Department of Surgery
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Jessica Blum, MD

Plastic Surgery Resident

Jessica’s clinical and academic focus is craniofacial and cleft surgery. She earned her medical degree from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, where she completed the Global Health Academic Concentration, and holds a Master of Science in Applied Health and Behavioral Research from Washington University in St. Louis, along with a bachelor’s degree in Global Health and the Environment and French. Prior to residency, she completed a dedicated craniofacial plastic surgery research fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She brings a global health and health-equity perspective to her work in cleft and craniofacial care. Her commitment to mentorship, diversity, and the advancement of the specialty is reflected in extensive leadership service across national plastic surgery organizations. Outside of the hospital, Jessica enjoys drawing and painting, dancing, outdoor activities, and hosting friends and family.


Education

  • University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
  • Washington University in St. Louis - BA, Global Health and the Environment, French; Washington University in St. Louis - MSc, Applied Health and Behavioral Research

Honors

  • Recipient of the Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Award for CranioSure, LLC Co-investigator on the State Economic Engagement & Development (SEED) Fund award supporting CranioSure
  • Recipient of the American Society of Craniofacial Surgeons Kawamoto Award
  • American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons Winter Meeting Scholar and American Association of Plastic Surgeons Cannon Student Scholar
  • Recipient of two Plastic Surgery Foundation Diversity and Inclusion grants, serving as primary author on the project describing the plastic surgery applicant experience
  • Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
  • Peer reviewer for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery–Global Open, Annals of Plastic Surgery, and the Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal
  • University of Wisconsin Plastic Surgery Highest In-Service Score Award (2026)

Research Interests

Dr. Blum’s research centers on craniofacial surgery, with particular emphasis on craniosynostosis, cleft lip and palate, patient-reported outcomes, and health-related quality of life, alongside a sustained interest in diversity, equity, and workforce issues within plastic surgery. She has authored a large body of peer-reviewed publications and has presented her work at national and international meetings. Representative contributions include studies relating metopic and sagittal craniosynostosis severity to intracranial pressure and aesthetic outcomes, a machine-learning approach to predicting outcomes in metopic craniosynostosis, and systematic reviews on the disability burden of cleft lip and palate and on sociodemographic disparities in craniosynostosis care. At UW, she contributes to craniofacial research through the CRANI Lab under Dr. Daniel Cho and is the Chief Medical Officer of CranioSure, a craniofacial innovation venture supported by competitive state funding.