Dr. Jason Smith , Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of General Surgery, has been granted a K23 Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The purpose of the NIH's K23 program is to support the career development of investigators who have made a commitment to focus their research endeavors on patient-oriented research. This $607,112 research grant will enable Dr. Smith, a critical care and trauma surgeon, to achieve his goal of becoming an independent investigator focusing on clinical and translational research in hemorrhagic shock and inflammation. His mentors for this research are Department of Surgery Professors of Surgery Drs. Brian Harbrecht and R. Neal Garrison .