Bio
Dr Yao joined the Hand and Upper Extremity Service at Stanford University Medical Center in 2005. He graduated from Cornell University Medical College in 1999. His Orthopaedic Surgery residency was completed at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine / NSUH-LIJ Health System in New York in 2004, where he was voted the Surgical Intern of the Year in 2000 and the Orthopaedic Surgery Resident of the Year in 2001. He completed the Hand and Upper Extremity surgical fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the Philadelphia Hand Center in 2005. He earned his Orthopaedic Surgery Board Certification in 2007. He learned his Certificate of Added Qualification in Surgery of the Hand in 2009. He was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Stanford University in 2012, and the rank of Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Stanford University in 2020.
Dr Yao has clinical training and interest in the treatment of disorders of the entire upper extremity/limb, including the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder. He is specifically trained in the minimally-invasive and arthroscopic treatment of common upper extremity problems including fractures, arthritis, tendon and ligament injuries and nerve compression disorders. This minimally-invasive approach is unique and highly sought after by patients. His clinical volume is quite extensive as he sees over 3000 patients per year.
Dr Yao?s research interests include the evolution of arthroscopic and minimally-invasive surgical techniques for the management of common upper limb disorders. He is also involved in utilizing stem cells in the treatment of tendon injuries. He has presented his research with over 400 podium presentations at numerous regional, national and international meetings and is active in the education of other surgeons, fellows, residents and medical students. He has served as a visiting professor at several academic medical centers, both nationally and internationally at sites including Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Chile, Canada, South Africa, Italy, Germany, England, Mexico, Australia, Korea, Poland, Peru, Hungary, Fiji, Spain, India and France.
Dr Yao was awarded the Sumner Koch national research award in 2009 and the Emmanuel B Kaplan national research award in 2012. He was also awarded the prestigious JOA-AOA traveling fellowship in 2010 and spent one month in Japan teaching at a number of institutions. He was awarded the prestigious Sterling Bunnell Traveling Fellowship by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) in September 2015. This honor is bestowed upon just one member of the ASSH per year and is one of the Society?s most prestigious and competitive awards. As the 2016 Bunnell Fellow, Dr Yao traveled to many medical centers nationally and internationally for the mutual exchange of clinical and research ideas. He is currently the Hand and Upper Limb Hand Fellowship Director at the Stanford University Medical Center.
He has been the Editor-in-Chief of the Yearbook of Hand and Upper Limb Surgery and was also on the editorial board of HAND and reviews manuscripts for many other journals for their suitability for publication. He has authored over 110 peer-reviewed publications in the field of hand and upper extremity surgery. He is the editor for a textbook on Scaphoid Fractures and Nonunions and two special issues of Hand Clinics and Current Orthopaedic Practice.
Dr Yao is an active member of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the American Association of Hand Surgery, the International Wrist Arthroscopy Society, The International Wrist Investigators? Workshop, the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the Western Orthopaedic Association.
Clinical Focus
- Hand, Wrist, Elbow and Shoulder Surgery
- Orthopaedic Surgery
Administrative Appointments
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Manuscript Reviewer, The Physician and Sports Medicine (2005 - Present)
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Director, Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery Fellowship, Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center (2020 - Present)
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Manuscript Reviewer, Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine (2005 - Present)
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Manuscript Reviewer, Annals of Plastic Surgery (2008 - Present)
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Manuscript Reviewer, Hand (2007 - Present)
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Manuscript Reviewer, Journal of Orthopaedic Research (2006 - Present)
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Manuscript Reviewer, Tissue Engineering (2009 - Present)
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Manuscript Reviewer, The Journal of Hand Surgery (2011 - Present)
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Manuscript Reviewer, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (2007 - Present)
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Contributing Editor, Yearbook of Hand and Upper Limb Surgery (2005 - 2008)
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Guest Editor, Current Orthopaedic Practice (2011 - Present)
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Guest Editor, Hand Clinics (2012 - 2012)
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Deputy Editor, Hand (2009 - Present)
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Editor-in-Chief, Yearbook of Hand and Upper Limb Surgery (2009 - Present)
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Founding Member, Manus National Hand Surgery Society (2006 - Present)
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Member, Western Orthopaedic Association (2012 - Present)
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Member, International Wrist Investigators Workshop (2009 - Present)
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Member, American Association for Hand Surgery (2008 - Present)
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Member, Arthroscopy Association of North America (2010 - Present)
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Member, American Society for Surgery of the Hand (2004 - Present)
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Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (2009 - Present)
Honors & Awards
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Sterling Bunnell Traveling Fellowship Award, American Society for Surgery of the Hand (September 2016-2017)
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Surgical Intern of the Year, Albert Einstein College of Medicine / NSUH-LIJ Health System (2000)
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Sterling Bunnell Traveling Fellowship, American Society for Surgery of the Hand (Sept 2015-Aug 2016)
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Orthopaedic Surgery Resident of the Year, Albert Einstein College of Medicine / NSUH-LIJ Health System (2001)
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Resident Competition and Symposium, Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) (May, 2002)
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Annual Research Competition, Philadelphia Hand Society (June, 2005)
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Distinguished Visiting Professorship, Wilcox Memorial Medical Center, Kauai, HI (Aug 2008)
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AFSH Basic Science Research Grant, American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand (2009-2010)
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Distinguished Visiting Professorship, Albert Einstein College of Medicine NSUH-LIJ Health System, New Hyde Park, NY (June 2009)
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Sumner L. Koch Award, American Society for Surgery of the Hand (September 2009)
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AOA-JOA Exchange Traveling Fellow, American Orthopaedic Association (May 2010)
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Emanuel B. Kaplan Award, American Society for Surgery of the Hand (September 2012)
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Distinguished Visiting Professorship, University of California San Francisco - Fresno Campus (February 2013)
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Best Paper of the AAOS Award, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (March 2013)
Professional Education
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Residency: Long Island Jewish Medical Center (2004) NY
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Internship: Long Island Jewish Medical Center (2000) NY
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Medical Education: New York Presbyterial Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College (1999) NY
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Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Surgery of the Hand (2009)
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Fellowship: Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (2005) PA
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CAQ, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Added Qualification in Hand Surgery (2009)
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Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery (2007)
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MD, Philadelphia Hand Center - Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Hand Surgery (2005)
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MD, Albert Einstein Med College NSUH-LIJ, Orthopaedic Surgery (2004)
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MD, Cornell University Med College, Medicine (1999)
Community and International Work
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Doctors Demystify
Topic
Educating allied health professionals
Partnering Organization(s)
UCLA, UCSF
Location
California
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
Yes
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Stanford Asian American Interactive Mentoring (AIM), Stanford University
Topic
Undergraduate Mentoring Program
Populations Served
Asian American Premedical Students at Stanford University
Location
Bay Area
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
No
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Faculty Advisor, Stanford Pre-Medical Chapter of AMSA, Stanford University
Location
Bay Area
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
Yes
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IFSSH Online Surgical Protocols
Topic
Contributor
Partnering Organization(s)
International Foundation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand
Populations Served
International Hand Surgeons
Location
International
Ongoing Project
No
Opportunities for Student Involvement
No