Dr. Appelbaum joined our surgical faculty in the Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor, upon completion of her fellowship in Surgical Critical Care and American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Acute Care Surgery at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston-Salem, NC. Dr. Appelbaum’s patient care interests are in trauma, critical care, and emergency general surgery.

Research
Dr. Appelbaum has extensively researched surgical trauma and related safety practices. Another primary focus of her research is the development of guidelines to improve clinical outcomes in acute care surgery. Included among her recent publications in numerous peer-reviewed journals are: Transitions of Care: Healthcare Handoffs in Trauma, American Journal of Surgery; Improving the Culture of Safety: A Prospective Handoff Initiative from the OR to the Trauma ICU, The American Surgeon; and Management of the Open Abdomen: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis and Practice Management Guideline from the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.

Memberships
Dr. Appelbaum is board-certified in General Surgery by the American Board of Surgery, with an added qualification in Surgical Critical Care. She holds membership and committee positions in the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma and the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. She is also a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the Association for Academic Surgery.

Education
Dr. Appelbaum earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Georgia, Athens, GA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Spanish. She received her medical degree at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, in Tampa, FL. Her internship and residency in General Surgery were completed at Lehigh Valley Health Network, in Allentown, PA. This was followed by her aforementioned fellowship at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. Dr. Appelbaum is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

Contact
Division of Acute Care Surgery
Vanderbilt University Medical Center 
Medical Arts Building, Suite 404
1211 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: (615) 936-0083

Patients
Vanderbilt Trauma and Surgical Care Clinic 
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
The Vanderbilt Clinic
1301 Medical Center Drive, Suite 3501 A
Nashville, TN 37232
Fax: (615) 936-0185
Adult Appointments: (615) 322-2063

EMAIL: Rachel.Appelbaum@vumc.org
WEBSITE: Division of Acute Care Surgery

• B.A., Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 1996
• M.S., Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, 1999
• Ph.D., Old Dominion University/EVMS, Norfolk, VA - 2002

Research

Dr. Maiga has a research focus on survivorship and functional outcomes after critical illness or injury, specifically TBI. Included among her recent publications in numerous journals are: Dynamic Predictors of In-Hospital and 3-Year Mortality after Traumatic Brain Injury: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Am J Surg; The Association of Health Care System Resources with lung cancer screening implementation: a cohort study, Chest; and Death following pulmonary complications of surgery before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, The British Journal of Surgery. Dr. Maiga is a Department of Defense-funded co-investigator in a study investigating plasma for TBI patients. She is also an investigator at the Vanderbilt Critical Illness, Brain dysfunction, and Survivorship (CIBS) Center.

Memberships

Dr. Maiga is board-certified in general surgery and surgical critical care by the American Board of Surgery. She is an active member in the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST), the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS), the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS), the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), and the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

Education

Dr. Maiga earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. She received her medical degree at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, NC, as well as a Master's of Public Health at the University of North Carolina Gillings School in Chapel Hill, NC. Her internship and residency in General Surgery were completed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN. This was followed by a fellowship in Trauma and Surgical Critical Care, also at Vanderbilt.

Patients

Emergency General Surgery/Trauma Surgery Clinic
The Vanderbilt Clinic, Suite 3501 A
1301 Medical Center Drive
Nashville, TN 37232
Fax: (615) 343-2210
Appointments: (615) 322-2063

WEBSITE: Division of Acute Surgery

Education

• MD, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2010 - 2014
• BS in Biological Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2006 - 2010

Fellowship

• University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, Enfolded Fellowship in Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery with Joseph Neimat

Dr. Slater joined our surgical faculty in the Department of Plastic Surgery, as Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery and Associate Director of Pediatric Burn Surgery, following her roles as Medical Director of the Burn Center and Assistant Professor of Plastic & Burn Surgery, both at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine / Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.  Dr. Slater’s primary clinical practice spans acute and reconstructive care, including burn surgery, plastic and microvascular surgery as well as hypertrophic scar treatment.

Research
Dr. Slater’s research has involved multiple, multi-center trials funded by the Department of Defense in the areas of acute burn resuscitation. Her work has targeted the impact of oxygen treatment on service member morbidity, in-field logistics, and readiness. Another primary focus of her research is improving breast flap protection and erogenous sensation to improve quality of life for breast cancer patients following mastectomy. Among Dr. Slater’s recent publications in peer-reviewed journals are: Mortality From Burns Sustained on Home Oxygen Therapy Exceeds Predicted Mortality, Journal of Burn Care & Research; Bupivacaine Extended-Release Liposomal Injection Versus Bupivacaine HCl for Early Postoperative Pain Control Following Wrist Operations: A Prospective, Randomized Control Trial, Journal of Hand Surgery (American Volume); and ECMO Therapy in a Patient with Extensive Burns, Inhalation Injury, and Blunt Chest Trauma, The American Surgeon.

Memberships
Dr. Slater is board-certified in plastic surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery. She is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Burn Association, the American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgeons, and the International Society of Burn Injuries.

Education
Dr. Slater received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. She earned her MD at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN. She completed residencies in General Surgery at East Tennessee State University (ETSU), Johnson City, TN, and in Plastic Surgery at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, TN. Concurrent with her ETSU residency, she completed a burn fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN. This was followed by an additional fellowship in reconstructive microsurgery at Gent University, Gent, Belgium.

Contact
Department of Plastic Surgery
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
1161 21st Avenue South
Medical Center North, D-4207
Nashville, TN 37232-2345
Phone: (615) 936-0160
Fax: (615) 936-0167

Patients
Vanderbilt Burn Outpatient Clinic
1211 Medical Center Drive, Suite 11201
Nashville, TN 37232
Fax: (615) 343-9897
Appointments: (615) 936-2876

WEBSITE: Department of Plastic Surgery
WEBSITE: Vanderbilt Plastic Surgery
WEBSITE: Vanderbilt Burn Center

EDUCATION

Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) 2014-2018
PhD, Biomedical Engineering

Brown University (Providence, RI) 2010–2014
Sc.B., Biomedical Engineering

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Large animal ovine model for progressive right ventricular loading and unloading via pulmonary artery banding

• Biomechanics of right ventricular adaptation and failure
• Molecular, transcriptomic characterization of right ventricular adaptation and failure
• Right ventricular reverse remodeling and recovery after unloading

Development of next-generation mechanical support technology

• Wearable technology for cardiopulmonary support, especially for right heart failure
• Characterization of mechanical blood pump performance and biocompatibility

Surface-focused anticoagulation approaches in blood-contacting technology

• Ultralow-fouling zwitterionic surface coatings on artificial lung circuit surfaces
• Factor XII inhibition as a surface-specific mode of anticoagulation during extracorporeal support