2024-2025

Neil Patrick Blanchard, MD

Residency: University of Virginia

Neil was born and raised in Manassas, Virginia. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Virginia, where his exposure to medicine and orthopedics began with the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad and as a medical scribe. He then attended Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwar ds School of medicine on a merit-based scholarship, and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He was fortunate to return to Charlottesville, Virginia to complete his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Virginia. He was recognized as the Orthopaedic Surgery Resident of the Year in 2021, and was later selected as Administrative Chief Resident and nominated for the American Orthopedic Society’s C. McCollister Evarts Resident Leadership Forum. He was the head team physician for Covenant Football, a local high-school team, throughout his residency training. Neil will be moving to Vail with his wife Colleen, a Nurse Practitioner, and their 18-month-old son Luke. They have a yellow labrador retriever, Dabney, named for the dorm where Neil and Colleen met in their first-year as undergraduates at Virginia. Neil is thrilled for the opportunity to train at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute, and the entire family is excited for an adventurous year in the Vail Valley.

Joe Featherall, MD

Residency: University of Utah Health

Joseph Featherall is from Scranton, Pennsylvania and graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T.) with high honors as a dual major in Mechanical Engineering and Philosophy. During his undergraduate studies, he was the team captain of R.I.T.’s offroad racing team, leading them to their first national endurance race victory. While working as an engineer in the U.S. and in Germany, he developed an interest in biomedical design, which would lead him to pursuing a career in medicine. He completed the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program at Columbia University in New York City and attended medical school at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, graduating with a special qualification in biomedical research. During medical school, he spent a research year at the National Institutes of Health as a part of the Medical Research Scholars Program, developing as testing scaffold materials for cartilage regrowth. He completed his residency at the University of Utah, where he received numerous research awards including an Orthopaedic Trauma Association resident research grant. He is honored to continue his training at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute, and is looking forward to learning alongside his co-fellows, and enjoying all the cycling, trail running, and snowboarding Vail has to offer.

Sam Huntley, MD, MPH

Residency: University of Miami/Jackson Health System

Sam was born in Federal Way, WA, but moved young to Littleton, CO, where he later attended D’Evelyn High School. He then attended the University of the Cumberlands on a full-ride swimming scholarship and graduated Summa Cum Laude as a three-time All American swimmer. He was then accepted into the 4-year integrated MD/MPH program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, during which time he actively led various research projects in the Department of Orthopaedics and the Department of Public Health. Notably, he obtained a CDC research grant to study risk factors for and underreporting of knee osteoarthritis among Miami construction workers. Sam went on to complete his Orthopaedic Surgery residency at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital where he was chosen to be Recruitment Chief Resident. During residency, Sam continued his research and presented multiple manuscripts at various local and national meetings, including winning first place at the 2023 OREF Central West Resident Research Symposium. Sam is incredibly excited to train under the world renowned faculty of The Steadman Clinic. Sam enjoys swimming, tennis, hiking, snowboarding, and trying new restaurants. He and his wife Chloe are beyond excited to explore all of the outdoor activities that Vail and the Rockies have to offer.

Jake Long, MD, MBA

Residency: Duke University Hospital

I was born in Omaha, NE and raised in Elkhorn, NE. I graduated from the University of Nebraska where I walked on to the football team as a tight end, eventually earning a full athletic scholarship, and becoming a Second-Team
Academic All-American. After college I attended the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha to complete my medical degree while also obtaining my MBA from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. I then began my Orthopaedic
Surgery residency at Duke University in Durham, NC. During my time at Duke I covered local high school football, NCCU athletics, Duke University Football and Duke University Men’s Basketball. Myself, along with my wife Maggie, son Wes, son William, and daughter Andi are very excited for our move to Vail. We enjoy spending time together and seeing our family. We are looking forward to all the opportunities Vail has to offer and teaching our children to ski. I am very grateful for the opportunity to train at SPRI and look to build my skills and knowledge to provide the highest standard of care for the patients I am privileged to care for.

Colin Murphy, MD

Residency: University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences (Sanford Health)

Growing up in a military family, Colin moved throughout his childhood. He lived in Texas and Georgia before pending the majority of his childhood in the suburbs of Baltimore and Washington, DC. He would eventually move to Jacksonville, Florida, where he graduated from Nease High School. Following completion of his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida, he attended Georgetown University School of Medicine for his medical degree. During medical school, Colin’s passion for orthopedic research led him to complete a summer research internship at Johns Hopkins University as well as a year-long research internship at The Steadman Clinic. During his time in Vail, he authored over 40 peer-reviewed articles, one of which received the 2020 Hughston Award for the most outstanding paper in the American Journal of Sports Medicine. Colin would go on to complete his orthopedic residency at the University of North Dakota, where he was team physician for Fargo Davies High School and assistant team physician for the national champion North Dakota State University football team. During residency, he also continued his pursuits in orthopedic research, including a podium presentation at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Outside of orthopedics, Colin enjoys snowboarding, hiking, recreational sports, and is an avid Florida Gators and Pittsburgh Steelers fan. He and his wife Cellina recently welcomed their first daughter, Palmer, and they are looking forward to enjoying Vail’s many outdoor activities with their two dogs. Colin regards his previous time in Vail as one of the most fulfilling years of his life, both personally and professionally, and is honored to be returning for his sports medicine fellowship.

Benjamin Burke Rothrauff, MD, PhD

Residency: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Ben grew up in Columbus, Ohio, where he cultivated his skill on the gridiron until sustaining a knee injury in high school. Following successful surgery, he realized his childhood dream of playing college football at Northwestern University, from which he graduated summa cum laude. Born out a long-standing interest in strength and sports performance, he then completed a Masters of Research in Exercise Science at the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom. Returning home, he joined the MD/PhD program at the University of Pittsburgh, where his doctoral work under Dr. Rocky Tuan focused on the fabrication of novel scaffolds for musculoskeletal tissue engineering. It was also in Pittsburgh where Ben met future SPRI scientists Drs. Johnny Huard and Scott Tashman. Following graduation from the MD/PhD program, he worked closely with the late Dr. Freddie Fu on basic and translational research of ACL injury. Ben stayed in the Steel City to complete his Orthopaedic Surgery residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In addition to continued work on orthobiologics and tissue engineering, he worked with the many distinguished Pitt Sports Medicine faculty on various clinical research projects. He also served in several leadership roles, including appointments as the Administrative Chief Resident and Football Coordinator, in which he oversaw resident physician coverage of 16 local high school football teams. Ben is incredibly privileged to train with the world-renowned surgeons and scientists at SPRI, where he can combine his passion for sports surgery and regenerative medicine. He is equally excited to trade the icy hills of Western Pennsylvania for the unmatched slopes of Vail and surrounding Rockies. He will be joined by his wife, Eunice, who will work as a dentist in neighboring Frisco.

Tyler James Uppstrom, MD

Residency: Hospital for Special Surgery

Tyler was born and raised in Sutton, MA. He attended Washington University in St. Louis where he earned his undergraduate degree in psychology and played on the club soccer team. Following his undergraduate training, he had the privilege of spending one year as a research coordinator for the Pediatric Orthopaedic department at Hospital for Special Surgery, with a focus on clinical outcomes following pediatric sports injuries – which sparked his passion for orthopaedic surgery. He then attended Weill Cornell Medical College, where he continued his research efforts within the field of sports medicine and published multiple per-reviewed articles related to pediatric and adult knee pathology. Upon graduation, he was awarded the T. Campbell Thompson M.D. Award in Orthopaedic Surgery, given to the top graduating medical student entering the field of orthopaedic surgery. Tyler went on to complete his orthopaedic surgery residency training at Hospital for Special Surgery, where he was involved in caring for numerous recreational, high school, collegiate and professional level athletes. He provided on-field physician coverage for several athletics teams, including the A. Philip Randolph High School varsity and JV football teams, and the FDNY Bravest Semi-Professional football team. He continued to perform sports medicine clinical and biomechanics research, and published numerous peer-reviewed articles and textbook chapters on shoulder, hip, and knee surgery. Tyler is incredibly honored to continue his training as a fellow at Steadman Philippon Research Institute. He and his wife, Kate, enjoy golf, skiing/snowboarding, spending time outdoors and cheering on their Boston sports teams. They are excited to move to Vail with their black lab mix, Lizzie, and look forward every adventure that the Colorado high country has to offer.

Jordan Teel, MD

Residency: Baylor University Medical School

Jordan Teel was raised on a cattle ranch in Sivells Bend, Texas, where she grew up riding and showing cutting horses. She competed regularly in rodeo until moving to Argyle, Texas, where she discovered a love for team sports. Soon after, she went on to play Division I volleyball at Baylor University, becoming a four-year letter winner and earning a spot on the Academic All-Big XII First Team. After completing her undergraduate studies, she attended medical school at Texas A&M alongside her older brother. She then completed her residency at Baylor University Medical Center (also alongside her brother), where she founded the "Women in Orthopedics of BUMC" program, served as academic chief, and won the “Outstanding Resident in Orthopedic Surgery” award. During her residency, Jordan was heavily involved in covering multiple sports, including USA gymnastics, professional bull riding, and women’s professional volleyball. Jordan is honored to continue her training as a fellow at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute. She and her husband, Austin, along with their German shepherd, Buddy, are excited to spend as much time outdoors as possible.

Chase Romere, MD

Residency: UT Austin Dell Medical School

Chase was born and raised in Sugar Land, Texas, just outside of Houston. He completed his undergraduate education at Rice University, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in cognitive sciences and neuroscience. During his time at Rice, he performed research with the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine. He then took a year off from formal education to travel and volunteer in Granada, Nicaragua. He earned his medical degree in San Antonio at the University of Texas Long School of Medicine, where his medical mission work in Uganda earned him membership to the Gold Humanism Honor Society. His orthopedic surgery residency training was completed at the University of Texas at Austin. During his time in Austin, he was able to care for athletes ranging from the high school to professional level. He also worked on several research studies focused on healthcare utilization, psychosocial determinants of health, and value-based care. Chase is very honored and excited to continue his training as a Foot and Ankle fellow at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute. In Vail, Chase will be joined by his husband, Sam, as well as their dog Quinn. Together, they are looking forward to exploring all that Vail has to offer.