Webinar - 9/17/2025 Fall Medical Seminar

Dr. Flynn is a fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. She began her post-secondary education at the University of Notre Dame where she received her bachelor’s degree. Dr. Flynn then proceeded on to receive her medical degree at Georgetown University in Washington DC, where she acquired awards for leadership and teaching.

After receiving her medical degree, Dr. Flynn began her surgical training at Columbia University in New York and completed her orthopedic residency at the Cleveland Clinic. Rounding out her training, Dr. Flynn completed her sports medicine fellowship at the prestigious American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham Alabama.

She is highly experienced in working with athletes—from professionals to weekend warriors—where she specializes in primarily soft tissue injuries and treatments of the knee, shoulder, and elbow.

Dr. Flynn’s surgical and non-surgical training, bedside manner, and passion for improving the well-being of her patients as well as her passion to train the next generation of physicians set her apart in the field of sports medicine.

Dr. Alyson Engle is a double board-certified anesthesiologist and interventional pain physician who works at Illinois Orthopedic Network, former Assistant Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She has 21 peer reviewed scientific journal publications and has authored 13 book chapters related to pain medicine. 

After earning her biochemistry degree, she attended medical school at The George Washington University followed by an internal medicine internship at Medstar Washington Hospital Center  Georgetown University Hospital. Dr. Engle completed residency at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She then went on to complete a Pain Medicine fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. 

  Throughout her career she has been the recipient of several research awards from the National Institutes of Health, The Sheikh Zayed Institute for Innovation, Thompson Chemistry, and the International Award recipient of the Scholar Laureate for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese healthcare. She has over 20 years of experience in research in the areas of clinical trials, genetics, vaccine development, cancer, immunotherapy, tissue engineering vascular grafts and genetics modulation of the cardiovascular system and several clinical trials related to medical devices in pain medicine. She is an active member of many professional pain medicine societies and has been an invited speaker for chronic pain related topics. Her honors include Editor of the North American Neuromodulation Society Education Newsletter, Treasurer of the Board of The Midwest Pain Society, Scientific Planning Committee of the Midwest Pain Society, immediate past co-chair, leadership council of the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience, Guidelines Committee and the Education Committee for the North American Neuromodulation Society,  and contributes to over 11 professional societies.

Dr. Arash Sayari is an orthopedic spine surgeon who sees patients in Joliet, Naperville, and Chicago. He is a clinical instructor in minimally invasive spine surgery. Dr. Sayari has quickly risen in the ranks amongst spine surgeons in the United States, which he credits to his hard work and the dedication of his patients. He is one of the few surgeons implementing cutting-edge technology, including endoscopic, minimally invasive, and robotic techniques.  

Dr. Sayari is an award-winning researcher, earning thousands of dollars in grants to create curriculums and design studies. He has since published dozens of articles and has presented his work nationally and internationally at medical conferences. Dr. Sayari is a critical reviewer for several medical journals, influencing how spine surgery is performed across the country.  

Born and raised in sunny Los Angeles, Dr. Sayari achieved Magna Cum Laude honors at UCLA before attending the University of Miami, where he graduated with the highest honors, Alpha Omega Alpha. Dr. Sayari followed up his academic achievements with residency training in orthopedic surgery at Rush University, a top program based on U.S. News & World Report rankings. To further his expertise in spine surgery, he completed a fellowship at the highly ranked Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, CA. There, he trained amongst leaders in orthopedic and neurosurgical spine surgery, mastering techniques in minimally invasive spine surgery, robotics, and motion preservation.  

Earning the recognition and respect of his colleagues, Dr. Sayari was then recruited to join the prestigious team at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush to provide the same world-class care to the community he served during his residency training. Dr. Sayari delivers world-class care to his patients both locally and internationally, and continues to drive research and teaching efforts, spending his free academic time teaching undergraduate students, medical students, and young surgeons worldwide.  

An avid sports fan, Dr. Sayari loves to travel and spend his free time with his wife and two sons. 

Ryan Harold, MD is an orthopedic surgeon who is dual-fellowship trained in Shoulder & Elbow Surgery and Hand Surgery. He specializes in shoulder and elbow conditions including rotator cuff tears, shoulder arthritis, elbow fractures, and elbow dislocations. Through his extensive training, he developed expertise in minimally invasive arthroscopic shoulder surgery, including massive rotator cuff tears, shoulder replacement surgery, complex shoulder reconstruction, and elbow replacement surgery. He also treats acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, and scapulothoracic conditions. He has a specific interest in cutting-edge custom 3D-printed shoulder replacement implants, preoperative 3D planning software, and computer-assisted navigation for shoulder replacement surgery. He also specializes in hand conditions, including arthritis, fractures, nerve, tendon, and artery injuries.

Dr. Harold grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He attended Purdue University where he received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. He attended medical school at the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

He completed a one-year Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery fellowship at the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center in Indianapolis followed by a second one- year subspecialty fellowship training in Shoulder & Elbow arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery at Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Harold’s goal in taking care of patients is to provide the highest level of care to each individual, whether it be through surgical or non-surgical approaches such as injections, physical therapy, or bracing. He strives to provide personalized care to each patient and decide on a treatment plan together, after discussing different options. Although many treatment options are often available, a patient’s specific activities, lifestyle, and personal preferences often serve as a guide to selecting the best treatment option.

Dr. Harold is an outdoor and technology enthusiast. He is an avid runner, snow skier, and golfer, and has a personal interest in 3D printing in orthopedic surgery. His wife is a pediatrician and together they have a daughter and a son.

Dr. Harold serves as a journal reviewer for the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (JSES) and the Journal of Hand Surgery (JHS).

Austin protects, defends, and litigates on behalf of insurance companies and employers in workplace accident claims including workers' compensation and related civil litigation claims.

He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association, for which he serves as a member of the organization’s board of directors. Austin has presented on various workers’ compensation topics at seminars, and he has authored case law summaries for the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association’s membership.

He graduated from Ripon College with a bachelor’s degree in Politics and Government and was also a four-year letter winner in football. After graduation, he moved to Washington, D.C. and worked on Capitol Hill for two different members of Congress. During his time on the Hill, he handled many different issues and areas of legislation, including those impacting small businesses, veterans, trade, appropriations, and defense matters.

Seeking a new challenge, Austin attended UIC John Marshall Law School, where he was a regional finalist in the ABA Negotiation Competition, served as a teaching assistant, and was a member of the Veterans Law moot court competition team. Since passing the bar, Austin has dedicated his career to workers’ compensation defense and related civil ligation claims.

Austin is an avid sports fan, enjoys golfing as much as possible and most of all loves spending time with his wife and three sons whether at the lake, traveling or just trying to keep them safe.