Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center
Javeed Sukera, MD, PhD, FRCPC, chair of psychiatry, Institute of Living, and chief of psychiatry, Hartford Hospital
Paul Tulikangas, MD, FACOG, FACS, FFPMRS, female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, Tallwood Urology & Kidney Institute

We are also grateful to have several expert external collaborators, including:

Aurélie Baillot, PhD

Associate professor, Department of Nursing, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Canada

Ali Boolani, PhD

Associate Director of Research and Strategic Initiatives, Oklahoma State University

Lucas Carr, PhD

Associate Professor, Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa

Valerie Duffy, PhD, RD

Professor, Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut

Scott Engel, PhD

Director, Center for Biobehavioral Research, Sanford Research, Fargo, ND

Roger Fillingim, PhD

Professor/director, Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, University of Florida

Carlos Grilo, PhD

Professor/director, Program for Obesity, Weight and Eating Research, Yale University

John Gunstad, PhD

Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Ohio

Jason Lillis, PhD

Associate professor (research), Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University

James E. Mitchell, MD

Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND

Rebecca Puhl, PhD

Deputy director for the Rudd Center and professor, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut

Hollie A. Raynor, PhD

Professor, Department of Nutrition, associate dean of research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

David Sarwer, PhD

Senior associate dean for research and strategic partnerships, director, Center for Obesity Research Education, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia

Leah Schumacher, PhD

Assistant professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Temple University College of Public Health, Philadelphia

Kristine Steffen, PharmD, PhD

Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo

Dr. Rishi Saripalle

Associate Professor of Computer Science, Illinois State University

J. Graham Thomas, PhD

Associate director, Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center, professor of psychiatry and human behavior (Research), Alpert Medical School