prof. Maria Siemionow

Dr. Siemionow, a scientist, and microsurgeon is a Professor of Orthopedics and Director of Microsurgery Research at The University of Illinois at Chicago. She specializes in microsurgery, hand surgery, peripheral nerve surgery and transplantation. She is pioneering development of new technologies in transplantation, nerve and muscle regeneration and anti-aging. Prior to her UIC appointment, from 1995 -2013 she was Director of Plastic Surgery Research and Head of Microsurgical Training for Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Plastic Surgery.
​ She served as a President of the American Society for Reconstructive Transplantation, President of the International Hand and Composite Tissue Allotransplantation Society and President of the American Society for Peripheral Nerve. She is a member of the Armed Forces Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM).
​She has received numerous awards and honors. In 2008, she led the team that performed the world’s first near-total face transplantation in the United States. Dr. Siemionow has over 340 scientific publications. She holds several patents for therapies focused on nerve regeneration and innovative chimeric cell therapies for restoration of muscle function. She founded Dystrogen Therapeutics, Inc., a regenerative medicine company dedicated to testing chimeric cell therapies for treating rare diseases such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, ALS and addressing anti-aging.
​ Dr. Siemionow is a member of several prestigious, international societies of plastic surgery, reconstructive microsurgery and transplantation.
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​ Dr. Siemionow was featured on the CNN, BBC World Service, Associate Press; NPR’s All Things Considered, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, National Geographic and Forbes.