Rajiv Sethi, MD, PhD

Kevin Hwang, MD

Mark Chu Xu, MD

Chelsea Bahney, PhD

Joshua Weiss, MD

Joshua Weiss recently graduated from St. George University School of Medicine. He is working under the guidance of Dr. Ashraf El Naga and Dr. David Gendelberg to explore socioeconomical issues impacting access to comprehensive spine trauma care on a national and international level. Through the international SIGN Fracture Care initiative, he aims to improve spine trauma outcomes in low-resource areas by utilizing country-specific outcome data. Closer to home, he is focused on the outcome effects and training impacts associated with changes in trauma center volumes and distributions. Additionally, he is completing a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship at the UCSF Orthopaedic Trauma Institute in the Marcucio Molecular and Cellular Biology lab studying fracture healing in mouse and human models. He plans to pursue a career in orthopaedics to expand care access in rural settings.
 

Sama Zazai

Sama Zazai is a Junior Specialist in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UCSF / San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH). She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences: Physiology & Metabolism and a Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures from UC Berkeley, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Health Policy and Law at UCSF / UC Law SF. On the pre-medical track with plans to matriculate into medical school, Sama brings a strong passion for clinical research, health policy, and the advancement of culturally competent care. She contributes to a range of projects across both the Orthopaedic Trauma Institute (OTI) and the UCSF SPARC initiative. Through her academic goals and clinical research endeavors, Sama strives to bridge clinical practice with equitable health policy to improve outcomes for diverse patient populations.
 

Zachary Booze, MD

Shravya Kakulamarri, MD

Shravya Kakulamarri is an orthopaedic surgery resident at UCSF. She completed her medical education at UT Southwestern Medical School, during which she spent a year at UCSF as an IGOT Research Fellow, primarily working with SIGN Fracture Care International. She has had the privilege of conducting research in Brazil, Malawi, and Tanzania.
 

Prabhjot Singh

Prabhjot Singh is a medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. During his time at the UCSF Orthopaedic Trauma Institute, he worked under the mentorship of Dr. Saam Morshed and Dr. David Gendelberg on research examining orthopaedic trauma care, spinal innovation, and clinical outcomes. His work included a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the impact of orthogeriatric and fracture liaison service models on mortality, secondary fracture prevention, and healthcare utilization following hip fracture; he also worked on a review of minimally invasive facet fusion techniques and outcomes capturing the current landscape of MISS approaches. In addition to his research, Prabhjot valued attending fracture conferences/anatomy labs, learning from the clinical team, exploring San Francisco, and becoming part of the welcoming OTI community. He continues to collaborate with the OTI team remotely and plans to pursue a career in orthopaedic surgery focused on improving outcomes, access, and equity in musculoskeletal care.

Niki Golchini

Niki Golchini is a second-year medical student at Rush Medical College. During her internship at the UCSF Orthopaedic Trauma Institute, she worked under the mentorship of Dr. Nicolas Lee on clinical outcomes and global orthopaedic research. Under Dr. Lee's guidance, she led a retrospective study evaluating the perioperative effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists following upper extremity fracture fixation, which has since been submitted for publication. She is continuing her work with Dr. Lee through a Global Burden of Disease 2023 analysis characterizing the burden of upper extremity fractures across Latin America and the Caribbean to support orthopaedic global health initiatives. She is also collaborating with Dr. Lee, Dr. Ashraf El Naga, and Dr. David Gendelberg on a systematic review and retrospective study investigating Double Crush Syndrome using the UCSF Data Commons platform. Beyond research, Niki valued the opportunity to learn from residents and faculty through fracture conferences, anatomy sessions, and clinical experiences in the operating room. She also deeply appreciated the mentorship she received and the lasting professional relationships she developed within the OTI community. Her experience at OTI strengthened her commitment to pursuing orthopaedic surgery, where she hopes to integrate epidemiology, global health and clinical outcomes research to advance musculoskeletal care.
 

Patrick Belen

Patrick Belen is a rising second-year medical student at the UCSF School of Medicine. At the UCSF Orthopaedic Trauma Institute, he is working with Dr. El Naga and Dr. Gendelberg on two clinical research projects: a study investigating barriers to orthopaedic follow-up care after injury and a study examining how language barriers contribute to communication-related clinical errors in orthopaedic care. Through this work, Patrick hopes to improve access to follow-up care and reduce disparities for vulnerable patient populations. Beyond the research itself, Patrick has valued the mentorship of Dr. El Naga and Dr. Gendelberg and aims to continue working with them throughout his time in medical school. Patrick plans to pursue a career in orthopaedic surgery and intends to become an orthopaedic surgeon whose practice and research improve access to care for vulnerable patients.

Evan Chau

Evan Chau is a second-year neuroscience student at the University of California, Berkeley. At UCSF, he is working with Dr. Gendelberg and Dr. El Naga on three spine research projects: a nationwide study of the public health implications of spine care, a project advancing newly patented bone screw technology to make spinal fixation safer and more durable, and a clinical study of the lower lumbar spine. Through this work, Evan hopes to help translate rigorous, innovative research into better recovery and quality of life for spine patients. Beyond the research itself, Evan has deeply valued the mentorship of Dr. Gendelberg and Dr. El Naga and the community of researchers around him and hopes to continue working with them going forward. He plans to pursue a career in medicine devoted to advancing research and expanding access to care for the patients who need it most.

Dylan Wallace Hosn

Dylan Hosn is a 3^rd year undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley where he is pursuing a degree in Neuroscience on a Pre-Medicine track. During his OTI internship, Dylan worked with Dr. Gendelberg and Dr. El Naga on several significant research projects. His work includes contributions to manuscripts using the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) data: a study on spine trauma and SCI case volumes at trauma centers and its implications for training, a parallel study on pelvic and acetabular case volumes and their implications for training, and an analysis on SI joint fusion trends for pelvic ring injuries. Additionally, Dylan built a patient registry in REDCap from the ground up for use at San Francisco General Hospital and UCSF to support prospective orthopaedic trauma research. He is currently working on helping rebuild and redesign the OTI Junior Academy by developing a new curriculum and strengthening the program for a future cohort in 2027. Dylan’s experience at OTI deepened his interest in orthopaedics and spine surgery and reinforced his commitment to pursuing a career in medicine.

Past SPARC Research Interns and Fellows

Zodina Beiene, MD  
Avionna Baldwin, MD  
Michaela Booker, MD  
Nesa Milan, MD  
Samantha Schmerler, MD
Tim Wu  
Calvin Wang  
Obiajulu Agha  
Charlotte Wahle  
Amy Kuang  
Chellandra Samuels  
 

About the SPARC Internship Program

The Orthopaedic Trauma Institute at UCSF offers a selective internship program for prospective students interested in orthopaedic trauma. This program is available during both the summer and the academic year. 
To view detailed information and application requirements, please visit our official website.

AO Spine’s annual meeting, the Global Spine Congress (GSC)

Annual International San Francisco Orthopaedic Trauma Conference

OTI Spine Trauma Course: Optimizing Decision making and Surgical Techniques

NASS 41st Annual Meeting

2026 SIGN International Orthopaedic Conference: Spine Course

SSF Trauma Symposium: Chairing the SSF Spine Trauma Course

SMISS Annual Forum 2026

Spinopelvic Injury and Stabilization | Ashraf El Naga, M

The McCormick Classification A Critical Review - Ashraf El Naga, MD

Decision Making in Lumbopelvic Trauma - Ashraf N. El Naga, MD

Pediatric Spine Trauma - David Gendelberg, MD

Spinous Process Fractures: Bad Actors & Flexion Distraction Injuries- David Gendelberg, MD

Restoring the Sagittal Plane: Tips & Techniques - Ashraf El Naga, M.D.

Spine Based Solution for Pelvic Injuries Part II - Ashraf El Naga, M.D.

Fixation Strategies for Complex Sacral Fractures - Ashraf El Naga, MD & William Cross III, MD

Timing of Surgical Stabilization Damage Control Spine - David Gendelberg, M.D.

Upper Cervical Instrumentations C1 ORIF Reduction & Technique - David Gendelberg, M.D.

Spinous Process Fractures: Bad Actors & Flexion Distraction Injuries- David Gendelberg, M.D.

Jumped Facet Injuries: Initial Management & Choosing a Surgical Approach - David Gendelberg, M.D.

David Gendelberg, MD - Challenges in Delivering Spine Care to the Underserved

Ultra Early Spinal Cord Decompression: Rationale, Implementation & Experience - David Gendelberg, MD

Navigated Corpectomies - David Gendelberg, M.D.

Incorporating an MIS Philosophy in Spine Trauma - David Gendelberg, MD & Ashraf El Naga, MD

02 Neck Injuries Clearing the cervical spine David Gendelberg, MD

Surgical DEMO: Upper Cervical Instrumentations - David Gendelberg, M.D.

Prioritization of Surgical Intervention in the Polytrauma Patient | David Gendelberg, MD\

Meet Fremont’s Community Spine Surgeon: Engineering, Spice, & Real MedTech Impact

Author Review: Spine Trauma Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Interesting Cervical Trauma Cases - Ashraf El Naga, MD, Alekos Theologis, MD & David Gendelberg, MD

An Innovative Approach to Spine Trauma Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Global Spine Surgery, Live Session 1: Traumatic Spinopelvic Dissociation

©AO Foundation