Faculty
David Han, M.D.
David Han, M.D., is professor of surgery, chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery, and vice chair for education of the Department of Surgery at 91女神. Han received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed his training in vascular surgery at the Mayo Clinic. Prior to arriving in St. Louis, he was a professor of surgery, radiology and engineering design at Penn State, where he was named a distinguished educator and served as program director of the fellowship in vascular surgery and the residency in general surgery.
An expert in health care policy issues, Han serves on the Society for Vascular Surgery Coding and Reimbursement Committee as well as the American Medical Association Relative Value Scale Update Committee which makes recommendations to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding the value of physician-provided services. He has also served as vice chair of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Review Committee for Surgery 鈥� the organization responsible for setting and monitoring the professional educational standards essential in preparing physicians to deliver safe, high-quality medical care to all Americans.
Throughout his career, Han has served as the local principal investigator for more than 25 national and international clinical trials. His research in surgical education and learning environments has been funded by multiple agencies, including the National Institutes of Health. Han has been named a Castle Connolly 鈥淭op Doctor鈥� since 2015 and serves as the medical director of the 91女神 Hospital and St. Clare Hospital Vascular Laboratories.
Matthew Smeds, M.D.
Matthew R. Smeds, M.D., is a vascular surgeon and associate professor at Saint Louis University. He attended college at the University of Nebraska, medical school at the University of Rochester, general surgery training at the State University of New York in Syracuse, and vascular surgery fellowship at 91女神. He was faculty at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences prior to coming back to Saint Louis University as the chief of vascular surgery and program director for the vascular surgery training programs.
He has research interests in surgical education as well as tobacco cessation and risk factor modification in vascular surgery patients and received the Wylie Traveling Fellowship from the Society of Vascular Surgery to study this topic in detail in 2016. He is on the editorial boards of the Annals of Vascular Surgery and the Journal of Vascular Surgery and reviews manuscripts for seven journals. He has served on multiple committees of the Society for Vascular Surgery, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society, Association for Program Directors in Vascular Surgery, Saint Louis Surgical Society and the Association for Academic Surgery; is a consultant for the American Board of Surgery Qualifying Examination; and serves on the ACGME Milestones 2.0 writing group. He is a distinguished fellow of the Society for Vascular Surgery, fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the Society for University Surgeons. He has more than 100 presentations and nearly 60 published manuscripts in topics relating to vascular disease.
Michael S. Williams Jr., M.D.
Michael S. Williams Jr., M.D. , maintains a busy vascular surgery practice both at SSM Health 91女神 Hospital and at SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital. In addition, he is the director of the surgery clerkship for medical students. He completed his general surgery residency and vascular fellowship at 91女神.
Catherine M. Wittgen, M.D.
Catherine M. Wittgen, M.D., is responsible for the training of medical students, residents and fellows. She is an active member of the John Cochran Veterans Administration Hospital and 91女神 medical staff. In addition to providing direct patient care, she is director of the vascular laboratory at the John Cochran VA. Her training of resident and fellows includes managing patients with complex vascular issues requiring both open and endovascular interventions. She provides ICU care for trauma and general surgery patients and sees patients with chronic wounds, venous insufficiency and lymphedema in her outpatient clinic. She is a member of the Society of Vascular Surgeons, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the Society of Clinical Vascular Surgery, the Association of Women Surgeons, the Association of VA Surgeons, the Association of Program Directors in Surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. She has participated in more than 40 clinical trials with residents and fellows as sub-investigators. She has also served on international research oversight committees and is currently a member of the national endpoint adjudication committees for Bayer and CVRx. She has chaired a committee for SESAP for the American College of Surgeons for 15 years. She continues to participate in national committees for board certification through the American Board of Surgery. She has given more than 200 invited presentations nationwide.
Emad Zakhary, M.D.
Emad Zakhary, M.D., is an assistant professor of surgery at 91女神. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery in vascular and general surgery. He is also board certified by the American Board of Endovascular Medicine. He has a doctorate (Ph.D.) degree in surgery from Cairo University and a Master鈥檚 of Science in Clinical Outcome Research from 91女神. He is a registered physician in vascular laboratory interpretation by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, and is the director of the Vascular Laboratory at SSM Saint Louis University Hospital. He did his residency in surgery at Cleveland Clinic, and then received a Cleveland Clinic fellowship in vascular surgery. Prior to joining 91女神, Zakhary was on staff in the departments of vascular surgery at Geisinger Medical Center and at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Zakhary's specialty interests include carotid artery surgery and stents, abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery and stents, peripheral artery bypass surgery and atherectomy, renal and mesenteric artery stents, and LAZER ablation of varicose veins. Zakhary is currently the chief of Vascular Surgery in Saint Louis VAMC.