David L. Colen, MD, has been named section chief for hand surgery in the Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. He succeeds Grant Thomson, MD, who is retiring after more than two decades of distinguished leadership of the Yale program.
Colen joined the Department of Surgery faculty in 2020 as a fellowship-trained plastic and reconstructive surgeon specializing in hand surgery and microsurgery, with expertise in both upper and lower extremity reconstruction. During his surgical training, he contributed to several bilateral hand transplants, including the world’s first pediatric case. His research focuses on improving outcomes in traumatic and congenital hand reconstruction and enhancing hand function following tendon injury or infection.
At Yale, Colen has been a key member of the Yale Limb Restoration and Lengthening Program, collaborating with colleagues in orthopedics, radiology, pediatrics, and neurology to build one of the nation’s most comprehensive multidisciplinary programs. In January 2025, he was appointed Program Director of the Hand Surgery Fellowship, a joint program between the Departments of Surgery and Orthopedics & Rehabilitation that provides clinical and academic training across the full spectrum of hand and upper extremity surgery.