Faculty
Dr. Jamil Ahmad is the Director of the University of Toronto - Women's College Hospital Education Program in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He works at the U of T Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Training Program based out of Women's College Hospital. His clinical interest is in aesthetic surgery and adult reconstructive surgery. His research focuses on aesthetic surgery; patient safety; anatomy; and resident education.
Dr. Terry Axelrod is a Professor of Surgery at U. of T. and is on staff at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in the Division of Orthopaedics. He is involved with the Regional Trauma Program and his expertise is in upper limb reconstructive surgery and trauma.
Dr. Heather Baltzer is the Head of the Division of Plastic Surgery at UHN and Director of the Hand Program at Toronto Western Hospital. She is a Hand Surgeon and Clinical Investigator at the University Health Network. Clinical Interests: Peripheral Nerve and Hand Surgery. Dr. Baltzer completed her Master of Science in Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. Medical Residency with the Division of Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery, University of Toronto and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota Hand and Microsurgery Fellowship. Her post-graduate degree in Health Services Research in the Institute for Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation at the University of Toronto.
Research: Health care utilization and population health economics among hand trauma populations & Translational Research Program focusing on basilar thumb arthritis.
Dr. Paul Binhammer is Division Head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. His clinical interests are in hand and microvascular surgery whose research interest is in outcome studies for patients with hand problems.
Dr. Gregory Borschel is in the Division of Plastic Surgery at The Hospital for Sick Children. His clinical interests include pediatric hand, nerve, and microsurgery. His research focuses on using tissue engineering and regenerative medicine to address peripheral nerve injuries.
Dr. Howard Clarke is a Professor of Surgery at U. of T. and is a Plastic Surgeon with the Cleft Lip and Palate Program at The Hospital for Sick Children. His major clinical and research focus is in obstetrical brachial plexus palsy. He is responsible for the Brachial Plexus Program at the Hospital for Sick Children. His clinical interests beyond brachial plexus surgery include cleft lip and palate surgery and congenital hand surgery.
Dr. Dale Dantzer is a member of the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at North York General Hospital.
Dr. Linda Dvali is Division Head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Toronto East General Hospital. Her clinical interests are in peripheral nerve surgery; surgery for arthritis - rheumatoid and osteoarthritis; and upper extremity trauma.
Dr. Amr Elmaraghy is with the Division of Orthopaedics at St. Joseph’s Health Centrespecializing in upper extremity surgery. His focus is minimally invasive surgery so his patients benefit from smaller incisions, less pain and a faster recovery.
Dr. Arnis Freiberg is a Professor Emeritus in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Toronto. He is a consultant for the Workers' Safety and Insurance Board and on the consulting staff at St. Joseph's Health Centre, Riverdale Hospital, and Lyndhurst Hospital. His clinical interests are rheumatoid hand surgery, work-related hand problems, and Undergraduate and Resident teaching.
Dr. Brent Graham is Head of the Hand Program at the University of Toronto. He holds a faculty appointment at UHN, Toronto Western Hospital where he specializes in microvascular hand surgery with research interests in carpal tunnel syndrome; hand surgery; clinical epidemiology; peripheral nerve surgery; and reconstructive microsurgery.
Dr. James Mahoney is Professor of Surgery and Head of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at St. Michael’s Hospital. His interests are in reconstructive plastic surgery, hand surgery, plastic surgery of the breast, face, and abdomen microsurgery and wound healing.
Dr. Zvi Margaliot is a Lecturer in the Department of Surgery, U. of T. in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Trillium Health Centre. His interests are in the Hand Program.
Dr. Michael McKee is an orthopaedic surgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital. His interest is in the care of fractures, post-traumatic reconstruction and malunion/nonunion. He has a particular interest in randomized clinical trials in fracture care, especially of the upper extremity.
Dr. Nancy McKee is a Professor of Surgery in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital. Her interests are in hand function and neuromuscular coordination.
Dr. Diane Nam is in the Division of Orthopaedics at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Her research is focused on impaired fracture healing; immune mediation of bone healing; bone histomorphometry; and mouse fracture model.
Christine Novak, PhD is an Associate Professor with the Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto; a Scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and a Research Associate at the University Health Network in the Hand Program (Toronto Western Hospital) and the Wharton Head & Neck Centre. Her research focus is in the area of clinical outcomes and assessment of patients with musculoskeletal disorders, particularly nerve injury and nerve compression. As a physiotherapist, her clinical practice is focused on the management of patients with upper extremities nerve related pathologies.
Dr. Ryan Paul is an Orthopaedic Hand and Wrist surgeon in The Hand Program at the Toronto Western Hospital in both The Division of Orthopaedic and Plastic Surgery. Clinical Interests: Traumatic and post-traumatic wrist reconstruction, complex upper extremity conditions Dr. Paul completed is undergraduate at McMaster University, medical school at the University of Western Ontario and completed his Surgery Residency at the University of Alberta. Dr. Paul completed his Fellowship in Sports Medicine at the University of Toronto even assisted in the care of amateur and professional athletes including the:, Toronto Marlies, Raptors 905 and the Toronto Raptors
Research: Rotator cuff pathology and orthopedic injuries.
Dr. Jonathan Persitz is a dual fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon specializing in hand and wrist surgery at Toronto Western Hospital. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto and a Clinician Investigator at the Krembil Research Institute. Dr. Persitz completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center in Israel (Tel Aviv University), followed by a fellowship in upper extremity surgery at the same institution, and then advanced fellowship training in hand, wrist, and peripheral nerve surgery at the Toronto Western Hospital’s Hand Program. His clinical interests include acute wrist trauma, wrist arthroscopy, complex reconstruction for distal radius malunions, scaphoid non-unions, and carpal instability, as well as the management of base of thumb arthritis and orthoplastic reconstruction for challenging hand and wrist injuries.
Research: Optimizing clinical outcomes and quality of care in acute surgical management and post-traumatic reconstruction of hand and wrist conditions through the use of large administrative health data and prospective registries.
Dr. Robin Richards is an orthopaedic surgeon at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. He has a subspecialty interest and expertise in upper extremity reconstruction including joint replacement of the shoulder and elbow; soft tissue procedures to control joint instabilities; surgical treatment of irreparable brachial plexus injury; treatment of chronic disorders of the forearm; and wrist reconstruction.
Michel Schofield is a Lecturer in the Department of Surgery, University of Toronto and a Medical Consultant to the Hand Program at the University Health Network, Toronto Western Hospital. Her clinical interests are non-surgical management of hand conditions; management of chronic upper extremity pain; and the use of alternative therapies in upper extremity conditions. Research interest is in cold sensitivity following traumatic hand injuries.
Dr. Christian Veillette is a faculty member in the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Toronto Western Hospital. His primary clinical interest is shoulder and elbow reconstructive surgery, especially the use of elbow arthroscopy for osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, fractures, post-traumatic contractures and tennis elbow.
Marianne Williams - Hand therapist
Dr. Kevin Zuo is a trained Plastic Surgeon and Assistant Professor in The Hand Program at the Toronto Western Hospital who specializes in Hand Surgery, Microsurgery, Peripheral Nerve Injury and Trauma. Dr. Zuo completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta, Medical Residency at the University of Toronto and completed Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. Clinical Interest: Reconstruction of osseous non-union or avascular necrosis in the extremities with vascularized bone grafts and/or microsurgical techniques. Management of advanced wrist arthritis following ligamentous injuries or bony injuries such as scaphoid non-union. Kienbocks disease of the lunate and distal radius malunion. Improving functions in paralyzed upper extremities with nerve transfers and spastic upper extremities with hyper selective neurectomies. Treatment of facial paralysis and facial nerve dysfunction such as after Bell’s palsy or acustic neuroma.
Research: Novel Methods of musculoskeletal imaging, peripheral nerve regeneration, vascularized composite allotransplantation, and patient reported outcomes after hand surgery and facial paralysis surgery.