University of California San Francisco

Joseph Cuschieri-lg-headshot
Joseph
Cuschieri
MD, FACS

Professor of Surgery
Division of General Surgery
Trauma and Surgical Critical Care
Chief of Surgery, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital

UCSF Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion badge

Address

1001 Potrero Avenue, #3A25
San Francisco, CA 94110
United States

    Biography

    Joseph Cuschieri M.D. earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan, and his Medical Degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine.  He completed his general surgery residence and surgical critical care fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.  Upon completion of his clinical training, he completed a 2-year NIH T32 Fellowship in the field of Trauma/Burn/Inflammation.

    Dr. Cuschieri is certified by the American Board of Surgery in General Surgery with subspecialty certification in Surgical Critical Care.

    Upon completion of his fellowship in 2002, Dr. Cuschieri joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine.  After a couple of years he left Cincinnati and returned to Seattle, joining the faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine where he served as the Medical Director of Surgical Critical Care, Interim Associate Medical Director of Critical Care, Associate Medical Director of Surgical Services, and Program Director of Surgical Critical Care.  Dr. Cuschieri left Washington and came to UCSF in 2021 to join the faculty in the Department of Surgery as Professor and Trauma Medical Director at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

    Dr. Cuschieri currently serves as Principal Investigator, Co-Principle investigator, or Co-Investigator on 3 federally funded grants and has authored or co-authored over 170 peer-reviewed articles and more than 10 book chapters.  His national service includes active participation in major trauma, critical care, and surgical societies including the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and the Society of Surgical Critical Care Program Directors.  He also serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.

    Education

    Institution Degree Dept or School End Date
    University of California Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training 09/2021
    University of Washington T32 Trauma/Burn/Inflammation 6/2002
    Henry Ford Hospital Medical Center General Surgery 6/2000
    Henry Ford Hospital Medical Center Surgical Critical Care 6/1998
    Wayne State University School of Medicine MD Medicine 6/1994
    University of Michigan BS Biochemistry 6/1990

    Awards & Honors

    Award Conferred By Date
    John K. Stevenson Faculty Teaching Award in Surgery University of Washington School of Medicine 2019
    CDC HA-VTE Prevention Challenge Champion Centers of Disease Control 2015
    Castle Connelly Top Doctors Castle Connelly Inc. 2006/2021
    Joseph Sussman Memorial Award Surgical Infection Society 2006

    Clinical Trials

    1. Related Conditions: Acute Kidney Injury| Start Date: | End Date:

    In the News

    January, 09, 2023 | UCSF Department of Surgery

    Grants and Funding

    • Surgery Research Training Program | NIH | 2017-07-01 - 2022-06-30 | Role: Co-Investigator
    • Validation of a Genomics Based Prognostic in Severe Trauma | NIH | 2013-06-01 - 2017-04-30 | Role: Co-Investigator
    • A Randomzied Phase II Trial of CMV Prevention in Acute Lung Injury | NIH | 2010-06-01 - 2016-12-31 | Role: Co-Investigator
    • POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING | NIH | 1975-07-01 - 2015-06-30 | Role: Co-Investigator
    • Bedside Genomics in Severe Trauma | NIH | 2012-09-25 - 2014-08-31 | Role: Co-Investigator
    • Planning a Multi-Center Trial of Interferon-gamma in Trauma Patients | NIH | 2012-09-01 - 2014-08-31 | Role: Co-Investigator
    • SIS multicenter study of duration of antibiotics for intraabdominal infection | NIH | 2007-09-11 - 2014-08-31 | Role: Co-Investigator
    • Inflammation and the Host Responses to Injury | NIH | 2000-09-01 - 2013-08-31 | Role: Co-Investigator
    • TRAUMA &SEPSIS INDUCED CHANGES IN IMMUNE CELL MEMBRANE RECEPTOR TRAFFICKING | NIH | 2007-09-01 - 2013-06-30 | Role: Principal Investigator
    • Hypertonic Modulation of Inflammation following Injury | NIH | 2007-06-11 - 2012-11-30 | Role: Co-Investigator

    Research Narrative

    Dr. Cuschieri is a clinical and translational researcher who has worked to decipher the effects of initial injury on subsequent alterations immune function, and development of evidence based practices to improve care of injured and septic patients.  His main research focus is in the fields of polytrauma, hemorrhagic shock and neurotrauma with a specific interest in long-term outcomes following injury. From a critical care perspective, his main focus has been on organ support in the critically ill and septic patient.

    Publications

    MOST RECENT PUBLICATIONS FROM A TOTAL OF 203
    1. Duration of Respiratory Failure After Trauma Is Not Associated With Increased Long-Term Mortality.
      Cook MR, O'Connell K, Qiu Q, Riggle AJ, Shoultz TH, Maine RG, Arbabi S, O'Keefe GE, Cuschieri J, Maier RV, Robinson BRH| | PubMed
    2. Effect of Standardized Handoff Curriculum on Improved Clinician Preparedness in the Intensive Care Unit: A Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.
      Parent B, LaGrone LN, Albirair MT, Serina PT, Keller JM, Cuschieri J, Addison EJ, Choe L, Delossantos GB, Gaskill CE, Moon SD, MacDonald JT, Stolzberg MJ, Van Eaton EG, Zech JM, Kritek PA| | PubMed
    3. Fellowship training in extracorporeal life support: Characterization and educational needs assessment.
      Cook MR, Badulak J, Çoruh B, Kiraly LN, Zonies D, Cuschieri J, Bulger EM| | PubMed
    4. Short-Course Antimicrobial Therapy Does Not Increase Treatment Failure Rate in Patients with Intra-Abdominal Infection Involving Fungal Organisms.
      Elwood NR, Guidry CA, Duane TM, Cuschieri J, Cook CH, O'Neill PJ, Askari R, Napolitano LM, Namias N, Dellinger EP, Watson CM, Banton KL, Blake DP, Hassinger TE, Sawyer RG| | PubMed
    5. A cohort study of blunt cerebrovascular injury screening in children: Are they just little adults?
      Cook MR, Witt CE, Bonow RH, Bulger EM, Linnau KF, Arbabi S, Robinson BRH, Cuschieri J| | PubMed
    6. The Epidemiology of Chronic Critical Illness After Severe Traumatic Injury at Two Level-One Trauma Centers.
      Mira JC, Cuschieri J, Ozrazgat-Baslanti T, Wang Z, Ghita GL, Loftus TJ, Stortz JA, Raymond SL, Lanz JD, Hennessy LV, Brumback B, Efron PA, Baker HV, Moore FA, Maier RV, Moldawer LL, Brakenridge SC| | PubMed
    7. Novel Method Suggests Global Superiority of Short-Duration Antibiotics for Intra-abdominal Infections.
      Celestin AR, Odom SR, Angelidou K, Evans SR, Coimbra R, Guidry CA, Cuschieri J, Banton KL, O'Neill PJ, Askari R, Namias N, Duane TM, Claridge JA, Dellinger EP, Sawyer RA, Cook CH| | PubMed
    8. Does Isolation of Enterococcus Affect Outcomes in Intra-Abdominal Infections?
      Sanders JM, Tessier JM, Sawyer R, Dellinger EP, Miller PR, Namias N, West MA, Cook CH, O'Neill PJ, Napolitano L, Rattan R, Cuschieri J, Claridge JA, Guidry CA, Askari R, Banton K, Rotstein O, Moore BJ, Duane TM| | PubMed
    9. Transcranial Doppler Microemboli Monitoring for Stroke Risk Stratification in Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury.
      Bonow RH, Witt CE, Mosher BP, Mossa-Basha M, Vavilala MS, Rivara FP, Cuschieri J, Arbabi S, Chesnut RM| | PubMed
    10. Effect of Ganciclovir on IL-6 Levels Among Cytomegalovirus-Seropositive Adults With Critical Illness: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
      Limaye AP, Stapleton RD, Peng L, Gunn SR, Kimball LE, Hyzy R, Exline MC, Files DC, Morris PE, Frankel SK, Mikkelsen ME, Hite D, Enfield KB, Steingrub J, O'Brien J, Parsons PE, Cuschieri J, Wunderink RG, Hotchkin DL, Chen YQ, Rubenfeld GD, Boeckh M| | PubMed