Hand and Upper Extremity

• Jeffrey Stepan, MD, MSc is the fellowship program director. He was the 2024 Gelberman Traveling Scholar (American Society of Surgery of the Hand) and 2025 North American Traveling Fellow (American Orthopaedic Association). He has a particular interest in nerve and brachial plexus surgery. He has research support from the AFSH on Social Determinants of Health and is the site PI for multiple multi-institutional studies on nerve injuries. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Hospital for Special Surgery. He completed his hand and upper extremity fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis.
• Sofia Bougioukli, MD, PhD is the program lead for our hand surgery research initiatives. She completed her orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Southern California, followed by a hand surgery fellowship at the University of Michigan. She has a special interest in peripheral nerve disorders and congenital hand differences. She is committed to translational and clinical research that investigates innovative treatment strategies for bone repair and peripheral nerve reconstruction. At the University of Chicago, she also contributes to the DEI Committee, and recently founded the Female Orthopaedic Representation, Collaboration, and Empowerment (FORCE) initiative to foster representation and empowerment of women in orthopaedics. She is a member of the FAIR Committee of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, advocating for fairness, accessibility, inclusion, and representation across the field of hand surgery.
• Cristin Coquillard, MD completed her plastic surgery residency at Northestern University. She completed her hand and upper limb fellowship at Stanford. She currently serves as the coordinater for medical student clerkship and sub-internships in the Division of Plastic Surgery.
• Daniel Hong, MD completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Columbia University. He completed his hand and upper extremity fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis and has a particular interest in peripheral nerve and wrist arthroscopy. He serves on multiple ASSH committees and an AAOS Social Media Ambassador.
• Jignesh Unadkat, MD completed his plastic surgery residency and hand fellowshipo at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Unadkat’s practice primarily focuses on the reconstruction and repair of hand and/or upper extremity injuries and condition and has a particular interest in complex reconstruction of Brachial Plexus and peripheral nerve dysfunction. He serves on multiple committes at ASSH and ASPS. He directs the global health initiative in Division of Plastic Surgery and coordinates multiple medical mission trips throughout the year.
• G. Jacob Wolf, MD is in charge of the fellowship anatomy/lab experience. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. He completed his hand and upper extremity fellowship at University of Chicago.  He is a candidate member of both the ASSH and AAOS and is an emerging leader of the AOA, serving on national subcommittees for the ASSH and AOA.
• Jennifer Moriatis Wolf, MD, PhD is the department chair, with a practice focusing on hand, wrist, and elbow.  Dr. Wolf currently serves on the board of directors of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. She has served as the President of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and as past deputy editor-in-chief of the Journal of Hand Surgery. She has been awarded research support from the Department of Defense and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF). 

• Craig Phillips, MD serves as the site director for the Endeavor Health locations. Dr. Phillips trained in orthopaedics in South Africa and Chicago, and completed his hand surgery fellowship at Curtis National Hand Center.
• Leon Benson, MD is the CMO of Illinois Bone and Joint Institute and has a busy practice focusing on shoulder, wrist and elbow problems. He is a graduate of the Northwestern orthopaedic surgery residency and Harvard/Brigham and Women’s Hand Surgery Fellowship.
• Robert Gray, MD is a hand surgeon at Endeavor Health. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Rush University and his Hand Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. His interest lie in surgical innovation and device development.
• Seth Levitz, MD is the division chief of hand surgery and upper extremity surgery at Endeavor Health. He treates a wind range of conditions from elbow to finger tip. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Boston Medical Center and hand surgery fellowship at Curtis National Hand Center.
• Christian Skjong, MD is a surgeon at Illinois Bone and Joint Institute. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Chicago and completed his hand and uper extremity fellowship at Brown University.

The fellows attend a week-long microvascular course at Mayo Clinic in August.

Both clinical sites are replantation centers and the fellows will be involved on call. Additionally, free and pedicled flap experience, as well as brachial plexus surgery, are part of the clinical program at the University of Chicago site and the fellows participate in these surgeries. Microinstruments and microscope are available for use in the fellow's office.

Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago Medicine is a major referral center as well as a Level I Trauma Center for pediatrics. The fellows are exposed to both reconstructive and post-trauma surgical management.

Fellows attend clinic and OR once per month at Shriners Children's Hospital with Dr. Feclicity Fishman where they are further exposed to complex congenital hand surgery.

Several members of the upper extremity service at Endeavor and Illinois Bone and Joint are active in shoulder reconstruction, including reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, arthroscopy, rotator cuff repair, and total elbow replacement.

All members of the orthopaedic hand surgery team operate about the elbow. There is a robust traumatic and post-traumatic elbow experience as level one call incorporates the elbow and distal.

International experience has been an integral part of the fellowship for many years. We continue to prioritize the fellows going on a service mission each year.