Profile picture for user hswe224

Helen S. Wei, M.D., Ph.D.

Connect

(859) 257-3253
Helen.Wei@uky.edu
740 S. Limestone, Kentucky Clinic First Floor, Wing D, Room L119, Lexington, KY 40536

Positions

  • Assistant Professor

College Unit(s)

Biography and Education

Biography

I am an Acute Care Surgeon specializing in trauma, emergency surgery, and critical care. In particular, I care for patients who have experienced traumatic injuries or abdominal emergencies requiring surgical care, as well as patients requiring treatment in the intensive care unit. I also perform elective surgeries including hernia repair, gallbladder removal, appendix removal, and removal of benign skin lesions.

My quality and performance improvement interests involve improving clinical care for patients with traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury.

My research interests include traumatic brain injury management, gut and respiratory dysfunction after spinal cord injury, and improving treatments for sepsis.

Education

Degrees:

B.A., Barnard College, Columbia University, New  York, N.Y.

M.D., University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, N.Y.

Ph.D., University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, N.Y.

 

Residency:

General Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, N.J.

 

Fellowship:

Surgical Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, M.A.

Acute Care Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, M.A.

Summary:

Hometown: New York City

Selected Publications

  1. Cooper JB, Berry RE, Merrell SB, Clair JA, Davis FG, Goldhaber-Feibert S, Kaafarani H, Khan H, Minehart RD, Wei HS, Wu F, Zora DB, Pian-Smith MCM. What Surgeons and Anesthesiologists Perceive and Expect of Each Other: Implications for Improving Collaboration. In preparation.
  2. Wei HS, Wu F, Berry RE, Merrell SB, Clair JA, Davis FG, Goldhaber-Feibert S, Kaafarani H, Khan H, Minehart RD, Zora DB, Pian-Smith MCM, Cooper JB. A Toolkit to Promote Collaboration Between Surgeons and Anesthesiologists: Addressing Common Barriers to Peri-Operative Teamwork. In preparation.
  3. Simpson MK, Lagazzi E, Panossian VS, Nzenwa IC, Wei HS, Wardah R, Hoekman AH, Dewane MP, Velmahos GC, Hwabejire JO. Renal angioembolization vs. surgery for high-grade renal trauma: a nationwide comparative analysis. European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, 2024 Oct;50(5):2171-2180. PMID: 39212728
  4. Lagazzi E, Wei HS, Panossian VS, Pallotta JB, Calisir A, Rafaqat W, Abiad M, Nzenwa IC, King DR, Hong C, Hammond P, Olsen B, Duggan MJ, Velmahos GC. Development of a two-hit lethal liver injury model in swine. European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, 2024, Aug;50(4):1891-1901. PMID: 38780780
  5. Phalen C, Bale AG, Wei HS. Clinical image: a case of echinococcal liver cyst. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery 2024, 28;6:998-999.
  6. Leoce BM, Wei HS, Hadley SM, Molnar KZ, Huang JT, Curi MA. Distal Brachial Artery Embolization for the Treatment of Dialysis Access Steal Syndrome. Annals of Vascular Surgery – Brief Reports and Innovations 2022, Dec v2:4.
  7. Alerhand S, Cherneykina M, Wei HS, Barricella RL. Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Diagnosis of Medial Plantar Artery Pseudoaneurysm Secondary to Penetrating Injury. Journal of Emergency Medicine 2020, Mar 31, pii: S0736-4679(20)30104-9. PMID: 32241705
  8. Zhou S, Giannetto M, DeCourcey J, Kang H, Kang N, Li Y, Zheng S, Zhao H, Simmons WR, Wei HS, Bodine DM, Low PS, Nedergaard M, Wan J. Oxygen tension-mediated erythrocyte membrane interactions regulate cerebral capillary hyperemia. Science Advances 2019, May 29;5(5):eaaw4466. PMID: 31149638
  9. Elgammal FS, Wei HS, Grimberg G, Tilani R, Proverbs-Singh T, McCain DA. Hepatic intravascular diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with synchronous metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma. Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Journal 2019, Mar 21;S1(S113). DOI: 10.1016/j.hpb.2019.03.198
  10. Wei HS, McConnell ED, Reitz KM, Kang H, Takano T, Vates GE, Nedergaard M. Cerebral Microcirculatory Failure After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage is Reversed by Hyaluronidase. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 2016, Sep;36(9):1537-52. PMID: 26661183
  11. Wei HS, Kang H, Rasheed ID, Zhou S, Lou N, Gershteyn A, McConnell ED, Wang Y, Richardson KE, Palmer AF, Xu C, Wan J, Nedergaard M. Erythrocytes Are Oxygen-Sensing Regulators of the Cerebral Microcirculation. Neuron 2016, Aug 17;91(4):851-862. PMID: 27499087
  12. Kress BT, Iliff JJ, Xia M, Wang M, Wei HS, Zeppenfeld D, Xie L, Kang H, Xu Q, Liew J, Plog BA, Ding F, Deane R, Nedergaard M. Impairment of Paravascular Clearance Pathways in the Aging Brain. Annals of Neurology 2014, 76(6):845-61. PMID: 25204284
  13. Silva JN, Polesskaya O, Wei HS, Rasheed ID, Chamberlain JM, Nishimura C, Feng C, Dewhurst S. Chronic Central Nervous System Expression of HIV-1 Tat Leads to Accelerated Rarefaction of Neocortical Capillaries and Loss of Red Blood Cell Velocity Heterogeneity. Microcirculation 2014, 21(7):664-76. PMID: 24813724
  14. Bekar LK, Wei HS, Nedergaard M. The Locus Coeruleus-Norepinephrine Network Optimizes Coupling of Cerebral Blood Volume With Oxygen Demand. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 2012, 32(12):2135-45. PMID: 22872230