Craniofacial Surgery Fellowship

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University: A historic partnership of pediatric excellence

In 1956, the Board of Trustees for both Emory University and Egleston Hospital signed an agreement to make Egleston a first-rate teaching hospital

Children’s is one of the largest freestanding healthcare systems in the country. Emory is one of the nation’s leading research universities. Together, the two share a passion for pediatric innovation and advancements. In 1956, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Egleston Hospital and Emory University first established a pediatric teaching relationship. This relationship has developed to facilitate leading-edge pediatric research, training and innovation.

Children’s and Emory University School of Medicine partner together on pediatric residency and fellowship training programs as well as the management and execution of clinical trials. Discoveries in Emory’s research laboratories are translated into lifesaving treatments at Children’s. Emory and Children’s share a unique employment agreement; more than 400 physicians hold titles at both independent institutions.

Connect with former craniofacial surgery fellows to hear about their experiences with our program.

Danielle Sobol, MD (2022, Current)

Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX

Alexis Tashima, MD (2021)

Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock, AR

Sara Neimanis, MD (2020)

University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY

Jenny Lee Nguyen, MD (2019)

Daniel Cuzzone, MD (2018)

Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, GA

Jenny Chen, MD (2017)

Brentley Taylor, MD (2016)

McCollough Plastic Surgery Clinic, Gulf Shores, Ala.

Courtney Carpenter, MD (2015)

Gillette Children’s, St. Paul, MN

Jordan Steinberg, MD, PhD (2014)

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL

Magdalena Soldanska, MD (2013)

ChiChi Berhane, MD (2012)

Director, Reconstructive Surgery, Shepherd Center, Atlanta, Ga.

Mark Schoemann, MD (2011)

Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, Va.

Sam Maurice, MD (2010)

Chief of Plastic Surgery, Mercy Medical Center, Des Moines, Iowa

At Children’s, we offer fellows the opportunity to train with advanced technologies, including:

• Bone substitutes (hydroxyapatite cement)
• Endoscopic torticollis treatment
• Laser treatment of hemangiomas
• Mandibular distraction
• Nasal alveolar molding (NAM)

Fellows are expected to participate in research projects for manuscripts and presentations.

Recent projects and reviews include:

• Basic science research through the Georgia Institute of Technology (alveolar cleft model for reconstruction) and Virginia Commonwealth University (craniosynostosis)
• Hypernasality in non-cleft patients
• Review of dog bites in a major urban area
• Reviews of maxillary distraction in cleft patients
• Use of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) in alveolar cleft reconstruction

Faculty members maintain clinical appointments in the Division of Plastic Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine. Plastic surgery residents at Emory University participate in rotations through Children’s.

Fellows are expected to teach residents in the operating room and through lectures at various conferences and labs. Fellows may participate in all Emory University plastic surgery conferences.

Learn more about the Division of Plastic Surgery at Emory University.

Fellows are expected to participate in faculty-directed surgical cases. This includes preparation of the surgical splint and planning for orthognathic cases. Fellows are also expected to participate in the post-operative care of patients, in addition to planning surgeries through private and craniofacial clinics.

Fellows are not expected to participate routinely in call coverage. They are given junior attending status and are expected to cover call occasionally and operate independently. Fellows are also involved in teaching plastic surgery residents and medical students as needed.