Please join us in welcoming 28 clinical fellows to UBC Department of Orthopaedics from all corners of the globe for the 2024–2025 academic year.
Hailing from six continents, these accomplished individuals bring a wealth of expertise, perspectives, innovative approaches, and outstanding accomplishments to our community to foster a deep commitment to the highest standards of clinical care.
Clinical fellowships in the Department of Orthopaedics at UBC provide opportunities for trainees to expand their knowledge of a particular subspecialty through teaching, research, and clinical experience.
Join us in welcoming our new clinical fellows in the divisions of Arthroscopy, Distal Extremities, Pediatrics, Reconstruction, Spine, and Trauma.
Uniting Orthopaedics Excellence from Around the Globe!
View our map showcasing the origins of our new UBC Orthopaedics clinical fellows. Let us celebrate the knowledge and skills that will shape the future of musculoskeletal health worldwide.
Arthroscopy
Basam Alanazi
Fellowship: Arthroscopy & Sports Medicine
Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
“I completed medical school and Orthopaedic residency training in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, then I completed a Hand & Upper Extremity fellowship and Shoulder & Upper Limb fellowship at UBC. I’m honoured to be joining the UBC Reconstructive Arthroscopy Fellowship Program. It’s a great opportunity to improve my surgical skills and gain further experience from the distinguished orthopaedic team at UBC.”
Distal Extremities
Abdullah Alotaibi (He/Him/His)
Fellowship: Shoulder & Upper Limb
Hometown: Sajir, Saudi Arabia
“I studied medicine and surgery (MBBS) at KSAU-HS, Riyadh followed by a residency in King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh. I have a focused interest in oncology and upper limb surgery, and I am keen to expand my reconstructive skills for upper and lower extremities alike. I completed a musculoskeletal oncology and reconstruction fellowship at the University of Ottawa this past June. During my fellowship, I was advised by my mentors to pursue a shoulder and upper limb surgery fellowship at The University of British Columbia with Dr. Adrian Huang. After finishing my fellowship, I will then go back to Saudi Arabia to practice in KFMC, Riyadh, a well-known tertiary care center and research institute.”
Amélia Suddaby
Fellowship: Foot & Ankle Adult Reconstruction
Hometown: Ottawa, Canada
“I did my medical training at the University of Ottawa, followed by residency at Queen’s. I’m so thrilled to be joining the team at St. Paul’s this year, and to be working with such excellent surgeons! Vancouver is such a beautiful city, and I’m excited to spend the year exploring.”
Carlos Albarrán Rodríguez (He/Him/His)
Fellowship: Foot & Ankle Adult Reconstruction
Hometown: Santiago, Chile
“I completed my Orthopaedic Surgery residency in Chile, and I also possess a MSc degree in Epidemiology. I am thrilled to join the UBC Foot & Ankle Fellowship and collaborate with world-class orthopaedic surgeons. My goal is to expand my expertise and contribute to the field by undertaking various research projects. Outside of my professional pursuits, I cherish spending quality time with my family.”
Marianne Koolen
Fellowship: Foot & Ankle Adult Reconstruction
Hometown: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
“I was born and raised in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. I am excited to join the UBC Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Division and work with an international team. I am looking forward to learning things I can bring into practice back in the Netherlands. My family and I love being outdoors. We like to go running, cycling, swimming and skiing in the winter.”
Sultan Alharbi
Fellowship: Foot & Ankle Adult Reconstruction
Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
“My name is Sultan! I’m an academic orthopedic surgeon based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I have a passion for advancing orthopaedic medicine and educating the next generation of medical professionals. I am honored to join the foot and ankle fellowship at UBC. My aim is to advance my knowledge in various complex conditions and help those who need care when I go back to my lovely country, Saudi Arabia.”
Tudor Trache (He/Him/His)
Fellowship: Foot & Ankle Adult Reconstruction
Hometown: Winterthur, Switzerland
“I am an orthopaedic and trauma surgeon from Switzerland. I am very excited to join the UBC Foot and Ankle Division for my fellowship and learn from the very best minds in this field. I am a passionate mountain biker and skier, so I am also looking forward to British Columbia`s great outdoors. When it is time to unwind, I like to lean back and play my guitar. Being here in Vancouver for a whole year feels like a dream come true.”
Pediatrics
Abdullah Alduwaisan
Fellowship: Pediatric Orthopaedic Spine
Hometown: Kuwait City, Kuwait
“I am incredibly excited to join the Pediatric Orthopaedic Spine Team at UBC and hope to benefit from their world-renowned expertise in providing care for children with complex spinal deformities. My wife and I will be moving from Calgary where I’ll have completed an adult spine fellowship, and we’re looking forward to a year of adventures in BC. When not working at BC Children’s Hospital, you’ll probably find me by the seawall getting ready for the Vancouver marathon!”
Clariz Patricio
Fellowship: Pediatric Orthopaedics
Hometown: Quezon City, Philippines
“I am an orthopaedic surgeon from Quezon City, Philippines. I served in the Armed Forces for seven years prior to pursuing a fellowship in pediatric orthopaedics. I am looking forward to learning as much as I can during my year in BC Children’s Hospital, engaging in cultural exchanges with other fellows from all over the world, and exploring the beautiful city of Vancouver.”
Elsa Daniel
Fellowship: Pediatric Orthopaedics
Hometown: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
“I am thrilled to join the Department of Pediatric Orthopaedics at BC Children’s Hospital. I completed my orthopaedic surgery training at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. I am a board-certified COSECSA orthopaedic surgeon who is eligible to practice in eastern, southern, and central Africa. I have had the privilege of serving in few African countries. I am honored to learn from the esteemed surgeons and the incredible team at BC Children’s Hospital to further my knowledge of pediatric orthopaedics. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and exploring the great outdoors. I am grateful for the opportunity to do so in the beautiful and vibrant city of Vancouver. I am also looking forward to learning how to ski. Looking forward to an incredible year ahead.”
Hani Alharbi
Fellowship: Pediatric Orthopaedic Spine
Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
“I’m Hani Alharbi, and I was raised in Saudi Arabia. I completed my medical education and residency in Riyadh, our capital city. In 2023, I completed my spine surgery fellowship at Ottawa University. Currently, I work as a spine surgeon at King Saud Medical City, one of the largest medical centers in our country. I am looking to advance my expertise, expanding my exposure, and refining my skills in pediatric spine surgery.”
James Sant
Fellowship: Pediatric Orthopaedics
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
“Hello, my name is James. I’m an orthopaedic fellow from Sydney, Australia where I also did my medical training. I’ve spent the past few years travelling around the east coast of Australia as part of my orthopaedic training, working in regional hospitals and tertiary referral centres. I have been lucky to work at pediatric hospitals in Sydney, which is where I became interested in pediatric orthopaedics! Within pediatric orthopaedics I’m most interested in neuromuscular, pediatric hip and knee, and limb deformity. Outside of work, I like spending time with family and friends (and cat!), watching sports (cricket mainly—but I’m keen to see what this ice hockey stuff is all about), and checking out restaurants, breweries, etc. Although I don’t get a lot of time for outdoor activities at home, I’m hoping to explore the skiing and hiking options while living in BC.”
Luckshman Bavan
Fellowship: Pediatric Orthopaedics
Hometown: Beaconsfield, England
“I am a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon from the UK and obtained by medical degree from Imperial College London. I completed my orthopaedic registrar training in Oxford and a fellowship in pediatric orthopaedics at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. I have a particular interest in managing neuromuscular conditions, lower limb deformity and pediatric hip disorders. I am actively engaged in clinical research and have completed a PhD investigating the clinical applications of wearable motion sensing technology. I am looking forward to exploring Vancouver with my wife, daughter, and dog.”
Reconstruction
Ian Kennedy
Fellowship: Adult Reconstruction, Hip & Knee
Hometown: Glasgow, Scotland
“I am honoured to be undertaking the Vancouver Adult Reconstruction Fellowship, which has a strong heritage of training world-class arthroplasty surgeons. The team here is renowned for their exceptional surgical skills and research output, making this an excellent opportunity for professional development. I look forward to living and working in this amazing city with my family.”
Liam Yapp (He/Him/His)
Fellowship: Adult Reconstruction, Hip & Knee
Hometown: St. Andrews, Scotland
“I obtained my primary medical degree from the University of Dundee, and I completed my orthopaedic residency in Edinburgh. I chose to further my training in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia not only because it is an internationally renowned centre but also because several of my past colleagues and mentors reported universally good fellowship experiences here. I am married to a family physician, and we are kept busy with two small children!”
Matthew McIntosh
Fellowship: Adult Reconstruction, Hip & Knee
Hometown: Markham, Canada
“I am honoured and thankful to be a part of the Adult Hip and Knee Reconstruction Fellowship Team at UBC this year. My training has taken me across much of Canada, including Edmonton Alberta for my orthopaedic residency, Kingston Ontario for medical school, and Montreal Quebec for my undergraduate and master’s degrees. Outside of work, I enjoy almost all things sports and fitness and look forward to making the most of the beautiful BC coast.”
Matthew Seah (He/Him/His)
Fellowship: Adult Reconstuction, Hip & Knee
Hometown: Singapore
“I graduated from Edinburgh University (with an intercalated year in neuroscience), and continued my orthopaedics training in Scotland and Cambridge, where I also completed a PhD on stem cell therapies in cartilage regeneration and was elected as a Teaching and Research Fellow at Emmanuel College (Cambridge). I am excited to join UBC Ortho to enhance my surgical skills and to experience the unparalleled beauty of British Columbia. In my free time, I love writing, travelling and rowing; in recent years, I have also been involved in trauma work in Myanmar and South Africa.”
Omar Abdullah Alsultan (He/Him/His)
Fellowship: Adult Reconstruction, Hip & Knee
Hometown: Saudi Arabia
“I have completed my medical school education and residency in orthopaedics in Saudi Arabia. Currently, I am truly delighted to join the UBC Adult Reconstruction team as a fellow for this year to learn from such world-class, high-volume surgeons. Their expert in teaching will be a fantastic opportunity. My interest is to learn new techniques and skills in orthopaedic specialty to be able to implement it in my surgeries and provide the best treatment for patients in my hometown.”
Tanya MacDonell
Fellowship: Adult Reconstruction, Hip & Knee
Hometown: Smithers, Canada
“I’m a UBC residency grad. I am thrilled to be joining on as an adult hip and knee recon fellow this year to learn the finer details of complex joint reconstruction and academic orthopaedics with this world-renowned group. I hope to carry this skillset into a high-volume community elective arthroplasty practice. Outside of the OR, I enjoy ocean rowing, fishing, a good book, and backcountry splitboard adventures. Looking forward to another excellent year with the UBC Orthopaedics Department.”
Spine
James McDonald (He/Him/His)
Fellowship: Neurosurgical & Orthopaedic Spine
Hometown: St. John’s, Canada
“My name is James McDonald, and I’m from St. John’s, Newfoundland, where I completed medical school and ortho residency. My wife, my child, and I are excited to spend this fellowship year in Vancouver. During my fourth year of residency, I completed a month-long rotation in spine at VGH, and it was clear that this program is second to none. Outside of work, I love spending time with my family, playing the guitar, and snowboarding.”
Said Sadiqi (He/Him/His)
Fellowship: Neurosurgical & Orthopaedic Spine
Hometown: Utrecht, The Netherlands
“I am very excited to be joining the world-renowned UBC’s combined Neurosurgical and Orthopaedic Spine Fellowship Program. I did my medical and orthopaedic training in the Netherlands. I look forward to learn as much as possible and to further consolidate my knowledge and skills in the management of a comprehensive range of spinal pathologies. Personally, my wife and I are excited to explore the great outdoors in BC and further.”
Taryn Ludwig (She/Her/Hers)
Fellowship: Neurosurgical & Orthopaedic Spine
Hometown: Calgary, Canada
“I am originally from Calgary, where I have done my engineering, PhD, MD and orthopaedic residency training. I’m really looking forward to the clinical volume and complexity of the Vancouver Spine Program. My husband, two young boys, two geriatric dogs, and I love doing anything outside as a family. We’re looking forward to exploring Vancouver and being so close to the ocean!”
Trauma
Gustavo Matson Sánchez
Fellowship: Orthopaedic Trauma – Vancouver Acute
Hometown: Cartagena, Colombia
“Hi, I’m an orthopaedic surgeon from Colombia. I love sports, especially tennis or soccer, which I frequently play. I’m interested in travelling and getting to know new places and people. I have studied all my life in Colombia completing my first 4 PGYs in Cartagena and an orthopaedic trauma fellow for one year in Bogotá. I think UBC Ortho will help me learn new concepts and prepare better to lead trauma surgery in Cartagena, Colombia.”
Vishvas Shetty (He/Him/His)
Fellowship: Orthopaedic Trauma – Vancouver Acute
Hometown: London, United Kingdom
“I grew up in Bombay and completed my surgical training in London. I’m excited to join the exclusive club of trainees from the UK who have done the trauma fellowship at VGH. I’m also looking forward to exploring the city and the natural beauty of the province with my wife, son and dog!”
The UBC Department of Orthopaedics offers training in the UBC MD Undergraduate Program, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons accredited Residency Program, a number of sub-specialty Clinical Fellowships, as well as Continuing Professional Development opportunities. Learn more about our educational opportunities.
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