A graduate of the Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia, Juan Carlos Puyana, MD, completed his surgical residency at McGill University in Montreal and trauma/critical care training at Yale University. He is ABS certified in general surgery and surgical critical care. Currently, he is an Associate Professor in our Department of CCM and Director of Trauma at UPMC Presbyterian. Being most active in clinical traumatology, teaching and research, Dr. Puyana has maintained close cooperation with his peers in Colombia. As Principal Investigator, Dr. Timothy Billiar, Professor and Chair of Pitt's Surgical Department, with Dr. Andrew Peitzman, Professor and Director of Trauma at Pitt, and Dr. Juan Puyana applied for a grant from the Fogarty International Center at NIH. In 2006, they learned of the approval of $150,000 per annum for the next five years to establish a partnership between Colombia and UPMC. Beginning in 2007, visiting Colombian surgical trainees will be able to pursue certificates or even Master's Degrees in clinical research at Pitt through the Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP). Dr. Puyana is featured in the Spring Edition of Pitt Med.