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Children’s Minnesota physicians recognized as Rising Stars

Congratulations to the 68 physicians who provide care at Children’s Minnesota recently recognized by Mpls.St.Paul Magazine as 2025 Top Doctors: Rising Stars. 

The 11th edition of the Top Doctors: Rising Stars list highlights up-and-coming physicians who have been fully licensed to practice for approximately 10 years or less and are recognized for their achievements by peers. This year’s list includes doctors in dozens of specialties, who were selected after a peer-nomination process. Candidates were evaluated on myriad factors, including peer recognition, professional achievement and disciplinary history. Physicians who received the highest total points from peer nominations and evaluations by independent researchers appear on the list. 

Among those recognized was Damon Olson, MD, a pediatric pathologist at Children’s Minnesota. Dr. Olson was featured in this year’s edition of Top Doctors: Rising Stars and interviewed about the importance of pathology and his passion for his work. 

“When I had applied for my fellowship, there was a quote that really stuck with me at the time and still sticks with me even now. It’s a Nelson Mandela quote— ‘There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.’ So being able to ultimately help these kids is what I love the most,” Dr. Olson said. 

The Rising Stars are listed in the April issue of the magazine and online. 

Abdul Kadir Abdi, MD 

Sara Ali, MD 

Ethan Bassett, MD 

Holly Belgum, MD 

Peter Belin, MD 

Kamil Bober, MD 

Katherine Braski, MD 

Gennadiy Busel, MD 

Megan Camerino, MD 

Jacquelyn Campbell, MD 

Brian Carroll, MD 

Saydi Chahla, MD 

Alexander Copelan, MD 

Alison Dittmer Flemig, MD 

Bryan Fate, MD, MPH 

Katherine Ferguson, MD 

Emilia Fisher, MD, MPH 

Kylie Fowler, MD 

Katie Greenwood, MD 

Kyle Halvorson, MD 

Nihal Hamouda, MD 

Zeeshan Haq, MD 

Melissa Hardy, MD 

Emily Harrison, MD 

Megan Hilgers, MD 

Asitha Jayawardena, MD, MPH 

Garrett Jones, MD 

Micah Karasov, DO 

Nandini Kataria, MD 

Stephen Knier, DO 

Alice Knoedler, MD 

Rachel Koski, DO 

Anne Kouri, MD 

Susan Kuldanek, MD 

Meghan Litke, MD 

Nadia Maccabee-Ryaboy, MD 

Ian-James Malm, MD 

Stephen McHale, MD 

Kyle Miller, MD 

Lane Miller, MD 

Sarah Murphy, DO 

Nickolas Nahm, MD 

Asha Nookala, MD 

Katherine O’Flynn O’Brien, MD 

Damon Olson, MD 

Kathryn Otto, DO 

Emma Pabarcus, MD 

Nital Patel, MD 

Caitlin Pelletier, MD 

Andrew Redmann, MD 

Michaela Rokosz, MD 

Kolin Rubel, MD 

Conor Ryan, MD 

Benjamin Ryba-White, MD 

Andrew Schneider, MD 

Matthew Seitzer, MD 

Chelsea Self, MD 

Emmalynn Sigrist, DO 

Guneet Sodhi, MD 

Margaret Strampe, MD 

Alicia Teagarden, DO 

Ian Thomas, MD 

Daniela Villacis Calderon, MD 

Emily Wagner, MD 

Jacob Waxman, MD 

Rachel Weigert, MD 

Ashley Wilson, MD 

Erin Wynings-Keaty, MD 

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