Bio
Dr. Cooke is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. She has a strong clinical interest in hand, wrist, and elbow surgery for adult and pediatric patients. She is dual fellowship trained in Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery and Pediatric & Congenital Hand Surgery.
As an orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Cooke’s goal is to alleviate pain and improve hand, wrist, and elbow function so that her patients can return to the activities they enjoy. Her primary clinical interests are nerve compression (carpal tunnel), nerve injuries (traumatic/lacerations), joint instability/arthritis (degenerative conditions of the hand wrist and elbow), sports/athletic injuries, fracture care, and pediatric & congenital conditions of the hand and upper extremity.
Dr. Cooke utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach in order to provide comprehensive care for each patient. She works closely with colleagues from oncology, radiology, physical therapy, and other specialties. Her team includes certified hand therapists, cast technicians, medical assistants, and patient care coordinators. Together, Dr. Cooke and her team are committed to providing the best possible care for patients.
She invites patient referrals as early as possible when an upper extremity problem is suspected. She ensures a trusting relationship with referring physicians (whether primary care providers or specialists) by staying in communication so they understand and are comfortable with her recommendations.
In addition to patient care, Dr. Cooke has enjoyed contributing to her field through research. Among Dr. Cooke’s clinical research interests is fracture healing, including gene expression following administration of medication to stimulate bone repair. She has authored articles on topics like infection prediction and pain management after surgical repair of fractures. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, Osteoarthritis & Cartilage, Spine, and Transplantation. She also co-wrote the chapter “The History of Carpal Tunnel” for the textbook Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Related Median Neuropathies.
Dr. Cooke’s honors include a Howard Hughes Research Fellowship, an Outstanding Chief Resident Research Award, and recognition for authoring one of the top ten Foot & Ankle research papers at the 2016 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons conference.
In addition to her practice in the U.S., Dr. Cooke has traveled abroad as a physician volunteer to provide surgical services in underserved areas where there is no access to hand surgery specialists. In partnership with the surgeon-founded nonprofit organization Touching Hands, she has performed hand surgeries on adult and pediatric patients in Honduras. Dr. Cooke also has traveled with Shriners Hospital to treat children in Davao, Philippines.
