Nya Wagala, MD
Nya Wagala, MD
Education
| Degree | Organization | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA | University of Missouri – Kansas City | 2017 | |
| MD | University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Medicine | 2019 | |
| Orthopaedic Surgery Residency, Clinician-Scientist Track | University of Pittsburgh Medical Center | 2025 | |
| Sports Medicine and Shoulder Fellowship | UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery | 2026 |
About Nya Wagala, MD
Nya Wagala, MD, is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and shoulder surgery. She cares for patients at the UCSF Orthopaedic Institute in San Francisco and the UCSF Berkeley Outpatient Center. She is also a member of the UCSF Women’s Sports Medicine Center.
Clinical Care
Dr. Wagala’s areas of interest include sports-related injuries of the knee, shoulder and hip, with research and scholarly work addressing ACL reconstruction, meniscal injury, shoulder instability, rotator cuff repair and hip arthroscopy.
She brings broad experience in athlete care and event coverage. At UCSF, Dr. Wagala provided coverage for the University of San Francisco. Her additional experience includes serving as a team physician for Junipero Serra High School and Central Catholic High School and providing medical coverage for the T100 San Francisco Pro Triathlon and the U.S. Amateur Golf Championship at The Olympic Club.
Research Interests
Dr. Wagala’s research focuses on improving the evaluation and surgical treatment of sports- related injuries. Her published work has examined ACL and PCL reconstruction, meniscal allograft outcomes, shoulder instability and rotator cuff repair, and hip preservation surgery.
She has also contributed book chapters on knee examination, research design, grant writing
and hip imaging.
Her work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals, including The American Journal of Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy, Arthroscopy Techniques, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, and Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy. She serves as a reviewer for Arthroscopy and The American Journal of Sports Medicine.
Education and Training
Dr. Wagala earned her bachelor’s degree and medical degree through the six-year BA/MD program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She completed her orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in its clinician-scientist track, which included dedicated basic science research and advanced clinical responsibilities. She then completed the UCSF Sports Medicine and Shoulder Fellowship in 2026.
Dr. Wagala is also committed to education, mentorship and service. At UCSF, she has taught musculoskeletal clinical skills to medical students and volunteered with UCSF PlaySafe. During residency, she mentored trainees through the Association of Women Surgeons
