This fall, we welcomed several new faculty members to the University of Wisconsin Department of Surgery. Learn more about them below.
Ana De Roo, MD, MSc, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Dr. De Roo will divide her time evenly between clinical care and research and scholarly activities, and will see patients all over the Madison area, including the UW Health Digestive Health Center, Unity-Point Meriter Hospital, East Madison Hospital, the Madison Surgery Center, University Hospital, and the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital. Her research will be based at University Hospital, where she will be mentored by Margaret “Gretchen” Schwarze, MD, MPP, FACS. Dr. De Roo recently finished a fellowship in colorectal surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. The University of Wisconsin marks her third Big Ten institution following obtaining her MD at the Ohio State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude, in addition to both completing residency and obtaining her MSc at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Anna Beck, MD, joins us as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology. A Wisconsin native, Dr. Beck started her medical career at Marquette University, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree, and earned her MD at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. She completed her residency in general surgery as well as a two year Surgical Oncology T32 Research Fellowship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Most recently, Dr. Beck completed a breast surgical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, New York. Dr. Beck will be based at University Hospital, where she will evenly divide her time between clinical practice and continuing her ongoing cancer genomics research.
Ashley Woodfin, MD, is one of our Assistant Professors in the Division of Surgical Oncology. As a Breast Surgeon, Dr. Woodfin will be based at University Hospital in Madison and UW Health Northern Illinois in Rockford, IL. Her research will include development of an outcomes-centered research program focused on quality improvement and surgical education of fellows, residents, and medical students related to breast surgery oncology. Dr. Woodfin returns to the Midwest following a breast surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. Prior to that, Dr. Woodfin completed her MD at Oakland University William Beaumont in Rochester, MI, and completed her general surgery residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL.
Nicci Owusu-Brackett, MD, joins us as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology. As a Breast and Cutaneous Oncology Surgeon, Dr. Owusu-Brackett will be based primarily at University Hospital, in addition to developing an outcomes-centered and translational research program focused on healthcare disparities among cancer patients. Much of Dr. Owusu-Brackett’s early career was based in Texas: she completed her MD at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, TX, and completed her general surgery residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX. Most recently, Dr. Owusu-Brackett completed a general surgery oncology fellowship at the Ohio State University in Columbus, OH.
Paul Tessmann, MD, PharmD, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Dr. Tessmann completed his MD at the University of North Dakota and his PharmD at North Dakota State University. He completed fellowships in thoracic transplantation and mechanical circulatory support from the University of Florida and critical care and extracorporeal life support from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Dr. Tessmann will be based at the University Hospital and the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, where he will divide his time between clinical care and research.
Victoria Rendell, MD, returns to the UW-Madison Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor in the Minimally Invasive Surgery Division. Dr. Rendell served as a research fellow and general surgery resident in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health from 2015-22. Dr. Rendell will see patients at University Hospital, East Madison Hospital, and the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, focusing primarily on clinical care and education. Her research focus will include the development of an outcomes centered research program focused on building quality initiatives to improve hernia outcomes. Dr. Rendell completed her MD at Duke University School of Medicine. Following her stint at UW, she has spent the last year at the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center completing her fellowship in minimally invasive surgery, focusing on abdominal wall reconstruction and advanced surgical endoscopy.