We are honored to have five internationally renowned invited faculty at the SAFSA 11th Biennial Congress.
Dr Mark Myerson
Denver, Colorado
Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Colorado · Founder & President, Steps2Walk · Past President, AOFAS
Mark Myerson is a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Colorado. He is the Founder and President of Steps2Walk, a humanitarian organization which coordinates the treatment of individuals with disabling foot and ankle deformities in underserved regions of the world while simultaneously educating the regional orthopedic surgeons in the management of these complex problems. Dr. Myerson is the foremost internationally recognized leader in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery and is Past President of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS). He has been named a pioneer in orthopedic surgery by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) and is the recipient of the 2023 AAOS humanitarian award. He is an honorary member of many international orthopedic societies and plays an active role in defining national standards for orthopedic foot and ankle practice. Dr. Myerson has authored more than 450 research publications as well as seven textbooks covering various treatments of foot and ankle conditions. He has trained hundreds of orthopedic surgeons both in the United States and abroad, and education continues to be vital to his vision and mission. Dr. Myerson has developed numerous procedures for treating various foot and ankle injuries and deformities and his contributions to the field of orthopedic surgery have revolutionized the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery of foot and ankle disorders. Dr. Myerson has continued with academic work, research, consulting, and teaching, although humanitarian activities and growing a global presence through Steps2Walk is his current primary focus.
Dr Shuyuan Li
Austin, Texas
Assistant Professor, Dell Medical School, UT Austin · Foot and Ankle Clinic, Musculoskeletal Institute · International Program Director, Steps2Walk
Dr. Shuyuan Li, MD, PhD, is a highly respected orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon recognized for her expertise in the treatment of complex foot and ankle disorders, deformity correction, sports injuries, trauma, arthritis, and diabetic foot conditions. She serves as an Assistant Professor in the Dell Medical School Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care at The University of Texas at Austin and is a member of the Foot and Ankle Clinic within the Musculoskeletal Institute.
Dr. Li received her medical degree from Weifang Medical University and earned a PhD in Sports Medicine from Peking University in Beijing, China. Following her orthopaedic residency at Shandong Provincial Hospital, she practiced as a foot and ankle surgeon in China before pursuing advanced research and fellowship training in North America. Her fellowship training includes specialized programs at the University of Colorado, University of British Columbia, and the Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy.
In addition to her clinical and academic work, Dr. Li serves as the International Program Director for Steps2Walk, a global humanitarian organization dedicated to providing life-changing foot and ankle care in underserved communities while educating local surgeons. Through her leadership, surgical expertise, and commitment to education, Dr. Li continues to advance orthopaedic care and improve patient outcomes worldwide.
Dr Alastair Younger
Vancouver, Canada
Professor of Orthopaedics, UBC · Attending surgeon, Providence Health Care · Creator of the Percutaneous Lapidus procedure
Dr. Alastair Younger, MB ChB, MSc, ChM, FRCSC, is an internationally recognized orthopaedic surgeon and one of Canada's foremost experts in foot and ankle surgery. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, he is a Professor of Orthopaedics at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and an attending surgeon at Providence Health Care, where he has played a pivotal role in developing and advancing specialized foot and ankle services.
With more than two decades of clinical experience, Dr. Younger is widely known for his expertise in ankle arthritis, ankle replacement, deformity correction, and minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery. He is recognized as a pioneer in the field and is the creator of the innovative Percutaneous Lapidus procedure, a minimally invasive technique that has transformed the treatment of complex foot deformities while reducing recovery time and surgical complications.
A dedicated researcher and educator, Dr. Younger leads the foot and ankle research program at UBC and has authored more than 200 scientific publications and book chapters. His research has received numerous international awards, including multiple American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Roger Mann Awards for excellence in clinical research. He is also a Past President of the Canadian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society and has trained surgeons from around the world.
Through his commitment to innovation, education, and patient care, Dr. Younger continues to shape the future of foot and ankle surgery, improving outcomes for patients globally while mentoring the next generation of orthopaedic specialists.
Mr Callum Clark
Surrey & Windsor, England
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon · Frimley Health NHS Trust · Co-founder, Windsor Foot & Ankle Clinic · Former Chair, BOFAS Education Committee
Callum has been a practising Foot and Ankle Orthopaedic surgeon in the UK for over 20 years. He trained in the UK and Melbourne, Australia and his practise is in Windsor and London. He has always had an interest in sports surgery and initially also performed meniscal repairs and ACL reconstructions before specialising purely in the foot and ankle.
His elective surgical interests have also included complex forefoot deformities and flatfoot deformity reconstruction - he has been a long term advocate of the appropriate use of arthroereisis. Latterly he has also been increasingly focusing on ankle arthritis, including ankle replacement.
His research interests have mirrored these clinical interests, and his interest in education led him to create a successful fellowship programme in 2007, and to become involved in the BOFAS and AOFAS Education Committees (eventually chairing the BOFAS Committee for three years). He has remained involved in UK fellowship education at national level and is the President of BOFAS in 2027.
Outside of work he has a wife and 3 Gen Z children and enjoys golf, fast cars, drumming in a band and watching real ones, and most sports.
J. Chris Coetzee MD
USA · South African training background
Past President, AOFAS · Board Member, International Federation of Foot and Ankle Surgeons · Team doctor, Minnesota Vikings
Board-certified orthopedic surgeon, J. Chris Coetzee earned his medical degree from the University of Pretoria School of Medicine in South Africa. He completed his orthopedic residency at the University of Stellenbosch, located in Cape Town, South Africa, his trauma fellowship in Davos, Switzerland and a foot and ankle fellowship at the University of Washington and the Harborview Medical Center, in Seattle, WA, USA.
He is a Past President of the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) and served as associate editor of the Foot and Ankle International Journal and reviewer to the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and several other orthopedic journals over the years. He was a member of the AAOS CME committee ensuring ongoing education for all orthopedic surgeons. He is a Board Member of the International Federation of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.
His special orthopedic interests are foot and ankle sports medicine and he is an official team doctor for the Minnesota Vikings Football team, treating sports injuries from all over the country. He is a published author with more than 100 peer-reviewed articles on such topics as total ankle arthroplasties, talar osteochondral defects, Lisfranc injuries, ankle fractures, ankle ligament injuries and more. Current research interests include total ankle arthroplasties, ankle/foot fusions and sports injuries. Dr. Coetzee was named one of the top Foot and Ankle surgeons in the US by Orthopedics Today in several years, and has been nominated as a "Top Doc" by the Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine every year since 2013.