SAN FRANCISCO (July 31, 2026) — The UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery celebrates twelve fellows in their completion of their year-long fellowship program. Generally, fellowships are the final stage of training that physicians pursue before practicing on their own. Some graduates will stay in California while others will continue their work in Georgia, Michigan, Ontario, and Pennsylvania.
The Department offers fellowships in Arthroplasty; Hand, Elbow and Upper Extremity; Interventional Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine; Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery; Primary Care Sports Medicine; Spine; Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery; and Trauma. Each fellowship is managed by the education team and faculty leaders from the respective divisions.
Arthroplasty Fellows
Vibhu Banala, MD | Premier Orthopedics in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Arthur McDowell, MD | Resurgens Orthopaedics in Atlanta, Georgia
Hand Fellow
Scott Liu, MD | Kaiser Napa-Solano Medical Center in California
Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellow
Alan Grusky, MD | Kaiser Oakland Medical Center in California
Spine Fellows
Mohamed Al-Amoodi, MD | Yakima Memorial Hospital in Washington
Anudariya Batbold, MD | Neurosurgery and Spine Group in Santa Monica, California
Matthew Easton, MD | Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan
Sports Medicine and Shoulder Fellows
Benjamin Lurie, MD | Redwood Orthopedic Associates in Santa Rosa, California
Joseph Sliepka, MD | University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital in Washington
Nyaluma Wagala, MD | University of California, San Francisco
Trauma Fellows
Alexandra Paul, MD | NorthBay Health Medical Center in Fairfield, California
Julian Rizos, MD | second fellowship in Arthroplasty and Lower Extremity Reconstruction at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario
Vibhu Banala, MD, will be heading to Premier Orthopedics in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From left, Vibhu Banala, MD, and Fellowship Director Jeff Barry, MD (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
Arthur McDowell, MD, will be heading to Resurgens Orthopaedics in Atlanta, Georgia. From left, Arthur McDowell, MD, and Fellowship Director Jeff Barry, MD (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
Alan Grusky, MD, will be heading to Kaiser Oakland. From left, Fellowship Director Nicolas Hatamiya, DO, and Alan Grusky, MD. (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
Mohamed Al-Amoodi, MD, will be heading to Yakima Memorial Hospital in Washington. From left, spine faculty Vedat Deviren, MD; Mohamed Al-Amoodi, MD; Fellowship Co-Director Sigurd Berven, MD; and spine faculty Bobby Tay, MD. (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
Matthew Easton, MD, will be heading to Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan. From left, spine faculty Vedat Deviren, MD; Matthew Easton, MD; Fellowship Co-Director Sigurd Berven, MD; and spine faculty Bobby Tay, MD. (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
Benjamin Lurie, MD, will be heading to Redwood Orthopedic Associates in Santa Rosa, California. From left, Fellowship Director Stephanie Wong, MD, and Benjamin Lurie, MD (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
Joseph Sliepka, MD, will be heading to the University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital in Washington. From left, Fellowship Director Stephanie Wong, MD, and Joseph Sliepka, MD (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
Nyaluma Wagala, MD, will be joining the University of California, San Francisco. From left, Fellowship Director Stephanie Wong, MD, and Nyaluma Wagala, MD (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
Julian Rizos, MD, will be heading to a second fellowship in Arthroplasty and Lower Extremity Reconstruction at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario. From left, trauma faculty Meir Marmor, MD; Paul Toogood, MD; Anthony Ding, MD; Saam Morshed, MD; Julian Rizos, MD; Fellowship Director Theodore Miclau III, MD; David Gendelberg, MD; and Ashraf El Naga, MD (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
Alexandra Paul, MD, will be heading to NorthBay Health Medical Center in Fairfield, California. From left, trauma faculty Meir Marmor, MD; Paul Toogood, MD; Anthony Ding, MD; Saam Morshed, MD; Alexandra Paul, MD; Fellowship Director Theodore Miclau III, MD; David Gendelberg, MD; and Ashraf El Naga, MD (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)