Paul Stephen Cederna, MD

Paul S. Cederna, M.D. is the Robert Oneal Professor of Plastic Surgery and a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan who specializes in reconstruction of complex wounds. Dr. Cederna received his Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan College of Engineering and his MD degree from the University of Michigan Medical School. Thereafter, he completed a residency in General Surgery and a fellowship in Microsurgery at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He then returned to Ann Arbor, Michigan where he completed his Plastic Surgery Fellowship training at the University of Michigan Health System. He then completed two additional years of basic science research training as a postdoctoral research fellow within the Muscle Mechanics Lab of the at the University of Michigan. He has since joined the faculty at the University of Michigan where he has been a full time academic surgeon since 1999. By combining his clinical training in general surgery, microsurgery, and plastic surgery and background in biomedical engineering, he is able to incorporate creative solutions with technically challenging operations to solve the most difficult problems resulting from trauma, cancer, or burns.

Dr. Cederna has been the Chairman of the Plastic Surgery Research Council, President of the American Society for Peripheral Nerve, President of the Michigan Academy of Plastic Surgeons, is on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and is on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and Plastic Surgery Foundation. He is a past President for the Plastic Surgery Foundation.

Dr. Cederna has been recognized for his clinical accomplishments and is currently listed in the “Best Doctors in America”, the “Guide to America’s Top Plastic Surgeons”, “American’s Top Doctors”, “America’s Most Compassionate Doctors”, “Top Cosmetic Doctors”, “Marquis Who’s Who in America”, “America’s Top Doctors”, and “America’s Top Surgeons”.

University of Michigan Health participates with most health insurance plans.

Academically, Dr. Cederna has a very active research enterprise directing the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan. He has a broad background in muscle and nerve physiology, with specific training and expertise in these research areas. As a postdoctoral research fellow at University of Michigan, he carried out a series of experiments to understand the mechanisms of muscle force deficits following peripheral nerve injury and repair. He studied the mechanisms of axonal sprouting, elongation, and muscle reinnervation at the whole muscle, single motor unit, and single muscle fiber levels. At the University of Michigan, he joined the faculty of the Section of Plastic Surgery where he continued to build on his previous work and expanded his studies to evaluate alternative mechanisms of peripheral nerve reconstruction to provide optimal recovery of function following peripheral nerve injuries. These studies extended into evaluation of alternative peripheral nerve constructs and peripheral nerve allotransplantation. Over the past 20 years, he has focused his professional expertise and scholarly pursuits on building a research program that has focused on three distinct areas; muscle dysfunction following reinnervation, peripheral nerve reconstruction, and development of peripheral nerve interfaces for the control of upper extremity prosthesis. Based upon this work, Dr. Cederna has received over $24,000,000 in direct research funding, authored over 180 scientific manuscripts, published 24 book chapters, presented his work over 600 times at national and international meetings, has been asked to give over 500 extramural presentations, and has been a Visiting Professor at over 30 academic institutions. He has mentored 60 students, 40 research fellows, and 15 postdoctoral fellows from various backgrounds including biomedical engineering and physiology. He has received over 65 national research awards either as first author or mentor of the research work.