Maria Nelson, M.D. is a highly accomplished surgeon with a wealth of expertise in the field of breast surgery. She is the Chief of the Division of Breast, Endocrine, and Soft Tissue Surgery and an Associate Professor of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She earned her masters and medical degree from the University of South Dakota and completed her residency training in General Surgery at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Afterwards, she completed her fellowship training in Breast Surgical Oncology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Nelson also serves as the Associate Program Director of the USC-Hoag Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program. Her clinical focus is in benign and malignant breast disease, and her current research interests include the diagnostic role of breast imaging techniques and the complex nature of decision-making in breast cancer care.