Current Residents

(Robert) Wilson King, MD — R5 — Administrative Chief

Dr. R. Wilson King was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and spent his entire childhood in this area. He then got his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at the University of Alabama. After graduation, he continued his education at medical school at the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB), where he earned his MD/MBA.

After medical school, Dr. King chose to do his residency in General Surgery at the University of Colorado. While in General Surgery, he did two years of dedicated research time. This included attending the University of Colorado School of Public Health, where he attained his Master's in Clinical Science, and clinical research in vascular surgery. During this time, he developed a strong interest in vascular surgery and transitioned into the Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency Program at the University of Colorado.

Outside of work, Wilson enjoys going into the mountains to fly fish, ski, and camp, and cheering on the Alabama Crimson Tide. He is excited to continue his training and development here at the University of Colorado.

Branson Taheri, MD — R3

Dr. Branson Taheri was born in Denver, Colorado and grew up in Casper, Wyoming. After completing high school, he attended the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. While there, he played on the school’s ACHA club ice hockey team and completed a degree in computer science.

Branson proceeded from the U.S. Air Force Academy to medical school at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. While in medical school, Dr. Taheri developed an interest in vascular surgery while working with a research group focused on investigating technology used to manage hemorrhagic and vascular trauma in both military and civilian settings.

Dr. Taheri was selected through the military match process to join the University of Colorado’s Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency, where he will continue on active duty as a vascular surgeon in the U.S. Air Force.

Outside of work, Branson enjoys playing and watching ice hockey, going to baseball games, and skiing. Dr. Taheri is excited for the opportunity to train at the University of Colorado and to gain the experience and skills needed to succeed in a career as an Air Force vascular surgeon.

Pedro Furtado Neves, MD — R3

Dr. Pedro Furtado Neves was born in Curitiba, Brazil, and spent 8 years of his childhood in Boca Raton, Florida, before moving back to his hometown in Brazil for high school, and medical school training. It was during his medical school that through mentorship he found his love for vascular surgery. He then went on to graduate from his medical school with the highest surgical distinction a student can receive (Mário Braga de Abreu award). In the final months of his medical school training, Dr. Neves pursued a rotation in Vascular Surgery in Aurora, Colorado, through his mentor’s recommendation.

He was quickly won over by the cutting-edge ongoing research, the quality of mentorship, and the advanced aortic program available at this institution, which led him to pursue a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy at the University of Colorado for 2 years, during which he was impressively productive, winning several national awards and presenting at multiple national and international vascular surgery meetings. During the final months of his research fellowship, he applied and matched into Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency at the institution of his dreams.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Neves enjoys meeting new people, spending quality time with his close friends and medical school sweetheart Aline, and you can often find him in the evenings in the on-campus Wellness center within its steam room and sauna. He also has begun experimenting with snowboarding, as in Brazil he was an avid longboarder. He is excited to be continuing his surgical education with the phenomenal mentors he has benefited from since beginning his research endeavors.

Daniel Saks, MD — R2

Although born abroad in Ecuador, Daniel spent much of his childhood in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Growing up, he was influenced by several role models who were both military officers and physicians, which led him after high school to attend the college of his dreams, the U.S. Air Force Academy. While there, he enjoyed teaching younger cadets the basics of aviation as a soaring Instructor Pilot and studying Biology with the goal of attending medical school.

While at the University of Colorado for medical school, Daniel was quickly drawn to the world of surgery. He was impressed by the wide variety of anatomy and cutting-edge technology germane to vascular surgery after working closely with two attending vascular surgeons in Colorado Springs and San Antonio, Texas.

Daniel is deeply honored to have been selected through the military match for the University of Colorado’s Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency and looks forward to joining the long legacy of excellent military surgeons who have come before him. He is excited to study surgery under the outstanding mentors at this institution and hopes to continue the endeavor of surgical education throughout his active-duty career and beyond.

Outside of work, Daniel loves bodybuilding, skiing, enjoying various musical pursuits, watching Nuggets basketball, and spending time with his community of friends and family in Colorado.

Samantha Fountain, MD — R1

Dr. Samantha Fountain was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Through vascular surgery shadowing and the Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills Summer Internship, Dr. Fountain started college already committed to becoming a surgeon. She earned her Bachelors in Human Biology, Health & Society with a minor in Education at Cornell. While at Cornell, Dr. Fountain worked as an Advanced EMT on the local ambulance and taught EMT courses. She graduated college a year early to pursue a Master of Medical Education at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom as a Fulbright Scholar. There, she taught emergency medicine curricula at the medical school, worked on the ambulance in the National Health Service, and learned medical education theory & praxis.

Dr. Fountain then moved back to New York to complete an accelerated MD degree at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, on a full-tuition scholarship with a non-binding, guaranteed general surgery residency spot. While in medical school, Dr. Fountain was heavily involved in vascular research, vascular conferences, and the national Vascular Surgery Interest Group. Having completed an away rotation at the University of Colorado, she is excited and honored to have the opportunity to train again at the University of Colorado through the Robert B. Rutherford Integrated Vascular Surgery Residency. Dr. Fountain looks forward to developing as a surgeon and surgical educator under the excellent mentorship of the University of Colorado faculty and her senior residents.

In her free time, Dr. Fountain enjoys baking (having previously owned a bakery), hiking, powerlifting, and traveling abroad. She also loves gardening and taking care of her menagerie at home — shrimp, fish, a frog, crested geckos, and chickens, with hopefully more to come.