Congratulations to the 2024 “DocStars” – Sarah R. Lieber, M.D., MSCR, Ethan Sanford, M.D., and Anezi Uzendu, M.D., FACC, – who all show great passion for their promising research. Each investigator will receive a $50,000 Early-Stage Research Grant from The Cary Council, which has been providing crucial funding to advance the research of UT Southwestern early-career investigators since its founding in 2015. To date, The Cary Council’s 21 grants have led to an additional $21+ million in follow-on funding for grant recipients to continue their work. We can’t wait to see what progress the 2024 DocStars will help make with their exciting research.
Support the DocStars
Consider a gift to The Cary Council Fund and help support innovative, early-stage research.
Sarah R. Lieber, M.D., MSCR
Improving the lives of patients after liver transplantation
Sarah R. Lieber, M.D., M.S.C.R., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine’s Division of Digestive and Liver Disease at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Her clinical practice emphasizes patient-centered care for individuals with advanced liver disease who are in need of liver transplantation. Her research interests are focused on liver transplantation outcomes, aiming to understand why some patients flourish after transplant while others struggle profoundly. She hopes to implement interventions to ensure that all patients thrive after receiving their gift of life.
Dr. Lieber earned her medical degree at the University of Michigan Medical School. She completed a residency in internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and received advanced training in gastroenterology and transplant hepatology through fellowships at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. She also holds a master’s degree in clinical research from UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Dr. Lieber is the recipient of the 2022-2025 American College of Gastroenterology Junior Faculty Development Award and the 2019 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Advanced/Transplant Hepatology Award. With a strong background in advanced liver disease, clinical research, and ethics, and certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Lieber joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2020.
Ethan Sanford, M.D.
Reducing the risk of brain injury in critically ill children
Ethan Sanford, M.D., is a dual-trained Pediatric Intensivist and Pediatric Anesthesiologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School then completed pediatric and anesthesiology residencies and fellowships at Boston Children’s Hospital. He returned home to Texas to complete pediatric critical care training at UT Southwestern before joining the UT Southwestern faculty in 2020.
As the Associate Program Director for Pediatric ECMO, Dr. Sanford regularly leads clinical teams in caring for the sickest children in our community. He works with multidisciplinary groups to determine best practices and continuously evaluate how we may better serve children at their greatest time of need. Additionally, Dr. Sanford serves as a member of the pediatric liver transplant and craniofacial anesthesia group where he regularly cares for children undergoing high risk surgeries.
Dr. Sanford works with a group of bioengineers, mathematicians, and statisticians to guide the development of novel brain health monitors on ECMO. His work is aimed not only towards improving the survival of sick children, but also to allow the best possible neurologic outcome after severe illness. As a Texas native, Ethan is an engaged member of the Dallas community along with his wife, Nina (also a UT Southwestern physician), and their daughters, Leila and Maya.
Anezi Uzendu, M.D., FACC
Empowering local students to save lives by transforming CPR education
Anezi Uzendu, M.D., F.A.C.C., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in interventional cardiology and cardiac arrest care and is passionate about improving outcomes after cardiac arrest. Dr. Uzendu has partnered with the American Heart Association on multiple projects to advocate for heart health and CPR awareness, and he also created virtual CPR training for Boston minority youth during the pandemic. He is bringing this expertise to a partnership with Dallas Independent School District to transform cardiac arrest and CPR education in schools, empowering students to save lives.
Dr. Uzendu earned his medical degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. He completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. He gained advanced training through fellowships in cardiovascular medicine at The Ohio State University Medical Center and interventional cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Corrigan Minehan Heart Center. He also completed a research fellowship in cardiovascular outcomes at Saint Luke’s Mid-America Heart Institute. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and interventional cardiology. He joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2023.