1984
John Skandalakis, MD, PhD, founded the Thalia and Michael Carlos Center for Surgical Anatomy and Technique at Emory University in 1984.
A former Greek resistance fighter during WW II and veteran of the 1946-1949 Greek Civil War, Dr. Skandalakis immigrated to the U.S. in 1951 after receiving his MD and doctorate in surgery at the University of Athens. He completed his fellowship and residency at Grady Memorial Hospital, St. Joseph's Infirmary, and Piedmont Hospital, and began teaching anatomy at Emory while serving as the director of surgical education at Piedmont. He was named the Chris Carlos Distinguished Professor of Surgical Anatomy and Technique in 1977.
1990
Dr. Skandalakis founded the Alfred A. Davis Research Center for Surgical Anatomy and Technique.
1991-2008
Dr. Skandalakis' ethos was encapsulated by his pithy phrase "know anatomy, no complications," included in "Reflections on Dissection: Leave No Student Behind," published in the January 2008 edition of The American Surgeon.
To fulfill this imperative, the Carlos Center for Surgical Anatomy and Technique and the Davis Research Center for Surgical Anatomy and Technique sponsored two elective courses, "Topics in Clinical Anatomy" and "Surgical Anatomy, Embryology, & Operative Techniques"; conducted and published detailed research reports; and amassed a vast bibliography of influential publications, many of which were first-time commentaries of particular anatomic topics.
Three of Dr. Skandalakis' most notable books were Embryology for Surgeons, Anatomical Complications in General Surgery, and Surgical Anatomy and Technique: A Pocket Manual, all of which were translated into numerous languages and are still referenced.
2009
Dr. Skandalakis died of leukemia, ending an illustrious career that inculcated a thorough knowledge of surgical anatomy in thousands of Emory-based medical students and residents and physicians around the globe. A period of transition followed, during which Barbara Pettitt, MD, helmed the "Surgical Anatomy, Embryology, & Operative Techniques" course, centers-associated publications continued appearing in the surgical literature, and the search for a new director began.
2012
The separate clinical and research centers were unified under the umbrella of the Thalia and Michael Carlos and Alfred A. Davis Center for Surgical Anatomy and Technique (CSAT), and Keith Delman, MD, was appointed to the directorship as well as the Carlos Professor of Surgical Anatomy and Technique.
Dr. Delman possessed the requisite passion for education and recognition of the importance of anatomy that were required to assume and renew the enterprise Dr. Skandalakis cultivated from the Carlos and Davis families' generous donations. At the time of his appointment, Dr. Delman was also serving as program director of the Emory general surgery residency, a position he held until 2020.
2013
CSAT's location at 1462 Clifton Road, NE, was relocated to the Department of Surgery's Office of Surgical Education in Suite H-100 on the first floor of Emory University Hospital. The suite also houses a divisible, multimedia classroom with an interactive digital projection screen, a simulation lab, poster printer, various work stations, chief resident offices, a common area and kitchen, two resident call-rooms equipped with showers, and the Maurice J. Jurkiewicz Library.
2014
CSAT released its first app, Surgical Anatomy of the Liver. Shortly after, the app received an Award of Excellence from the Association of Medical Illustrators. The app is available in Google Play and the Mac App Store.
2017
CSAT's Anatomy of the Male Pelvis app is released. The app translates the depiction of the complex organization of the male pelvis into a concise, visually engaging, easy-to-use format for teaching, training, and consulting. Also available in Google Play and the Mac App Store.
2018
Surgical Anatomy of the Lung, a comprehensive preoperative planning, education, and patient information app, was released. Available in Google Play and the Mac App Store.
2022
With his appointment to Division Chief of Surgery at Grady Memorial Hospital and Chief of Surgery for Emory at Grady, Dr. Delman stepped down from his position as Director of CSAT. A. Alfred Chahine, MD, is now CSAT's Interim Director. Dr. Chahine has professorship appointments in both the Division of Pediatric Surgery of the Department of Surgery and the Department of Pediatrics, and serves as Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Surgery.
Dr. Chahine is considered an exceptional educator, and has won more than 20 teaching awards. He has been a leader in the Association of Program Directors in Surgery, organizing their annual "New Program Directors Workshop," chairs the Education Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics – Section on Surgery, and is a member of the editorial board of the SCORE Portal.
