Leadership is the cornerstone of progress and innovation. At AO North America, we are fortunate to have the expertise and vision of our leaders driving our thriving community of dedicated surgeons. It is with great excitement that we announce a new slate of accomplished professionals stepping into key leadership positions across our clinical divisions and advisory boards, effective July 1, 2025.
These appointments strengthen our mission to advance patient care through education, research, and community development. Each new chair brings a wealth of experience, a passion for mentorship, and a unique perspective that will energize our initiatives. Join us in welcoming these distinguished individuals as they begin their terms and help shape the next chapter for AO North America.
Meet Our New Leaders
- Lisa R. Blackrick, MD, MS, Elected as AO Trauma North America Community Development Committee Chair
- Bradley Strong, MD, Elected as AO CMF North America Research Committee Chair
- Sushmitha Durgam, MS, PhD, Elected as AO VET North America Research Committee Chair
- Po-Yen Chou, MVM, MS, Elected as AO VET North America Preceptorship Committee Chair
- Brett Freedman, MD, Elected as AO Spine North America Fellowship Committee Chair
- Elizabeth Yu MD, Elected as AO Spine North America Community Development Committee Chair
- Marco Rizzo, MD, Elected as Education Advisory Board (EAB) Chair
Lisa R. Blackrick, MD, MS, Elected as AO Trauma North America Community Development Committee Chair
AO North America is proud to announce the election of Dr. Lisa R. Blackrick, MD, MS, as AO Trauma North America (AO TNA) Community Development Chair, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Blackrick will fill the position Dr. Carla Smith, MD, PhD, vacated when Dr. Smith became AO Trauma Community Development Commission Chairperson (elect) in July 2025. Dr. Blackrick will serve a four-year term, bringing her expertise and leadership to this vital role.
Dr. Blackrick is an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Hughston Orthopedics in Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Blackrick is associated with various medical organizations and holds memberships in national and international specialty societies. Academically, she serves as AO Faculty on the national and international level, teaching a basic fracture course and she has served on several hospital and university committees. As AO TNA Community Development Chair, Dr. Blackrick plans to focus on strengthening community ties by supporting regional events to allow for mentorship networks. She will promote growth and enhance member engagement by understanding the needs of a diverse membership, delivering programs that target the gaps in non-technical programs, and including cross-divisional idea sharing.
Bradley Strong, MD, Elected as AO CMF North America Research Committee Chair
AO North America is proud to announce the election of Dr. Bradley Strong as AO CMF North America (AO CMF NA) Research Committee Chair, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Strong will fill the position vacated by Dr. Lamont Jones, MD, MBA, who concluded his term on June 30, 2025. Dr. Strong will serve a three-year term, bringing his expertise and leadership to this vital role.
Dr. Strong is a board-certified Otolaryngologist and fellowship-trained Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. He has served as full-time faculty in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of California, Davis since 1997. He became an AO Faculty member in 1999 and has remained actively engaged in AO education, research, and leadership for over two decades. Dr. Strong strives to preserve the hallmark value of in-person, hands-on learning while strategically integrating digital tools to enhance efficiency, broaden access, and engage the next generation of surgeons. Embracing innovation while staying true to core values will ensure that AO NA remains a global leader in surgical education.
Sushmitha Durgam, MS, PhD, Elected as AO VET North America Research Committee Chair
AO North America is proud to announce the election of Dr. Sushmitha Durgam, MS, PhD, as AO VET North America (AO VET NA) Research Committee Chair, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Durgam will fill the position Dr. Kyla Ortved, MD, PhD, vacated when Dr. Ortved became AO VET Research & Development Chairperson in July 2025. Dr. Durgam will serve a two-year term, bringing her expertise and leadership to this vital role.
Dr. Durgam is a tenured Associate Professor of Equine Surgery in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Ohio State University with an active translational tendon research program and clinical service focused on equine orthopedics, lameness and advanced imaging. She has been a member of AO VET since 2011 and joined AO VET NA Faculty in 2022. As AO VET NA Research Committee Chair, Dr. Durgam plans to leverage her prior experiences in resident/trainee research to support and disseminate the vision, mission, and goals of AO VET Seed Grants and ARI Collaborative grants intended to both facilitate and foster trainee research and career development goals.
Po-Yen Chou, MVM, MS, Elected as AO VET North America Preceptorship Committee Chair
AO North America is proud to announce the election of Dr. Po-Yen Chou, MVM, MS, as AO VET North America (AO VET NA) Preceptorship Committee Chair, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Chou will serve a three-year term, bringing his expertise and leadership to this vital role.
Dr. Chou is a Clinical Associate Professor in Small Animal Orthopedic Surgery at the University of California, Davis. As AO VET NA Preceptorship Committee Chair, Dr. Chou will focus on guidelines for preceptors to ensure consistent, high-quality educational experiences as well as develop resources about prospective learning opportunities, mentors, and sites. He also intends to develop a feedback system for trainees to evaluate their experiences, supporting continuous program improvement.
Brett Freedman, MD, Elected as AO Spine North America Fellowship Committee Chair
AO North America is proud to announce the election of Dr. Brett Freedman, MD, as AO Spine North America (AO SNA) Fellowship Committee Chair, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Freedman will fill the position vacated by Dr. Joseph Cheng, MD, MS, who concluded his term on June 30, 2025. Dr. Freedman will serve a three-year term, bringing his expertise and leadership to this vital role.
Dr. Freedman is the Chair of the Spine Surgery Division at the Mayo Clinic. He is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in spine surgery with over two hundred publications, who has presented his research across the globe. He is also a retired Army colonel and resolute educator, currently serving as Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. As AO SNA Fellowship Committee Chair, Dr. Freedman endeavors to seek pathways that reinforce the benefits of fellowship beyond one year of training.
Elizabeth Yu MD, Elected as AO Spine North America Community Development Committee Chair
AO North America is proud to announce the election of Dr. Elizabeth Yu as AO Spine North America (AO SNA) Community Development Chair, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Yu will fill the position vacated by Dr. Ryan Spiker, MD, who concluded his term on June 30, 2025. Dr. Yu will serve a three-year term, bringing her expertise and leadership to this vital role.
Dr. Yu is an orthopedic spine surgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Within the AO NA Spine community, Dr. Yu has served as faculty and co-chair for the resident and fellows spine teaching courses since 2019, as well as serving as a moderator for the Case Consult series.
Marco Rizzo, MD, Elected as Education Advisory Board (EAB) Chair
AO North America is proud to announce the election of Dr. Marco Rizzo, MD as Education Advisory Board (EAB) Chair, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Rizzo will fill the position vacated by Dr. Roger Wilber, MD, who concluded his term on June 30, 2025. Dr. Rizzo will serve a four-year term, bringing his expertise and leadership to this vital role.
Dr. Rizzo is a professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic and served as chair of the hand surgery division from 2015 to 2024. He is also Director of the Program for Professionalism and Values and Chair of the Mayo Clinic Values Council for the Mayo Clinic. He previously served on the AO NA Ethics, Validation and Content Subcommittee (ECVSC) and was Chair of the AO NA Hand Education Committee from 2022-2025. As EAB Chair, he will strategically guide and align educational initiatives across AO NA and its clinical divisions to improve organizational efficiency and advance the transformation of AO NA’s education. Dr. Rizzo embraces the opportunity to engage leadership across the divisions to implement the learning goals of AO NA.
Moving Forward Together
The collective expertise of our new chairs promises a continued future of innovation and growth for AO North America. Their leadership will be essential as we continue to push the boundaries of medical education and research.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the outgoing chairs for their dedicated service and immense contributions. Their work has laid a strong foundation upon which our new leaders can build.
Stay connected with AO North America and follow our progress as we advance medical education. We invite you to engage with our community, participate in our events, and contribute to our shared mission of improving patient outcomes.
