These surgeons have trained at some of the nation’s foremost plastic surgery training programs. Dr. Walden is a clinical assistant professor in the Dept. of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern and enjoys teaching to the next generation, and only accepts extraordinary candidates who show a tradition of excellence in their previous schooling and training.
Aesthetic Surgery Fellow January 2020 - June 2021
Matthew Freeman, M.D.
Matthew Freeman is an American Society of Plastic Surgery board-eligible plastic surgeon. Matt was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He became interested in plastic and reconstructive surgery after spending a summer in Guatemala performing cleft lip, cleft palate, and burn reconstruction procedures. He matriculated to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he achieved the highest departmental honors in neuroscience and was inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He then attended Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where his achievements garnered him Alpha Omega Alpha membership.
Dr. Freeman matched into the esteemed New York City Mount Sinai integrated plastic surgery residency position where he completed rotations at multiple different hospitals, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Bronx Veterans’ Affairs, Elmhurst Hospital, and many other Mount Sinai hospitals. He gained experience in cosmetic surgery working along many of the country’s top plastic surgeons on Park Avenue. Matt served as chief resident from 2021 until 2022. In order to gain further experience in cosmetic surgery,
Matt joined Dr. Jennifer Walden in Austin, Texas, to refine his skills. Matt has published numerous articles and presented at conferences across the United States on his research in Botulinum toxins, medical education, and breast reconstruction after cancer. Matt performs all types of cosmetic procedures of the face, breast, and body, and also offers non-invasive therapies such as injections of toxins and fillers.
In his free time, Dr. Freeman likes to run, hike, bike, waterski, downhill ski, cook, try new restaurants, and catch live music. Dr. Freeman’s wife, Celine, is an ophthalmologist specializing in cornea surgery. Matt and Celine have a playful miniature bernedoodle named Mardi.
Past Junior Associate July 2021 - August 2022
Daniela Atencio, M.D.
Dr. Daniela Atencio is an outstanding surgeon, a confident and kind person. Her surgical interest is focused on the face and breast aesthetics, as well as body contouring surgery. She has extensive training and experience in both surgical and non-surgical modalities and has come to Austin to master the Art of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Dr. Daniela Atencio is also bilingual, speaking English and Spanish. As she is originally from Venezuela, Dr. Atencio is able to make a practice more diverse and brings a South American / Latina influence to the practice with expertise in breast surgery, Liposculpture, body contouring, and facial aesthetic surgery. She can also inject a mean Botox and filler!
Past Aesthetic Surgery Fellow January 2019-june 2019
Nicole Phillips, M.D.
Dr. Nicole Phillips is a graduate of the Harvard Plastic Surgery program, where she trained in the full spectrum of reconstructive and cosmetic procedures. She then pursued an international fellowship in aesthetic surgery in Gold Coast, Australia, and is thrilled to be coming to Austin for the next step in her journey.
She completed her undergraduate studies at Brown University and obtained her medical degree from the prestigious University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
In 2018, Dr. Phillips was chosen from a national pool of applicants to serve as resident ambassador to the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal. As part of her responsibilities in this role, she hosted monthly podcasts about plastic surgery featured on YouTube and in the Apple iTunes store. She was also elected by her peers to be the resident representative to the Harvard Plastic Surgery Executive Committee, and she has published numerous articles and book chapters on various topics in plastic surgery, including upper body contouring and gender disparities.Prior to her career as a surgeon, Dr. Phillips was an actress and singer in New York City. She brought her unique perspective and artistic sensibility to every patient encounter. She is also an avid runner and has completed several marathons, including the 2016 Boston Marathon.
Past Aesthetic Surgery Fellow July 2019-june 2020
Rebekah Zaluzec, D.O.
Dr. Rebekah Zaluzec, our aesthetic surgery fellow, joins our practice from Chicago, Illinois. She is a board-certified general surgeon – with six years of clinical experience in one of the busiest trauma centers in Chicago, Mount Sinai Hospital!
In addition to her experience in general surgery, she is also a board eligible female Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon.
After completing her general surgery education, Dr. Zaluzec continued to advance her skills and passion for surgery by pursuing a Plastic and Reconstructive fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago.There she focused on both reconstructive and cosmetic plastic surgery, performing over 2,000 procedures in her 3 years. Dr. Zaluzec has published papers in both aesthetic and reconstructive journals throughout her fellowship.
While at the University of Illinois, she was fortunate to work extensively in the Craniofacial Center, which is the oldest established center in the country, where she received extensive training in facial reconstruction for all types of patients. Her passion for high-quality surgical education and experience brings her to Austin, TX and The Walden Cosmetic Surgery and Laser Center.
All aspects of personal health and wellness of the body are a passion for Dr. Zaluzec. She holds a bachelor’s in science in Kinesiology (study of human movement/exercise physiology) from Arizona State University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Prior to beginning her formal medical training, Dr. Zaluzec completed a yearlong apprenticeship with Power Pilates. She has a true, lifelong passion for health and fitness, and helping her clients and patients meet their fitness, personal and aesthetic goals. Her surgical interests focus on breast and body rejuvenation and reconstruction as well as facial aesthetics. She is also fully trained in non-surgical modalities such as Botox and filler injections and non-invasive fat reduction.
