University of Minnesota Physicians (M Physicians) is home to 104 physicians recognized in Mpls.St.Paul Magazine’s 2026 Top Doctors: Rising Stars list, the most of any practice represented.

The annual Rising Stars edition highlights exceptional early‑career physicians — those who have been practicing for 10 years or fewer — who demonstrate excellence in clinical care, innovation and leadership for Minnesota.

Identified through a rigorous peer‑nomination process and an expert physician panel review, Rising Stars are honored for their clinical skill, dedication to patients, and commitment to advancing the future of medicine. The Rising Stars list is published annually each spring and reflects input from Minnesota’s medical community in recognizing the colleagues they trust.

“These talented doctors represent the future of strong, compassionate care for our state and our neighbors,” said Greg Beilman, MD, CEO for University of Minnesota Physicians. “And they are providing that future for our patients today.”

This year’s honorees represent a range of nearly 40 specialties across M Physicians, underscoring honorees’ depth of expertise and commitment to delivering exceptional care for Minnesotans. Rising Stars are recognized not only for their clinical excellence but also for their commitment to research, elevating standards of care and improving the health of communities across the state.

Meet this talented group of physicians whose hard work, compassion and leadership continue to shape the future of healthcare in Minnesota. Their contributions reflect the strength of our academic medicine mission and our commitment to delivering outstanding patient-centered care. 

* Denotes pediatrics.

Anesthesiology

  • Anna Budde
  • Daniel Lotz
  • Benjamin C. Matelich

Cardiac Surgery

  • Michael Sean Mulvihill

Cardiology

  • Devin Chetan*
  • Aaron Ho
  • Rajat Kalra
  • Valmiki Maharaj
  • Daniel Peck*
  • Sasha Prisco
  • Kishore Raja*
  • Juan Carlos Samayoa Escobar*
  • Jessica Schultz
  • Jeremy Van'T Hof
  • Brent E. White

Colon & Rectal Surgery

  • Elliot Arsoniadis
  • Paolo Goffredo
  • Harika Nalluri-Butz

Critical Care Medicine

  • Julia A. Heneghan*
  • Nicholas Kucher*
  • Sacha Kumar*
  • Kathleen Mahan
  • Alexandra Marquez*
  • Atul Mehta
  • Joseph Resch*
  • William Sveen*

Dermatology

  • Eamonn Maher

Emergency Medicine

  • Nicholas Sausen*

Endocrinology

  • Jacob Kohlenberg

Family Medicine

  • Mark L. Nelson
  • Chelsea Thibodeau

Gastroenterology

  • Elizabeth Aby
  • Aayush Gabrani*
  • Kristin McBeath
  • Joshua A. Sloan
  • Mary J. Thomson

Gynecologic Oncology

  • Jordan Mattson
  • Alexandra Schefter

Hematology

  • Jeremy Allred
  • Clay Hoerig*
  • Meera Srikanthan*

Infectious Disease

  • Aditya A. Chandorkar
  • Lauren Fontana

Internal Medicine

  • Thomas Byrd IV

Maternal/Fetal Medicine

  • Martina Burn
  • Sabrina Burn
  • Elizabeth Hoover
  • Sereen Nashif
  • Bethany Sabol
  • Sarah A. Wernimont

Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine

  • Lauren Buckley*
  • Ellen Diego*
  • Ellen C. Ingolfsland*
  • Julie K. Johnson Rolfes*
  • Marie Swanson*

Nephrology

  • Peter Thorne

Neurology

  • William Mantyh
  • Abby Metzler
  • Jacob Torrison

Obstetrics/Gynecology

  • Jessika Ralph

Oncology

  • Arjun Gupta
  • Benjamin Manning

Ophthalmology

  • Wassef Chanbour
  • Lulwa El Zein
  • Ethan Greenberg

Orthopaedic Surgery

  • Nathan Hendrickson
  • Fabien Meta
  • Allison Rao
  • Edward Wu

Otolaryngology

  • Neal Godse
  • Kolin Rubel*
  • Jenna Van Beck

Pathology

  • Cade Arries

Pediatric Surgery

  • Randi Lassiter*

Pediatrics

  • Rachel Poeppelman*
  • Sarah Raatz*

Physical Med/Rehabilitation (Physiatry)

  • Mahmood Gharib
  • Mihir Joshi

Plastic Surgery

  • Thomas Suszynski*

Psychiatry

  • Tolulope Odebunmi
  • Saydra Wilson

Pulmonary Medicine

  • Dorothy Curran*
  • Sarah Kiel
  • Christine Lambert
  • Erin McHugh*
  • Alireza Nathani
  • Steven Skolasinski
  • Jennifer Wong

Radiation Oncology

  • Leslie Chang

Radiology

  • Jeffrey C. Ames*

Rheumatology

  • Aparna Das
  • Emily Hause*
  • Shawn Mahmud*

Sports Medicine

  • Jacob Kastner*
  • Christian Matthews
  • Edward J. Smith

Surgery, General

  • David Brauer

Thoracic Surgery

  • Tessa Watt
  • Keyn Mun Joshua Wong

Urology

  • Deepak Agarwal
  • Vishnuvardhan Ganesan
  • Bryan D. Hinck
  • Rachel Mann

Vascular Surgery

  • Nolan Cirillo-Penn