Current Plastic Surgery Residents
In collaboration with Nassau University Medical Center and Stony Brook Medicine, New York Plastic Surgcial Group offers an independent plastic surgery residency program. The traditional independent three-year residency was established in 1954.
One of the hallmarks of NYPS Group is its decades-long commitment to furthering the science and art of plastic surgery. Only the most skilled, experienced, and innovative plastic surgeons make up its team of doctors, and each is dedicated to passing his or her knowledge on to new generations of surgeons who will be the next leaders in the field.
Our current residents for the 2023-2024 academic year are listed below.
Sixth-Year Resident – Integrated
Chief Resident
Abdel Armaiz-Flores, MD
Hometown: Guayama, Puerto Rico
Undergraduate: University of Puerto Rico – Cayey Campus
Medical School: University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
Graduate School: Mayo Clinic – Clinical and Translational Research
![Abdel Armaiz](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Armaiz_Flores_Abdel.png)
Fifth-Year Resident – Integrated
Justin Buro, MD
Hometown: Dix Hills, New York
Undergraduate: George Washington University
Medical School: George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Other Schooling/Graduate School: Research Fellowship at Laboratory of Bioregenerative Medicine and Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College
Clinical and/or Research Interests: Facial Reconstruction and Cosmetics, Breast Reconstruction
![Justin Buro](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Justin-Buro-MD.png)
Fourth-Year Resident – Integrated
Christopher Liao, MD
Hometown: West Covina, CA
Undergraduate: University of Southern California
Medical School: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Research Interests: Tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, stem cell biology, clinical outcomes
![Christopher Liao](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Christopher-Liao-MD.png)
Third-Year Resident – Integrated
Zachary Erlichman, MD
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin, Madison
Medical School: Tufts School of Medicine
Clinical/Research Interests: Disparities in Medicine, Transgender Surgery, Breast Reconstruction
![Zachary Erlichman](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Zachary-Erlichman-MD.png)
Third-Year Residents -Independent
Chief Residents
Rafael De Ayala
Hometown: Cataño, Puerto Rico
Undergraduate: University of Puerto Rico
Medical School: Universidad Central Del Caribe, PR
General Surgery, UPR Medical Sciences Campus
Burn Fellowship, Emory University
Research Interests: Aesthetics, Microsurgery, burn reconstruction
![Rafael Ayala](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Rafael-De-Ayala.png)
Hannah Hoffman, MD
Hometown: Great Neck, NY
Undergraduate: New York University
Medical School: Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell
General Surgery: Northwell General Surgery
![Hannah Hoffman](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Hannah-Hoffman-MD.png)
Second-Year Resident – Integrated
Christina Chopra
Hometown: Queens, NY
Undergraduate: New York University
Medical School: California Institute of Science & Medicine
Clinical/Research Interests: Post-massive weight loss body contour surgery, coverage criteria for aesthetic procedures
![Christina Chopra](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/chopra.webp)
Second-Year Residents – Independent
Bugra Tugertimur, MD
Hometown: New York, NY
Undergraduate: University of Florida
Masters: Georgetown University
Medical School: University of South Florida
General Surgery: Lenox Hill Hospital, NYC (Northwell Health)
Clinical/Research Interests: Use of artificial intelligence (AI) in aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery
![](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/coming-soon-resize.jpg)
Eric Forney, MD
Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska
Undergraduate: Creighton University
Medical School: University of Nebraska Medical Center
General Surgery Residency: Atrium Health Navicent, Macon, Georgia
Clinical/Research Interests: Breast reconstruction, Microvascular surgery
![](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/coming-soon-resize.jpg)
New Fellows
Mariam Al-Hamad Daubs
Hometown: Bethesda, MD
Undergraduate: University of California, Los Angeles
Medical School: Georgetown University School of Medicine
General Surgery: Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, UNLV
Clinical/Research Interests: Facial Reconstruction, Lower Extremity Reconstruction, Burn Surgery, Aesthetic Surgery
![Mariam Al-Hamad Daubs](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/daubs.webp)
Steven Cai
Hometown: Chicago, NY
Undergraduate: University of Chicago
Medical School: Chicago Medical School
General Surgery Residency: Rutgers, NJMS
Research Interests: TMR, Peripheral Nerve, Aesthetics
![Steven Cai](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/cai.webp)
New Integrated Resident
Nia Nikkhahmanesh
Hometown: Scottsdale, AZ
Undergraduate: The University of Arizona
Medical School: The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix
Clinical Research/Interests: Hand, Aesthetics, Burn Reconstruction
![Nia Nikkhahmanesh](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/nikkhahmanesh.webp)
- Garden City
- Babylon
- East Hills
- Huntington
- Manhattan
- Brooklyn
- Flushing
- Westchester
- Connecticut
![NYPSG logo](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/nypsg-blue-new.webp)
![NYPSG logo](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/nypsg-blue-new.webp)
![NYPSG logo](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/nypsg-blue-new.webp)
![NYPSG logo](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/nypsg-blue-new.webp)
![NYPSG logo](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/nypsg-blue-new.webp)
![NYPSG logo](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/nypsg-blue-new.webp)
![NYPSG logo](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/nypsg-blue-new.webp)
![NYPSG logo](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/nypsg-blue-new.webp)
![NYPSG logo](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/nypsg-blue-new.webp)
![NYPSG logo](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/nypsg-blue-new.webp)
![NYPSG logo](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/nypsg-blue-new.webp)
![NYPSG logo](https://lipsg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/nypsg-blue-new.webp)