Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Medical School: SUNY Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine
Research Interests: Breast reconstruction, patient reported outcomes, microsurgery
Surgical Interests: Microsurgery, breast, LE reconstruction
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: exploring the different neighborhoods and spending time with friends trying new restaurants, running along the lakefront
Rachel was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She pursued her undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt University, where she majored in public health and minored in art history, graduating with honors. Her passion to pursue a surgical career was fueled by the experiences of both of her parents, whose lives were saved and restored by the intervention of caring and skilled surgeons. Rachel completed her medical education at the University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine, graduating summa cum laude and was inducted into both Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. During medical school she co-founded the plastic and reconstructive research team and worked to provide other students with the opportunity to gain exposure to the specialty.
In her free time, Rachel loves to work out, take long walks, play tennis, pursue her interest in gemology, and explore the lovely neighborhoods of Chicago, taking advantage of the incredible food scene as often as possible. She is ready to embrace Chicago's sports teams, although she remains a loyal Buffalo Bills fan. Rachel is honored and eager to work beside the outstanding physicians and staff of Rush’s integrated plastic surgery program. She looks forward to contributing to and growing within this wonderful medical community.
Hometown: Houston, TX
Medical School: University of Maryland School of Medicine
Research Interests: Craniofacial, aesthetics, microsurgery
Surgical Interests: Aesthetics, craniofacial
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Eat, attend music festivals, and electronic music concerts
Cynthia is originally from the suburbs outside of Houston, Texas. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Houston, where she graduated summa cum laude with a major in Honors Biomedical Sciences and minors in Medicine & Society, Chemistry, and Biology. During this time, she participated in a medical mission trip to Guatemala, where she provided acute medical services to rural and developing communities in the Municipality of Masagua.
Fueling her passion for medicine, Cynthia then moved to the East Coast and earned her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She took a year off prior to graduation to pursue a craniofacial research fellowship at Johns Hopkins University mentored by Drs. Richard Redett and Robin Yang. It was during this transformative year that she discovered her passion for plastic and reconstructive surgery. She became deeply inspired by the vital role of plastic surgeons in restoring patients' appearances and lives—whether through elegant local tissue rearrangements or complex facial transplantation procedures. She led the research team and worked to publish many articles and present her group’s work at national conferences. The most valuable lesson she learned during her time as a researcher was the value of creative freedom and the importance of having space for collaborative design.
Outside of her medical pursuits, Cynthia expresses her creativity through acrylic painting and creative writing. Her artistic background inspired her to make a meaningful impact on children with cleft conditions; she authored and illustrated a children's book titled "Beautiful Smiles," which provides comfort and inspiration to young patients. As a cat lover, Cynthia fostered cats during medical school and adopted a kitten named Juniper, who has since become her cherished companion. She is thrilled to have moved to Chicago for residency and is excited to explore the city’s vibrant music scene and indulge in its diverse culinary offerings. Cynthia is honored to be joining the RUSH Plastic Surgery Residency Program, where she looks forward to further developing her skills and contributing to the field.
Hometown: Wheaton, IL
Medical School: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Research Interests: Process improvement, insurance and surgical interposition, breast reconstruction, gender affirming care
Surgical Interests: Microsurgery, Breast, gender affirming
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: spending time with family and friends, exploring new restaurants, spend time at the beach, walking with the dog along the lakefront
Elise is originally from the western suburbs of Chicago and completed her undergraduate studies at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where she graduated with honors from the business school with a degree in Finance. Before, during, and after college, Elise worked for a local physicians group as a biller/coder, scheduler, medical assistant, and worked on many quality improvement projects. She then stayed in the Ohio River Valley for medical school at the University of Cincinnati, where she explored her research interests primarily at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. She has an interest in the business of medicine and healthcare economics and hopes to be able to incorporate both into her future practice. She is very excited to move back home and spend time with her friends and family who live in the Chicago area, as well as spend time with her dog Rex exploring all the dog friendly venues the city has to offer!
Hometown: Brookfield, Wisconsin
Medical School: Duke University School of Medicine
Research Interests: Patient reported outcomes, oncoplastics, surgical decision making
Surgical Interests: Still exploring and keeping an open mind
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: go on walks along the river or the lake, attend weekend food festivals, indulge my inner foodie
Sabrina is from the suburbs outside of Milwaukee and grew up playing five instruments among other hobbies. During her time in the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO), she was a part of the internally acclaimed flagship ensemble and had the opportunity to be a part of the tour symphony that performed in the fabled Carnegie Hall, Musikverein, and Béla Bartók Hall. She continued her education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studied Biology, Classical Studies, Global Health and graduated with Highest Distinction. During her undergraduate years, she continued to be concertmistress in the undergraduate orchestra and continued to be involved in the Durham Medical Orchestra when she continued her medical education at the Duke University School of Medicine. While at Duke, she took advantage of the proximity to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and continued her public health passions by obtaining her Master’s in Public Health concurrently with the third year of medical school. Sabrina was also a part of the Resident Review Podcast team while she was a medical student and is grateful to the Duke PRS department for fostering her passion in Plastic Surgery. She is excited to be back in the Midwest and closer to friends in family in the Chicago area, and hopes to eat her way through Chicago over the next 6 years. Though she grew up as a Wisconsin sports fan, she is ready to embrace the Chicago sports scene with hotdog in hand. Sabrina is looking forward to being a part of the growth in the Rush Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery program and learning from her accomplished co-residents and distinguished faculty.
Hometown: Farmington, CT
Medical School: The American Medical Program at Tel Aviv University
Research Interests Hand and peripheral nerve, Craniofacial/aesthetic surgery, Virtual surgical planning, Vascularized composite allograft
Surgical Interests: Hand and peripheral nerve, Craniofacial/aesthetic surgery, Global surgery
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: running along the lakefront, trying all of the different Chicago restaurants
Sydney grew up in Connecticut and completed her undergraduate studies in cognitive science at University of Virginia. She then went on to attend medical school in Tel Aviv where she volunteered with multiple organizations offering medical services to refugees and coordinating surgery for children with congenital heart anomalies. Sydney completed a research fellowship at RUSH University during medical school and worked closely with the Plastic Surgery Division. During this year she developed a passion for vascularized composite allograft surgery. Opportunity for innovation and improvement in patient quality of life drew Sydney to the field of plastic surgery and after living across the country and the world, she is excited to attend residency in Chicago. When Sydney is not in the hospital, she enjoys running, skiing, and traveling with family and friends. As avid hikers, Sydney and her husband Josh hope to one day hike all seven summits.
Hometown: Libertyville, IL
Medical School: Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine
Research Interests: Hand and peripheral nerve, pediatric plastic surgery, gender affirming surgery
Surgical Interests: Hand and peripheral nerve, pediatric plastic surgery, gender affirming surgery
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: ride my bike on the lakeshore path, dinner with friends in Pilsen or Chinatown, work out at South Loop Strength and Conditioning
Teresa grew up in both the Roger’s Park neighborhood of Chicago and the northern suburb of Libertyville, IL. She completed her undergraduate studies in Spanish Literature, Biology, and Bioethics at Loyola University Chicago, and later earned her master’s degree in Biotechnology from RUSH University. During graduate school, she worked in the Tribology and Motion Analysis Laboratories at Midwest Orthopedics where she studied prosthetic implant materials. These experiences inspired Teresa’s fascination with surgery, and she went on to earn her medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. As soon as she was introduced to the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery, she fell in love with the innovation, variety, and interdisciplinary nature of the specialty. Teresa is thrilled to return to RUSH for her residency training and plans to pursue a career in academic plastic surgery.
Hometown: Corinth, NY
Medical School: New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Research Interests: Microsurgery, Gender affirming surgery, Patient reported outcomes
Surgical Interests: Microsurgery, Gender affirming surgery, Breast Reconstruction
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: summer food festivals, lake activities, Chicago Symphony concerts
Ian Nolan is originally from a small town in upstate New York. Early in life he was dedicated to becoming a classical pianist. He won competitions, soloed with orchestra, participated in international music festivals, performed abroad, and completed his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance under the Piano Faculty Scholarship at the Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana. While pursuing his musical studies and completing premedical coursework at Indiana University, he also worked as a patient care assistant at IU Health Bloomington, where he discovered his passion for taking care of patients. He takes his artistic background and his passion for caring for patients into his medical work and training. During medical school at New York University Grossman School of Medicine he completed a research fellowship mentored by Dr. Jamie Levine, a master of Microsurgery. His own research has been productive, especially in the areas of Microsurgery and Gender Affirming Surgery, which are areas of particular clinical interest for him as well. He is elated to join the outstanding Plastic Surgery team at RUSH University Medical Center and looks forward to continuing to learn and provide excellent surgical care to his patients.
Hometown: Viera, Florida
Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine
Research Interests: Oncoplastic and Multi-disciplinary Research, Quality Improvement, Patient/Provider Decision-Making
Surgical Interests: Breast Microsurgery/Reconstruction, Oncologic Resection, Gender Affirmation, Peripheral Nerve Surgery
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Visit gourmet restaurants, home cooking and cocktail making, lakefront runs, walking my Frenchie, trapeze classes at TSNY.
Originally from Titusville, FL, Idi grew up near NASA, which inspired her from a young age to pursue a career in STEM. She then migrated up north to Washington, DC where she completed her undergraduate studies in Healthcare Management and Policy with Honors at Georgetown University. After completion of her second year of college, she was given early acceptance to Georgetown School of Medicine. She also completed an Honors Thesis project focused on the Affordable Care Act’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program on the U.S. Healthcare system. While at the Georgetown School of Medicine, Idi became passionate early on about surgery for breast cancer and reconstructive options. She also volunteered her time working with the DC Hispanic community to provide free screening mammography and pap smears for women without insurance. She led the Breast Surgery Research Team and worked closely to publish many articles in conjunction with the Plastic Surgery Department. In particular she is interested in research involving multidisciplinary collaboration between plastic surgery reconstruction and other fields including breast surgical oncology. She is very excited to be moving to Chicago, which naturally seems like a great transition after 8 years in DC. Her French bulldog Archie has already grown quite a fan base at Millennium Park where she takes him on walks daily. As a native Florida girl, she knows she will soak up the Chicago summers and spend all her free time at the beach. Working for a short period of time in the restaurant industry at Jose Andres’ two Michelin star restaurant Minibar, she is eager to explore the unbeatable Chicago food-scene. Idi feels right at home here in Chicago and is ecstatic to train with some of the best and brightest at RUSH Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery!
Hometown: Cali, Colombia
Medical School: Universidad de Los Andes Medical School
Research Interests: Shared decision making, Patient education via digital tools, Enhanced inform consent
Surgical Interests: Microsurgery, Lymphatic Surgery, Breast Cancer reconstruction
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Spend time with family, run along the lake, salsa dancing
Jaime is originally from Colombia, where he graduated from Universidad de Los Andes Medical School. He served as a volunteer at the Gustavo Escallon Cayzedo Outpatient Center, extending medical services to underprivileged individuals in remote areas of Colombia. Jaime then pursued a Master’s in Public Health from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and engaged in a fruitful research fellowship at BIDMC with the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He focused on improving the lives of patients suffering from breast cancer-related lymphedema, where he delved into the development of decision aids and patient education tools tailored specifically for this patient population. Subsequently, Jaime embarked on his General Surgery residency at BIDMC in Boston where he completed two years of residency. Outside the realm of academia, Jaime finds joy in various pursuits, including horseback riding, water skiing, salsa dancing, and exploring the rich heritage of pre-Columbian archaeological artifacts. He is filled with enthusiasm for this next chapter of his career in his most beloved city in the US, where he will have the opportunity to spend more time with his family while continuing to learn and grow under the mentorship of the foremost experts in the field of Plastic Surgery.
Hometown: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Medical School: Robert Larner M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
Research: My research interests are in fertility and obstetric outcomes, as well as experiences with assisted reproductive technology among surgeons in addition to surgical ergonomics. I also feel strongly about shared decision making, particularly surgeon engagement in preference elicitation with patients who have multiple comparable therapeutic options. I am also interested in machine learning for health care, optimization of medical student, intern, and resident education in plastic surgery, and exploring various psychiatric and patient-centered outcomes associated with plastic surgery procedures.
Surgical Interests: Alloplastic breast reconstruction, body contouring, Mohs and skin cancer reconstruction, oculoplastics, general cosmetic and aesthetic surgery, injectables and non-surgical techniques
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Lakefront stroller walks with my dogs, baby, husband, and friends; Farmers' markets; Trying new restaurants in new neighborhoods, especially during Restaurant Week
Liz is originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania and completed her undergraduate studies at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas where she graduated from the Honors program with a degree in Chemistry. While at SMU she spent 6 months in Copenhagen, Denmark where she studied health policy and Danish. She then moved to Hanover, New Hampshire where she earned her Master’s in Public Health from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College. She worked at Dartmouth for two years as a research fellow focusing on clinician engagement in shared decision making for patients with structural heart diseases. She then went to the University of Vermont for medical school, and then at the height of COVID she, her husband Brett, and their German Shepherd rescue (Dabbers) moved to Chicago for residency. They have since left West Loop for more space and a yard in Hyde Park, got a second German Shepherd (Roo), and had a baby (Liam). Liz and Brett love to explore the city on foot, and now with the new addition of their baby in the carrier or in the stroller. Her husband Brett is on faculty at the University of Chicago as an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Data Science, and they love their new neighborhood. Liz loves being a part of the continually growing RUSH plastic surgery family, and is enjoying learning all of the nuances and career opportunities within the field.
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Medical School: Hofstra/Northwell School of Medicine – Hempstead, NY
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Exploring the rich art and music scene throughout Chicago.
Brandon was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL with a degree in Biological Sciences. He then went to medical school at Hofstra/Northwell School of Medicine on Long Island, New York, where he graduated with a dual MD/MPH degree. Brandon is particularly interested in both clinical and basic science research in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and plans to continue being involved in research throughout his residency. He is very excited to be back home in the Midwest and to spend time exploring the Windy City.
Hometown: Homer Glen, Illinois
Medical School: RUSH Medical College
Research Interests: Aesthetic plastic surgery, understanding the ideal aesthetics of human anatomy
Surgical Interests: Cosmetic surgery, body contouring, facial aesthetics, minimally invasive surgery
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Eat the food, drink the craft beer, and see the live music and sporting events (particularly the Chicago White Sox).
Aaron grew up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Miami (FL), where he graduated from the Honors Program with a degree in Microbiology & Immunology and minors in Business Administration, Chemistry, and Philosophy. He came back home for medical school where he attended RUSH Medical College, graduating in the top 10%, and quickly realized he was destined to be a surgeon. Over the course of his training his surgical interests have evolved from trauma and cardiac surgery to hand surgery, and now high-powered aesthetic plastic surgery.
He will be completing his fellowship training after residency in 2025 at The Aesthetic Fellowship in Dallas, TX -- the #1 program in the country. Aaron, his wife, Julia, and their son, Lochlann Aaron live just outside of the city in the southwest suburbs. They love being active and have a multitude of outdoorsy hobbies. Aaron couldn’t be happier to train at RUSH and is beyond excited to finish his residency journey this year!
Hometown: Athens, Greece
Medical school: University of Athens School of Medicine – Athens, Greece
Research: Johns Hopkins University, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Baltimore, MD
Favorite things to do in Chicago: Exploring the outdoors, playing tennis, sailing
Harry grew up in Athens, Greece. He graduated from the medical school of the University of Athens with honors and he subsequently joined the clinical research team at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, MD. He completed his general surgery internship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH before moving to Chicago for his plastic surgery training. He is interested in general reconstructive surgery, microsurgery and lymphatic surgery.