Stone is a digital and communications specialist within Michigan Medicine’s department of surgery and specializes in writing about academic culture and surgery research. She enjoys storytelling in all formats and making complex concepts relatable.
![Colleen Stone head shot](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/rounded_1_1/public/blog/Colleen_Stone_Photo.jpg?h=c9a55663&itok=mc0QSqu4)
![surgeons](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2024-05/surgery-surgeons-operating-bucket-forceps.jpg?h=f0fb51a5&itok=4eaK1qtu)
Health Lab
A Michigan Medicine surgeon builds a sustainable kidney transplant program in Rwanda.
![purple green red cell image](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2023-04/panc-paper-image.png?h=f2f5a1f0&itok=bPjmROY7)
Health Lab
A research partnership has revealed a new pathway to understanding the progression of pancreatic cancer.
![mother baby smiling](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/Mother-Baby-Smiling-Hat-Woods.jpg?h=bfaa3d24&itok=CnHvZg_D)
Health Lab
Catherine Wagner, a cardiothoracic surgery resident, experienced firsthand how policies established by a previous cohort provided support for pregnant and breastfeeding trainees.
![heart transgender flag gender symbol](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/Heart-Transgender-Flag-Gender-Symbols.jpg?h=bfaa3d24&itok=jcd-d6GO)
Health Lab
A study found anxiety and depression decreased in patients who underwent gender-affirming mastectomies.
![World War 2 vintage journals and documents and photos](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/WW2-Journals-Vintage-Photos-Documents.jpg?h=bfaa3d24&itok=AwuljpBq)
Health Lab
A deep dive into logbooks from the father of a surgeon reveals what surgery on the battlefields of World War II was really like.
![med student raising hand embarrassed holding groceries](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/Med-Student-Groceries-Embarassed-Shopping.png?h=bfaa3d24&itok=E3r0vxTd)
Health Lab
A student who’d been helped stepped up along with faculty members to pay it forward.
![doctor outside in white coat with headset on and blue mask on in front of greenery](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/Doctor_Outside_with_Headset_On.jpg?h=bfaa3d24&itok=ulQakLvR)
Health Lab
A fast-tracked collaboration leads to an innovative modality for bringing learners into patient rooms, and sharing best practices and findings with far-flung colleagues.
![](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/oembed_thumbnails/JujfmG3N8k5G6HHyPwx4xOBsaenfS5jwKK2loGkzL3c.jpg?h=144d094f&itok=E0Dnoo6j)
Health Lab
Two plastic surgeons address common misconceptions about breast reconstruction surgery, and answer commonly asked questions.
![doctor's hand on patient's shoulder](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/doctor%2527s_hand_on_patients_shoulder.jpg?h=bfaa3d24&itok=TtK-mYZq)
Health Lab
Breast reconstruction surgery can be a key part of recovery from treatment, learn about the options, benefits and barriers from an expert.
![image of surgery happening above stomach with blue surgical drapes with surgical tools with white gloves removing appendix](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/surgery_of_removing_appendix.jpg?h=bfaa3d24&itok=MLcr9ny9)
Health Lab
Findings from the largest trial of its kind to date point to more control over treatment choices for patients with appendicitis.
![black mic stand in front of black chairs in an auditorium](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/black_mic_stand_in_auditorium.jpg?h=bfaa3d24&itok=g3LmG2h-)
Health Lab
Surgeons are used to discussing clinical complications, and there’s even a formal process for it: In the Department of Surgery, weekly death and complications conferences are held to peer-review specific cases with adverse outcomes.
![Handing surgery tool over during surgery](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/handing_surgery_tool_over_during_surgery.jpg?h=bfaa3d24&itok=Tyg0szdq)
Health Lab
A U-M study of pancreatic cancer surgeries suggests experience with related procedures could help when setting volume standards for relatively rare operations.
![Doctor in office](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/Doctor_in_office.jpg?h=bfaa3d24&itok=ESz_JpFb)
Health Lab
How do you prepare for a pandemic? You plan, and then you adapt.