Dr. Nelles earned his medical degree from the Saint Louis University School of Medicine and completed his Orthopedic Residency at Wright State University. He went on to a spine surgery fellowship at Kaiser Permanente Hospital. During this time, he participated in a mission trip to India to do spine surgery on children with severe spinal deformities which shaped his approach to patients. It was a humbling and life-changing experience, and one that taught him to find middle ground with people across ages and cultures. Overall, Dr. Nelles enjoys the challenge of sorting through a variety of aches and pains and nagging injuries to discover the cause, and even more eventually coming to a solution that can help patient feel better and live their life to the greatest degree possible. Dr. Nelles spends most of his free time exploring the Bay Area with his wife and their three dogs. He and his wife also enjoy staying fit and active: they both participate in Cross Fit and triathlon training. When not working out, they enjoy hiking, white water rafting and the occasional trip north for wine (and beer!) tasting.