Meet the Residents

PGY-1: Elise Hogan, MD

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!

PGY-2: Sydney Arnold, MD

Hometown: Farmington, CT

Medical School: The American Medical Program at Tel Aviv University

Research Interests Craniofacial surgery, Vascularized composite allograft, Virtual surgical planning, Hand and peripheral nerve

Surgical Interests: Craniofacial surgery, Hand and peripheral nerve, Pediatric plastic surgery, Volunteering abroad

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 enjoyed living along the scenic beaches of the Mediterranean. While living abroad, Sydney 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 between her third and fourth year of medical school and worked closely with the Plastic Surgery Division. During this year she developed a passion for vascularized composite allograft surgery and completed multiple research projects on uterus transplantation. Ample opportunity for innovation and improvement in patient quality of life drew Sydney to the field of plastic surgery. After living across the country and the world, she is excited to attend residency in Chicago and work closely with the distinguished plastic surgery faculty and excellent senior residents at Rush. When Sydney is not in the hospital, she enjoys running, skiing, and traveling with family and friends. Always an avid hiker, Sydney and her husband Josh hope to one day hike all seven summits.

PGY-2: Teresa Veselack, MD

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.

PGY-3: Ian Nolan, MD

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.

PGY-3: Idanis (Idi) Perez-Alvarez, MD

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!

PGY-3: Jaime Pardo Palau, MD

Hometown: Cali, Columbia

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.

Research Year: Elizabeth (Liz) O’Neill, MD, MPH

Hometown: Allentown, Pennsylvania

Medical School: Robert Larner M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont

Research: My primary research interest is in 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: Breast reconstruction, body contouring (cosmetic and after massive volume weight loss), Mohs and skin cancer reconstruction, facial aesthetics, injectables, general cosmetic surgery

Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Run along the lakefront path and the Riverwalk, explore new neighborhoods and restaurants, take day trips to the Northern suburbs

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 (Dabbers) moved to Chicago for residency. They love living in the West Loop, exploring all the dog-friendly restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and parks, and supporting Chicago sports teams. Liz and Brett love to run all around the city and enjoy exploring all of the amazing neighborhoods in Chicago and the suburbs. Her husband Brett will be on faculty at the University of Chicago this year, and they are excited to look for a new home in Hyde Park. Liz loves being a part of the Rush plastic surgery family, and is enjoying learning all of the nuances of plastic & reconstructive surgery.

PGY-4: Brandon Alba, MD, MPH

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.

PGY-5: Aaron Wiegmann, MD, MS

Hometown: Homer Glen, Illinois

Medical School: Rush Medical College

Research Interests: Outcomes in plastic surgery, pharmacological influences on surgical outcomes

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. He recently earned a master’s degree in clinical research from the Graduate College at Rush University during residency. Aaron, his wife, Julia, and their two cats, Loo Loo and Thomas, live in a cute little bungalow in Forest Park, IL - just outside of the city. They love being active and have a multitude of outdoorsy hobbies. Aaron couldn’t be happier to train and become a plastic & reconstructive surgeon in this city and at this program!

PGY-5: Charalampos (Harry) Siotos, MD, PhD

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.

PGY-6: Mark A. Hansdorfer, MD

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois and Warsaw, Poland
Medical School: Medical University of Warsaw
Surgical Interests: Hand & Upper Extremity, Microsurgery, Pediatric Plastic Surgery
Favorite Thing to Do in Chicago: Year-round swimming in Lake Michigan, pond hockey, Portillo’s

Mark grew up on the North side of Chicago and Warsaw, Poland from where his family is originally from. After medical school, he started his surgical training as a categorical surgery resident at the University of Illinois before completing a two year post-doctoral research fellowship in Boston, MA at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School where he was in charge of a Department of Defense-funded trial of peripheral nerve repair in non-human primates. Mark then returned to Chicago to continue his surgical training at the Rush University Medical Center Integrated Plastic Surgery Residency Program. His career goals include becoming an academic plastic surgeon and having his own basic/translational research laboratory. Mark is happy to be back in Chicago and eager to learn the art of plastic surgery!