The University of Nevada School of Medicine announces the appointment of five specialty surgeons to its Department of Surgery in Las Vegas. These surgeons will teach medical students and practice within University Health System, the clinical practice of the School of Medicine.

Timothy D. Browder, M.D., assistant professor, Division of Trauma and Clinical Care;Leslie K. Browder, M.D., assistant professor, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery; Michael J. Casey, M.D., assistant professor, Division of Trauma and Clinical Care; John R. Gosche, M.D., Ph.D., professor and Chief, Division of Pediatric Surgery; and James N. Lau, M.D., assistant professor and Chief, Division of Bariatric Surgery, will all contribute their skills and surgical expertise to the care of patients treated by University Health System, said William Zamboni, M.D., professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery.

Timothy Browder has done research in various techniques used to treat hemorrhagic shock and the use of CT scans for treatment of thoracic trauma. He completed his fellowship in surgical critical care at the University of Nevada School of Medicine where he also earned his medical degree and completed his residency in the Department of Surgery. He served as an assistant professor at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles before returning to the School of Medicine's Department of Surgery.

Casey just completed a surgical critical care fellowship in trauma at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He performed his surgical residency at the School where he also worked as a research assistant and did his internship in surgery. He is a five-time recipient of the Arnold P. Gold Award for Humanism in Teaching and is an Outstanding Resident Award recipient.  He joins the Division of Trauma and Critical Care as an assistant professor.

Leslie Browder is a graduate of the University of Nevada School of Medicine and completed her general surgery training with the School's Department of Surgery. She then completed a fellowship in colorectal surgery at the prestigious University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She has returned to the Department's Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery as an assistant professor.

Gosche, one of only a handful of pediatric surgeons in the state, has taught at the Yale University School of Medicine and will lead the Division of Pediatric Surgery as professor and chief of the division. He has published numerous publications, reviews, and books and is certified in general surgery and pediatric surgery by the American Board of Surgery. He received his postgraduate training as a resident in general surgery at the University of Louisville and was a fellow of pediatric surgery at Columbus Children's Hospital at The Ohio State University. Gosche earned his doctorate in cardiovascular physiology from the University of Louisville and his M.D. from the University of South Florida College of Medicine.  

Lau will oversee the school's innovative, new Bariatric Surgery Division which will address morbid obesity, one of America's most serious preventable health problems.  As the only Nevada surgeon to receive fellowship training in minimally invasive surgery—bariatric surgery—Lau will perform various obesity-related surgeries including the gastric bypass and the gastric band using laparoscopic techniques. He is board-certified and received fellowship training in Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Stanford University, School of Medicine.  He completed his surgical residency at Indiana University, School of Medicine and received his M.D. from the Stritch Medical School at Loyola University in Chicago. Additionally, Lau served as a general surgeon in the United States Air Force from 2002 to 2004 during which time he participated in the "Operation Iraqi Freedom" conflict.