Associate Program Director Appointment

This corresponds to Dr. Wanzel’s previous announcement that he will be stepping down as Program Director on July 1, 2027 after what will have been an extraordinary 10 years as Program Director and 8 years as Associate Program Director, for a total of 18 years of leadership in the education of residents. With this reality, Dr. Wanzel and I, together with a selection Committee, have worked to facilitate a transfer of this responsibility in a way that sets everyone up for success.

Dr. Wallace will officially transition to Program Director on July 1, 2027 and we all look forward to his leadership, partnership, and responsive impact on our program.

Dr. Wallace was recruited to the Division in 2022 as a Plastic Surgeon at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. Prior to that, he earned his Master of Science in Epidemiology from Queen’s University in 2012, followed by his medical degree from the University of Toronto in 2016. He completed his Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery residency training in our program here at the University of Toronto in 2021, and subsequently pursued a prestigious fellowship in Adult and Pediatric Burns at the University of California, Davis and Shriners Hospitals for Children. As a Faculty Surgeon-Teacher, he then pursued his passion for education through the accredited Education Scholars Program of the Centre for Faculty Development, (a partnership between Unity Health Toronto and Temerty Faculty of Medicine) from 2023-2025, advancing his ability to implement curriculum and program development and evaluation, and embrace education leadership and system change.

Dr. Wallace is widely recognized for his clinical expertise in adult burn care at the Ross Tilley Burn Centre and in complex wound care in the Division of Plastic Surgery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre where he serves as Surgeon-Lead for Complex Wound Surgery. He is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Burn Anesthesia Fellowship at the University of Toronto. Dr. Wallace’s research portfolio includes both clinical and educational scholarship, with a focus on burn care, wound management, and surgical education. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, contributed to best practice guidelines, and presented his work at national and international conferences.

An accomplished educator, Dr. Wallace has developed and led several innovative educational initiatives, including the “Fireside Chat” series for burn fellows and the Complex Wound Surgery Seminar Series for residents. He is actively engaged in curriculum development and mentorship across both undergraduate and postgraduate training programs. He serves as the University’s Divisional Undergraduate Medical Education Co-ordinator and is the Founder and Lead of the Undergraduate Program Committee that also provides opportunity and mentorship for residents and medical students to be involved in development of educational platforms in plastic surgery. He has served as a member of both the Residency Program Committee and the Fellowship Council since 2022, being constantly in touch with the residency program.

His contributions and compassion have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Sunnybrook Champion of Care Award, Co-Recipient of the Best Case/Best Save in Plastic Surgery, and the Hugh Thompson Humanitarian Award. He is also an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Burn Association and the International Society for Burn Injuries.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Wallace on this well-deserved appointment. His energy and commitment to education will be invaluable to our Division and in developing, mentoring, and advocating for the next generation of plastic surgeons.

Joan E. Lipa
Chair, Division of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, University of Toronto
Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto