Palca Shibale Receives SUS Karl Storz Resident Research Scholar Award

Dr. Palca Shibale, a general surgery resident from the University of Wisconsin currently conducting research in Dr. Derrick Wan and Dr. Michael Longaker's laboratory at Stanford, has been awarded the SUS Karl Storz Resident Research Scholar Award, which provides $40,000 in funding to support her project titled “Fibroblast Subpopulations and the Foreign Body Response to Implanted Materials.”

Working under the mentorship of Michael T. Longaker, MD, the Deane P. and Louise Mitchell Professor in the Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Shibale’s research explores how the body reacts to implanted biomaterials and medical devices—a process known as the foreign body response. Her project focuses on identifying fibroblast subpopulations that may drive both acute and chronic scarring and determining whether these same cell types contribute to long-term fibrotic reactions around implants.

Using transgenic mouse models, her team will modulate mechanical signaling pathways to test whether regenerative healing can be promoted instead of fibrosis. The findings could have meaningful implications for improving healing outcomes in patients with implanted materials and for those recovering from severe burn injuries.

On receiving the award, Dr. Shibale shared  “I am honored to be a recipient for the Karl Storz resident research award and extend my deepest gratitude to the Society of University Surgeons. Thank you to my research mentor Dr. Michael Longaker for his continued support and consistency in maintaining high standards of excellence. I am driven to be a better surgeon scientist under his mentorship.” 

Dr. Shibale is pursuing a career as a surgeon-scientist dedicated to advancing wound healing research. Funding from the Society of University Surgeons (SUS), sponsored by Karl Storz, will support this next phase of her work investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the body’s healing response.