Positions

Overview

  • Dr. Daniel Chu joined the UAB Department of Surgery in July 2014 as an assistant professor in the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery. Born in Michigan and raised in North Carolina, Dr. Chu completed his undergraduate studies at Yale in 2002 and obtained his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2006. He completed his general surgery residency at Boston University Medical Center in 2013, which included a two-year research fellowship. Dr. Chu then completed a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at the Mayo Clinic in 2014. Dr. Chu is double board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. In addition to his clinical interests in colorectal diseases, Dr. Chu is a dedicated researcher and educator. He is the associate director for the medical student clerkship in surgery at UAB and serves on national committees, including the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS) and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS).
  • Selected Publications

    Academic Article

    Year Title Altmetric
    2023 Surgical Trainee Perspectives on the Opioid Crisis: The Influence of Explicit and Hidden Curricula.Journal of Surgical Education2023
    2023 Disparities in Perioperative Use of Patient Engagement Technologies - Not All Use is EqualAnnals of Surgery.  277:E218-E225. 2023
    2023 Organizational assessment of health literacy within an academic medical center 2023
    2022 Improving surgical patient education materials using informational design with visual elements 2022
    2022 The Association of Health Literacy with Health-Related Quality of Life in Youth and Young Adults with Spina Bifida: A Cross-Sectional StudyJournal of Pediatrics.  251:156-163.e2. 2022
    2022 Retrospective Evaluation of Short-Term Outcomes of an Enhanced Recovery Protocol for Patients Undergoing Complex Abdominal Wall ReconstructionJournal of the American College of Surgeons.  235:764-771. 2022
    2022 Characterizing the impact of verbal communication and health literacy in the patient-surgeon encounter 2022
    2022 Cost-benefit analysis of a patient engagement technology (PET) in cardiac, thoracic, and colorectal surgery 2022
    2022 Disparities in Surgical Timing and Guideline-Adherent Staging Work-Up for Colon CancerAnnals of Surgical Oncology.  29:5843-5851. 2022
    2022 Increased Risk of Postoperative Mortality Associated With Prior COVID-19 InfectionAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine.  63:S75-S82. 2022
    2022 Inequity in Telemedicine Use Among Patients with Cancer in the Deep South During the COVID-19 Pandemic 2022
    2022 Multidisciplinary clinics for colorectal cancer may not provide more efficient coordination of care 2022
    2022 Does health literacy impact technological comfort in cancer patients? Health literacy impacts technological comfort 2022
    2022 Healthcare Disparities and Colorectal CancerSurgical Oncology Clinics of North America.  31:157-169. 2022
    2022 Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic Restructuring on Surgical Volume and Outcomes of Non-COVID Patients Undergoing Surgery 2022
    2022 Ileostomy Patients Using Patient Engagement Technology Experience Decreased Length of StayJournal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.  26:635-642. 2022
    2022 Role of Substance P–Dependent Chemotactic Signaling in Postoperative Adhesion FormationJournal of Surgical Research.  270:49-57. 2022
    2022 Understanding the surgical experience for Black and White patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): The importance of health literacy 2022
    2022 Asian American and Pacific Islander experiences and challenges in academic surgery 2022
    2022 R obotic-assisted versus laparoscopic rectal surgery in obese and morbidly obese patients: ACS-NSQIP analysisJournal of Robotic Surgery2022
    2022 The University of Alabama at Birmingham Surgery Community Network: Tackling the Challenges of Rural Surgery 2022
    2021 A 12-year retrospective evaluation of anal pre-cancerous lesions and cancer in people living with HIV-1 infection in the Southeastern U.SInfectious Agents and Cancer.  16. 2021
    2021 Epidemiology and pathophysiology of low anterior resection syndromeSeminars in Colon and Rectal Surgery.  32. 2021
    2021 The effect of gastrointestinal patients’ health literacy levels on gastrointestinal patients’ health outcomes 2021
    2021 NIH Funding of Researchers in Surgery: Decreased Career Development Awards Over TimeJournal of Surgical Research.  266:6-12. 2021
    2021 Visual teaching aids improve patient understanding and reduce anxiety prior to a colectomy 2021
    2021 An overview of the evidence for enhanced recoverySeminars in Colon and Rectal Surgery.  32. 2021
    2021 Climbing the grants ladder: Funding opportunities for surgeonsSurgery.  170:707-712. 2021
    2021 Patient, Nurse, Medical Assistant, and Surgeon Perspectives Inform the Development of a Decision Support Tool for Inguinal Hernia Surgery: A Qualitative Analysis 2021
    2021 The impact of an enhanced recovery program (ERP) on the costs of colorectal surgery 2021
    2021 Implementation of virtual focus groups for qualitative data collection in a global pandemic 2021
    2021 Racial disparities exist in surgical outcomes for patients with inflammatory bowel disease 2021
    2021 Early Elective Surgery After Colon Cancer Diagnosis has Higher Risk of Readmission and DeathAnnals of Surgery.  273:188-194. 2021
    2021 Implementation of an enhanced recovery program for lower extremity bypassJournal of Vascular Surgery.  73:554-563. 2021
    2021 SSAT PG/CME Committee Symposium Highlights: Perioperative Management—Best Practice in Surgical Quality and SafetyJournal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.  25:339-350. 2021
    2021 Assessment of Health Literacy and Self-reported Readiness for Transition to Adult Care among Adolescents and Young Adults with Spina BifidaJAMA Network Open2021
    2021 Development and implementation of virtual grand rounds in surgery 2021
    2020 Emotional Intelligence and Burnout in Surgical Residents: A 5-Year StudyJournal of Surgical Education.  77:e63-e70. 2020
    2020 Invited commentary on “Delving deeper into disparity: The impact of health literacy on the surgical care of breast cancer patients” 2020
    2020 Low Health Literacy Exists in the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Population and Is Disproportionately Prevalent in Older African AmericansCrohn's & Colitis 360.  2:1-7. 2020
    2020 Early removal of catheters in an Enhanced Recovery Pathway (ERP) with intrathecal opioid injection does not affect postoperative urinary outcomes 2020
    2020 Understanding the Surgical Experience for African-Americans and Caucasians With Enhanced RecoveryJournal of Surgical Research.  250:12-22. 2020
    2020 Physical, Laboratory, Radiographic, and Endoscopic Workup for Clostridium difficile ColitisClinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery.  33:82-86. 2020
    2020 The Job Demands-Resources Model as a Framework to Identify Factors Associated With Burnout in Surgical ResidentsJournal of Surgical Research.  247:121-127. 2020
    2020 Health Literacy in SurgeryHealth Literacy Research and Practice.  4:e46-e65. 2020
    2020 The association of enhanced recovery pathway and acute kidney injury in patients undergoing colorectal surgeryDiseases of the Colon and Rectum.  233-241. 2020
    2019 SSAT State-of-the-Art Conference: Advances in the Management of Rectal CancerJournal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.  23:433-442. 2019
    2019 Comparison of Ivor-Lewis versus Sweet procedure for middle and lower thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A STROBE compliant studyMedicine.  98. 2019
    2018 Enhanced Recovery After Surgery and Surgical DisparitiesSurgical Clinics of North America.  98:1223-1232. 2018
    2018 Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: Past, Present, and FutureSurgical Clinics of North America.  98:xvii-xviii. 2018
    2018 New microbe genomic variants in patients fecal community following surgical disruption of the upper human gastrointestinal tractHuman Microbiome Journal.  10:37-42. 2018
    2018 The role of mechanical bowel preparation and oral antibiotics for left-sided laparoscopic and open elective restorative colorectal surgery with and without faecal diversion 2018
    2018 Planning post-discharge destination for gastrointestinal surgery patients: Room for improvement? 2018
    2018 Burnout is Associated With Emotional Intelligence but not Traditional Job Performance Measurements in Surgical ResidentsJournal of Surgical Education.  75:1171-1179. 2018
    2018 Achieving health equity in surgery through enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS): The elimination of racial disparities in post-operative length-of-stay is sustained long-termClinical nutrition ESPEN.  25:178-179. 2018
    2018 Racial Disparities After Stoma Construction Exist in Time to Closure After 1 Year but Not in Overall Stoma Reversal RatesJournal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.  22:250-258. 2018
    2018 The obese colorectal surgery patient: Surgical site infection and outcomesDiseases of the Colon and Rectum.  61:938-945. 2018
    2017 Rates of hospitalization among African American and Caucasian American patients with Crohn's disease seen at a tertiary care centerGastroenterology Report.  5:288-292. 2017
    2017 Reduced disparities and improved surgical outcomes for Asian Americans with colorectal cancerJournal of Surgical Research.  218:23-28. 2017
    2017 The Association for Academic Surgeons 2001-2010: a decade of inclusivenessJournal of Surgical Research.  217:16-19. 2017
    2017 Racial disparities in length-of-stay persist even with no postoperative complicationsJournal of Surgical Research.  214:14-22. 2017
    2017 Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Eliminates Racial Disparities in Postoperative Length of Stay After Colorectal SurgeryAnnals of Surgery2017
    2017 Venous thromboembolic events: How low can you go? 2017
    2017 Emotional intelligence in surgery is associated with resident job satisfactionJournal of Surgical Research.  209:178-183. 2017
    2017 Hydrodynamics of defecationSoft Matter.  13:4960-4970. 2017
    2016 Local repair of stoma prolapse: Case report of an in vivo application of linear stapler devicesAnnals of medicine and surgery (2012).  11:32-35. 2016
    2016 Familial Colorectal Cancer: Understanding the Alphabet SoupClinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery.  29:185-195. 2016
    2016 Readmission rates after lower extremity bypass vary significantly by surgical indicationJournal of Vascular Surgery.  64:458-464. 2016
    2016 Racial Disparities in Readmissions for Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) After Colorectal SurgeryJournal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.  20:985-993. 2016
    2015 Strategy for the difficult-to-reach ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: technical steps of an in vivo application of a mesenteric-lengthening techniqueTechniques in Coloproctology.  19:705-709. 2015
    2015 Oral antibiotic bowel preparation significantly reduces surgical site infection rates and readmission rates in elective colorectal surgeryAnnals of Surgery.  261:1034-1040. 2015
    2015 Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) After Stoma Reversal (SR): Risk Factors, Implications, and Protective StrategiesJournal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.  19:327-334. 2015
    2015 Imaging for Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseSurgical Clinics of North America.  95:1143-1158. 2015
    2013 Early Versus Late Adhesiolysis for Adhesive-Related Intestinal Obstruction: A Nationwide Analysis of Inpatient OutcomesJournal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.  17:288-297. 2013
    2012 A Sprayable Hyaluronate/Carboxymethylcellulose Adhesion Barrier Exhibits Regional Adhesion Reduction Efficacy and Does Not Impair Intestinal HealingJournal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.  16:325-333. 2012
    2011 N-acetyl-L-cysteine decreases intra-abdominal adhesion formation through the upregulation of peritoneal fibrinolytic activity and antioxidant defensesSurgery.  149:801-812. 2011
    2011 A "solution" to the application of an effective physical barrier for the prevention of intra-abdominal adhesionsJournal of Surgical Research.  167:33-36. 2011
    2011 Preoperative Infliximab is not Associated with an Increased Risk of Short-Term Postoperative Complications After Restorative Proctocolectomy and Ileal Pouch-Anal AnastomosisJournal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.  15:397-403. 2011
    2004 Molecular Characterization of Ancylostoma ceylanicum Kunitz-Type Serine Protease Inhibitor: Evidence for A Role in Hookworm-Associated Growth DelayInfection and Immunity.  72:2214-2221. 2004

    Book

    Year Title Altmetric
    2020 Health Literacy in Surgery: A systematic Review 2020

    Chapter

    Year Title Altmetric
    2017 The perioperative surgical home: The new frontier.  785-797. 2017

    Research Overview

  • Surgical disparities, quality improvement, recovery pathways, human gastrointestinal microbiome, emotional intelligence.
  • Teaching Activities

    Education And Training

  • Boston University Medical Center, Internship
  • Boston University Medical Center, Residency
  • Mayo Clinic, Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • Doctor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University 2006
  • Full Name

  • Daniel Chu