Plastic Surgery Residency Program
The Plastic Surgery residency program is an ACGME-accredited six-year Plastic Surgery integrated program. During the first three years the residents spend time both in Plastic Surgery and General Surgery. Our residents are trained in a full range of plastic surgical procedures, including:
- Hand Surgery (including peripheral nerve and replantation)
- Pediatric Craniofacial Surgery
- Lymphatic Surgery
- Microsurgery
- Aesthetic Surgery
- Gender Surgery
- General Plastic Surgery
Our residents graduate with a breadth of career options and specialized expertise that allows them to be successful in the field.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The Department of Surgery recognizes the widespread existence of systemic and structural racism in our community and nation. We are committed to combating this at all levels. By doing so we will address health inequities and promote diversity and inclusion. Join us in this effort as we strive to enhance our culture of care and tolerance.
Program Director | Jens Berli, M.D.
Dr. Jens U. Berli is the Program Director for the Plastic Surgery Residency Program. He specializes in gender affirming surgery and offers a full range of facial, chest and phalloplasty procedures for transgender individuals.
Dr. Berli received his medical degree from the University of Zurich. His residency was spent in general surgery/ortho-trauma at Triemli City Hospital Zurich, in Switzerland, and in general surgery and plastic surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
He gained his experience in gender surgery by working closely with Dr. Beverly Fischer and Dr. Bluebond-Langner during his time in Baltimore. In 2016, he spent elective time with the reconstructive urologists at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Since 2014, Dr. Berli has been a visiting physician and traveling fellow at the premier centers for transgender health: Ghent University, Belgium; Preecha Aesthetic Institute, Bangkok, Thailand; St. Peter's Andrology Centre, London, U.K.; Belgrade Center for Genital Reconstructive Surgery, Serbia; and FACIALTEAM, Marbella, Spain.
Dr. Berli is a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. His research interests include the effects of facial feminization on quality of life and the improvement of current phalloplasty designs. He is also involved in transgender advocacy and improved access for facial feminization.
Associate Program Director | Lori Howell, M.D.
Dr. Lori Howell is the Associate Program Director for the Plastic Surgery Residency Program. She is an assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery and pediatric plastic surgery at OHSU and a member of the cleft and craniofacial team at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. She received an undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Texas Austin and a medical degree with honors from the University of Texas Health Science Center Houston. Dr. Howell completed a residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the University of Illinois Chicago followed by a second residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Fellowships were completed in craniofacial surgery at Stanford University in 2013 and, most recently, in craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgery at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in 2014.
Dr. Howell’s areas of interest include cleft lip and palate surgery, facial paralysis and reanimation, pediatric microvascular surgery, vascular anomalies, congenital nevi and adult craniofacial and lower extremity reconstructive surgery. Having spent the first five years of her career from 2014 to 2019 at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles building a robust facial reanimation and pediatric microsurgery program, she is excited about continuing those efforts at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
With board certification in both Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. Howell is a strong believer in the power of a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. In addition to her passion for medical student and resident education, her research interests also include access to care in underserved communities and facial paralysis outcomes. Dr. Howell is committed to helping children live full and rewarding lives who have been afflicted by congenital or traumatic deformities and is excited to join the OHSU staff and faculty serving the community in Portland and the Pacific Northwest.