Gail E. Besner, MD

Gail Besner

Contact Information

Learn more about Gail E. Besner
Biography

Gail E. Besner, MD, is Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Nationwide Children's Hospital. She is also a Principal Investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and Associate Program Director of the Pediatric Surgery Residency program. She also holds the H. William Clatworthy Jr. Professorship in Surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and is a Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Dr. Besner's clinical interests include neonatal surgery, necrotizing enterocolitis, and pediatric burn care. Her research interests involve the identification of novel strategies to protect the intestines from injury using growth factors and stem cells, as well as the production of tissue engineered intestine. Dr. Besner's research has been continually funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health for over two decades. Dr. Besner is currently serving a 4-year term as a member of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences Advisory Council of the National Institutes of Health.

Patient Care
Academic and Clinical Areas
Awards, Honors & Organizations
  • Research Award, Platinum First Place Award Winner - Resident’s Paper Competition (RS), Presidential Symposium, Columbus Surgical Society, 2018
  • Researcher Spotlight Journal Recognition, 2018
  • Oral Presentation Research Award, Third Place Award (RS), The Ohio State University Department of Surgery Research Day, 2018
  • Advocate in Medicine Award, Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS), 2017
  • Outstanding Resident Presentation Award (CM), Association of Academic Surgery, 2017
  • Research Award, Gold Medal Winner - Resident’s Paper Competition (CM), Presidential Symposium, Columbus Surgical Society, 2017
  • Best Poster Award, First Place Award – Resident’s Poster Competition (JO), Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cell Based Therapies 10th Annual Regenerative Medicine and Wound Care Conference, 2017
  • Best Poster Award, Bronze Prize Winner – Research Scientist Poster Competition (YZ), Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cell Based Therapies 9th Annual Regenerative Medicine and Wound Care Conference, 2017
  • Quality Award for Value in Surgery (AN), American Pediatric Surgical Association Meeting, 2017
  • Best Oral Presentation Award, First Place Award (BC), Vidant Medical Center Medical Staff Graduate Medical Education Research Day, East Carolina State University, 2017
  • Oral Presentation Research Award, Second Place Award (CM), The Ohio State University Department of Surgery Research Day, 2017
  • Summer Student Poster Presentation Award, First Place College Student Award (SD), The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Summer Student Poster Competition, 2017
  • Spring Trainee Travel Award, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 2016
  • Fall Trainee Travel Award, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (CM), 2016
  • Research Poster Award, First Place Poster Award (SG), The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Student Research Symposium, Columbus, Ohio, 2016
  • Rosencrantz Resident Research Award, Best Basic Science Research Presentation Award (CM), American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Surgery, 2016
  • Best Manuscript by a New AAS Member, Academic Surgical Conference, 2016
  • Research Award, Oral Presentation (YW), The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Research Day, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 2016
  • Best Poster Award, Bronze Prize Winner – Resident’s Poster Competition (BC), Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cell Based Therapies 9th Annual Regenerative Medicine and Wound Care Conference, Columbus, Ohio, 2016
  • Medical Student Travel Award, The Ohio State University College of Medicine (SG), 2016
  • Excellence in Innovation Award Recipient, “HB-EGF for Use in Methods of Treating and Preventing Intestinal Injury Related to Hemorrhagic Shock and Resusc, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 2016
  • Third Place Prize Winner – Student Research Competition (SG), Pediatric Medical Student Research Forum, Orlando, FL, 2016
  • Research Award - First Place Research Poster Award, Clinical Fellow Category (JO), The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Research Day, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 2016
  • Research Award, Platinum Prize Winner - Resident’s Paper Competition (JO), Presidential Symposium, Columbus Surgical Society, Columbus, Ohio, 2016
  • Research Award, Bronze Prize Winner - Resident’s Paper Competition (BC), Presidential Symposium, Columbus Surgical Society, Columbus, Ohio, 2016
  • Research Award, First Place Basic Science Poster Award (DM), Association of Indian Physicians of Northern Ohio Annual Research Symposium, Cleveland, OH, 2016
  • Career Contribution Award Recipient, Nationwide Children's Hospital, 2012
  • Listed, Best Doctors in America
Education

Date of Appointment at Nationwide Children’s Hospital: 11/26/1991

Board Certifications
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Surgery
  • Surgical Critical Care
Fellowship Boston Children's Hospital Date Completed: 06/30/1989
Residency Children's Hospital of Buffalo Date Completed: 06/30/1991
Residency Harvard - Brigham & Women's Hospital Date Completed: 06/30/1987
Internship Harvard - Brigham & Women's Hospital Date Completed: 06/30/1983
Medical School University of Cincinnati Date Completed: 06/13/1982
Research Funding
National Institutes of Health

Exosomes and HB-EGF in Stem Cell-Mediated Therapy for Necrotizing Enterocolitis, Principal Investigator

National Institutes of Health

Tuneable Native Probiotic Formulations to Study and Treat Necrotizing Enterocolitis, Principal Investigator (multiple PI)

National Institutes of Health

Tissue Engineered Intestine, Co-Principal Investigator

National Institutes of Health

A Novel Probiotic Platform to Treat Necrotizing Enterocolitis, Principal Investigator (multiple PI)

Contact Information
General Pediatric Surgery