Friday, March 27
Friday, March 27
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sponsored by:
Presented by the LearnORS Committee’s Art of Grant Writing Sub-Committee
During the in-person Workshop, participants will learn about funding opportunities for research, meet funding agency representatives, be paired with experienced mentors to go over their proposals and provide valuable feedback on the art of grant writing. The Workshop includes a Specific Page Aims Lab providing participants with the opportunity to prepare and revise a Specific Aims Page, the most important page of the grant application. In addition, a subset of full grants submitted by registrants will be reviewed during a LIVE Mock Study Section. Additional didactics highlight important concepts to supplement information presented in the LearnORS online companion Course. The day ends with a networking reception. Don’t miss out on the networking and mentoring opportunities and the real time feedback you will receive from faculty and funding agency representatives.
Depending on your skill level, we encourage all participants to enroll in the online companion Course either prior to or after attending the in-person Workshop to ensure maximum training value!
All registrants will be invited to submit a Specific Aims Page or Full Grant Proposal for review. Submitting these materials will optimize your Workshop experience! The deadline for submissions is January 30, 2025.
Pre-Registration Required
Registration includes light breakfast, lunch, and networking event.
NON-Member registrants receive a 50% discount on the Art of Grant Writing online course.
Saturday, March 28
Saturday, March 28
11:45 am – 1:15 pm
ORS Accessibility and Belonging Committee
Organizers: David Palmer, Nina Tang, and Alan Li
This initiative is based on the successful mentor-mentee luncheon held at the 2025 Annual ORS Meeting. The program allowed students and early-career investigators to be matched with faculty mentors in order to receive personalized guidance to help on their respective career paths. The 2026 program seeks to implement a similar initiative, while making improvements to the previous program. This program is designed to increase engagement in the orthopaedic research field by giving students and early career investigators the opportunity to ask questions and hear from senior researchers about their respective experiences in the field.
This request was previously funded by the ORS Board for the 2025 annual meeting. Mentors and mentees were able to interact over lunch in an informal setting. In the previous program, we collaborated with the Career Development Committee and worked with other ORS Community Networks and Sections to identify mentors for participation. Twenty-two faculty mentors across a broad range of disciplines including basic science, engineering, clinical practice, and industry participated. Two mentors were strategically assigned to each table based on expertise. Eighty-seven mentees signed up to attend. Mentees included undergraduate and graduate students, medical and veterinary students, and postdoctoral scholars. The mentee pool also included the undergraduate students from the 2025 Undergraduate Travel Program. Approximately, six to eight mentees were seated at each table. This design allowed mentees to select their mentors, ensuring that each attendee received the best possible guidance for their respective interests.
Pre-Registration Required
Saturday, March 28
2:45 pm – 3:45 pm
ORS Industry Alliance and ORS Innovation Committee
Organizers: Miguel A. Diaz, MS; Zahra Eskandari, MSc, PhD; Abiraman Srinivasan PhD, Manuela Ernst, PhD, Floor Lambers, PhD, Blanka Sharma, PhD
Translating orthopedic technologies from bench to bedside requires not only scientific innovation but also a clear understanding of the complex regulatory, clinical, and operational pathways that drive product development. This session will bridge critical gaps in knowledge by demystifying the translational roadmap. Speakers will be introduce key concepts in intellectual property and market assessment, offering practical guidance on collaborating with Clinical Research Organizations (CROs), and share their real-world experiences in navigating regulatory hurdles and commercialization challenges, such as those faced by patient-specific solutions and implant designs. The goal of this session is to empower orthopedic researchers and clinicians to strategically translate their innovations from academic discovery to impactful clinical practice.
Speakers:
Dr. Bradley Fach, MBA, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Navigating the Academic Innovation Pipeline: A Tech Transfer Perspective
Eric Benoit, MD, NAMSA
Bridging Innovation: The Critical Role of CROs in Advancing Preclinical Research to Clinical Trial
Ali Kiapour, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Computationally Designed Patient-Specific Implants for Orthopedic Applications
Santiago Lozano-Calderon, MD, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Patient-Specific Implants for Lower Extremity Surgeries: Clinical Applications, Benefits, and Challenges
Moderator: Ali Kiapour
Saturday, March 28
12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
Following the successful launch at the 2025 Annual Meeting, ORS will again host a lunch-and-learn educational session in 2026 to highlight specific technical advancements introduced to the market within the past two years by the orthopaedic industry. The goal of this session is to showcase the science and technology behind these innovations.
Speakers:
Jeff Bischoff, Zimmer Biomet
OsseoFit® Stemless Shoulder System: A Case Study in Translational Biomechanics
Chen Shi, Suzhou InnoTech Medical Technology Co., Ltd
Biphasic Degradation of Magnesium Alloy Screws by Bilayer Composite Coating: A Clinically Validated Strategy
Alex Fuentes, Emovi Inc.
Closing the Function Gap across Total Knee Arthroplasty: Linking Weight-Bearing Kinematics with Intra-operative Measures
Greg Luerman, Curi Bio
A Scalable Functional NMJ Assay for High-Throughput Evaluation of Botulinum Neurotoxins
Pre-Registration Required
View speaker photos and bios by clicking the the link below.
Sunday, March 29
Sunday, March 29
10:15 am – 11:15 am
ORS Career Development Committee
Organizers: Lin Han, PhD & Zhong (Alan) Li, PhD
The Future Faculty Poster Session showcases senior post-docs, residents, and fellows planning to apply for their first independent faculty position in the upcoming year. The primary goals of this session are: 1) to provide an opportunity for future faculty members to present the goals of their proposed independent research program by showcasing their past, present, and future research; and 2) to provide an effective means for Department Chairs, search committee chairs/members and senior faculty to identify strong candidates. This session benefits not only the participating senior trainees and recruiting faculty, but also more junior trainees by providing them with an opportunity to observe the process of transition from trainee to faculty. Thus, the Future Faculty Poster Session is an engaging session for all ORS members.
Speakers: TBD. Senior post-docs, residents and fellows that are planning to apply for their first independent research faculty position in the upcoming year and apply to participate in the session.
This year, we would like to have presenters select the option to participate at the time of conference registration to streamline the application process and encourage more presenters.
Sunday, March 29
10:15 am – 11:15 am
ORS Career Development Committee
Organizers: Jason Chang Marvin, PhD and Jillian Beveridge, PhD
The third ORS Postdoctoral Fellow Match Poster Session will showcase poster presentations by senior graduate students and other trainees who are actively seeking a postdoctoral position in the upcoming year. The primary goal of this session is to provide a platform for these trainee candidates to showcase their past, present, and future research interests to principal investigators (e.g., faculty, T32 directors/members, department chairs, etc.) looking to hire postdoctoral researchers. By facilitating these interactions, we hope to promote a matchmaking process through which promising early-career scientists can broaden their scientific networks and ultimately identify prospective avenues for furthering their professional training.
Speakers: TBD. There are no invited speakers or panelists, as all participants will be trainees who apply to present a poster during this session. Faculty members actively recruiting postdoctoral researchers can request the information of these trainee candidates.
This year, we would like to have interested presenters select the option to participate at the time of conference registration to streamline the application process and encourage more presenters.
Sunday, March 29
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
ORS Career Development Committee
Organizers: Jiao Jiao Li, PhD, Jillian Beveridge, PhD
In an increasingly competitive and complex funding landscape, diversifying funding sources is becoming essential for researchers at all career stages. Traditional government funding is no longer sufficient—or guaranteed—for sustaining ambitious, long-term research programs, particularly in fields such as orthopaedics that are interdisciplinary, translational, and innovation-driven. This is especially true for early- and mid-career researchers navigating the pressures of building a robust and independent research portfolio, often within constrained funding environments.
Career development in orthopaedic research now requires strategic engagement with a broader range of funding streams, including industry partnerships, philanthropic foundations, commercialization of research outputs, international collaborative grants, equipment and infrastructure support, and career-specific fellowships. Leveraging these opportunities can provide not only financial sustainability, but also access to new networks, technologies, and translational pathways. At the same time, understanding the motivations, expectations, and evaluation metrics across diverse funders is critical to successfully securing and managing such funding.
This session will explore practical strategies for identifying and accessing alternative funding sources, aligning research goals with funder priorities, and using diverse funding to strategically grow a research portfolio. It will also highlight how career path diversity and international mobility can be strengths when applying for non-traditional funding, and discuss how researchers can position themselves for success by integrating funding diversification into their long-term career planning.
Speakers:
Christopher Little, DVM, PhD, University of Sydney
Academic Perspective
Sibylle Grad, PhD, AO Research Institute
Educational and Capacity Building Perspective
Jeff Bischoff, PhD, Zimmer Biomet
Industry Perspective
Sunday, March 29
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
ORS Industry Alliance Committee
Organizer: Miguel Diaz, MS
This round table session will give participants an opportunity to network with professionals from industry, government, and academia involved in translating technology from benchtop to patients. Each of the speakers will introduce themselves and describe their path to their current role. Each professional will then head networking tables and lead discussions and answer questions on their careers and industry collaborations, as well broad professional development topics. Table discussion topics will include:
1. Getting your first job
2. Transitioning from academia to Industry
3. Working for a large corporation versus small company/start up
4. Opportunities in Industry beyond R&D
5. Working inside the government agencies
6. Industry-academia collaboration
We will have participants change tables every ten minutes so they can talk to a variety of professionals. This session will give participants an opportunity to connect with professionals from large and small institutions as well as their peers, providing insights and connections to help guide career choices. This session will be valuable for both students looking for their first position or experienced professionals interested in making a career change.
The Participants: (subject to change)
Anthony Khoury, PhD, Arthrex
Chester Lowe, PhD, KUB Technologies
Rohit Badida, MS, Brown University
Aric Kaiser, MS, Food and Drug Administration
Floor Lambers, PhD, Stryker
Bo Gao, PhD, Exactech
Sunday, March 29
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
ORS Public Outreach Committee
Organizers: Ryan Tomlinson, PhD, Erin Mannen, PhD
Public policy decisions at the local, state, and federal levels play a critical role in shaping research funding, healthcare delivery, and the future of musculoskeletal science. Yet, these decisions are often made with limited input from the scientific community, as most policymakers are not trained scientists. This disconnect highlights the urgent need for researchers to engage in science advocacy to ensure evidence-based decision making.
The purpose of this annual session is to provide on-going advocacy training for the orthopaedic research community. Since advocacy is rarely emphasized in traditional scientific training, many researchers feel unable to effectively influence policy and funding decisions. This session aims to close that gap by:
1) Introducing the fundamentals of science advocacy across all levels of government
2) Highlighting how specific policy decisions impact musculoskeletal research and patient care
3) Empowering attendees with actionable strategies to amplify their advocacy efforts
Special emphasis will be placed on practical tools and approaches that attendees can immediately apply to become stronger advocates for orthopaedic research.
Speakers:
Ryan Tomlinson, PhD, Thomas Jefferson University
Overview of the ORS Public Outreach Committee and our Advocacy Efforts
Dawn Beraud, PhD, AIMBE
Expanding Advocacy at ORS: Insights from AIMBE and Beyond
Michael Lauer, MD, Former NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research
Navigating the Federal Research Landscape: Opportunities and Challenges for Science Advocacy
Sunday, March 29
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
ORS Women’s Leadership Forum
Organizers: Jenny Dorich, PhD, Annettee McCoy, PhD
The world surrounding orthopaedic research has been dynamic over the past year, which can be a source of increased stress. The purpose of this session is to provide (1) an overview of how acute and chronic stressors alter physiological functioning and (2) strategies that one can use to maximize well-being during everyday life, professionally and personally.
With a reception that would be later that day.
Speaker:
Jeanette Bennett, PhD, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Tools for Managing Stressors in a World of Uncertainty
Sunday, March 29
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
ORS Accessibility and Belonging Committee
Organizers: Nina Tang, Ines Reichert and Matthew Grol
This initiative will build upon the tremendous success of the undergraduate poster sessions held at the last two ORS Annual Meetings in 2024 and 2025. At the ORS Annual Meeting 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona, a dedicated poster and networking session was organized on February 9th, 2025, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Poster boards were set up during the event, allowing our undergraduate student attendees to present their research projects. The event saw strong attendance, featuring 50 undergraduate poster presenters, 30 trainees at different training levels, and 20 faculty members. Each undergraduate or trainee was given 3 minutes to present their projects, during which attendees actively engaged with them through questions. This experience allowed the undergraduate presenters to showcase their research work at an international conference, significantly enhancing their resumes for competitive graduate school applications. Additionally, the undergraduate presenters networked with current graduate students, sought peer mentorship regarding applications to competitive graduate programs, and strategized their application dossiers. The event also allowed them to receive critical feedback from both peers and faculty members, guiding the future direction of their projects. Faculty members aiming to recruit graduate students for their research programs had the opportunity to network and meet these young scientists informally. Many faculty members holding the title of graduate program director also displayed promotional materials about their programs and were available to answer inquiries regarding the application process and funding mechanisms for graduate studies.
Overall, the session was a great success, as indicated by the feedback we received from the undergraduate presenters. Other trainees who were unable to present expressed their eagerness to participate in future sessions at upcoming ORS annual meetings. Given the success of this event, we plan to continue the undergraduate poster networking as a permanent feature of future ORS annual meetings.
Speakers/Participates:
Undergraduate attendees will be invited to participate in this session.
Monday, March 30
Monday, March 30
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
ORS Career Development Committee
Organizers: Natalia Harasymowicz and Lin Han
Securing funding is essential for advancing scientific endeavors, yet navigating the current landscape is increasingly complex given the evolving governmental and policy changes. Program Officers play a vital role as intermediaries between applicants, funding institutions, and scientific review panels. This session is designed to support orthopedic researchers across all career stages, including trainees, early-career, mid-career, and established investigators, with direct interactions with Program Officers and Scientific Review Officers. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in small group and one-on-one discussions to gain current insights, including how shifting priorities or structural changes may influence funding strategies in the near future.
Speakers: TBD: OREF, ANRF, NIH, NSF, NASA, CDMRP, AO Foundation (emphasis for international applicants), ON network (emphasis for international applicants), NFL/MLB (emphasis for alternate funding mechanisms), MTF program, Arthritis Foundation. Speakers will include program officers (POs) and scientific review officers (SRO) in attendance at ORS 2026.
Monday, March 30
1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
ORS Innovation Committee
Organizers: Abiraman Srinivasan PhD, Manuela Ernst, MSc, Joshua Roth, PhD
The ORS Business Innovation Competition (BIC) program is designed to serve as a springboard for innovation in the musculoskeletal research field. It provides crucial resources, recognition and a supportive platform for early-stage companies, clinicians, researchers, and students at all levels to bring their groundbreaking ideas to life. By participating in the program, these innovators can assess the market potential of their technologies and develop robust commercialization strategies. The program achieves this by offering expert mentorship, constructive feedback, and a collaborative environment, enabling participants to effectively transition their concepts from the lab to the commercial market. Ultimately, the BIC program fosters innovation and accelerates the development of new technologies that can significantly impact the musculoskeletal research community and beyond.
Networking event would like to be held immediately after the BIC.
Speakers:
Lesley Lizalek (previously Arant), Tensense LLC
Robert Winder, Zooly Labs, Inc
Annemarie Lang, University of Michigan
Rajshree Hillstrom, Biomed Consulting, Inc
View speaker photos, bios, and learn more about the competition using the link below.
Monday, March 30
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm
ORS Career Development Committee
Organizers: Jillian Beveridge, PhD, Jiao Jiao Li, PhD, Rebecca Wachs, PhD
New challenges are often faced in mid-career as one balances the potential divergence in leadership pathways between advancing research, service to professional organizations and funding agencies, or dedicating a greater balance towards activities associated with academic administration. Mid-career investigators may find their time being pushed in one direction or the other but are confronted with needing to make a conscious decision as one’s time becomes increasingly constrained. There may also be additional complexities as a change in institutional employment can also arise. This candid panel discussion provides a glimpse into the decision processes taken by senior ORS investigators and academic leaders who will share their unique perspectives having lived experience, revealing factors that may not be obvious but have proved to be important determinants of career satisfaction.
Speakers:
Roger Cornwall, MD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Established ORS Member having contributed in senior governance role(s)
Jess G Snedeker, PhD, Balgrist University Hospital and ETH Zurich
Established ORS Member having experience in academic leadership
TBD
Established ORS Member, or past member, having focused in academic research or federal agency
Karen Troy, PhD, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Established ORS Member who changed institutions during their early or mid-career
Kurt Spindler, MD, Cleveland Clinic
Established ORS Member who is an active clinician-scientist balancing clinical commitments while nurturing a research program
Monday, March 30
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm
ORS Innovation Committee
Organizers: Rabeeh Majidi, PhD, Gabriela Graziani, PhD
This session, organized by the ORS Innovation Committee, is designed as a complementary follow-up to the SOMOS symposium, spotlighting key unmet musculoskeletal needs and challenges faced by military personnel. While the SOMOS session focuses on clinical care and operational needs for active-duty service members, this session will extend the discussion into innovation, patient advocacy, and long-term outcomes, bridging the continuum from battlefield to veteran care. A core emphasis is placed on integrating real patient voices, particularly from the VA system, to guide research priorities and foster innovation that aligns with lived experience.
Incorporating insights from high-performance environments such as special operations forces and elite performing arts, this session will also explore how principles of human performance, and precision teamwork can inform the future of military musculoskeletal care. By bridging disciplines and applying lessons from fields like the Navy, we aim to develop innovative strategies that enhance surgical outcomes, rehabilitation processes, and long-term readiness for service members.
Building on the legacy of past Unmet Clinical Needs symposia, this session will explore several key military-relevant orthopaedic topics:
• Operational Demands and Recovery Gaps in Innovation for Frontliners: Addressing common, career-limiting conditions that affect combat readiness and long-term function.
• Chronic Pain After Combat: Highlighting the long-term impact of musculoskeletal trauma and gaps in post-service care pathways.
• The Role of Patient Advocacy in Shaping Military Orthopaedic Research and Care: Demonstrating how patient experiences can inform translational research, influence policy, and drive product development.
• Barriers to Innovation in DoD-Funded Musculoskeletal Research: Examining the structural and regulatory challenges that slow the development and adoption of orthopaedic innovations within military systems.
Speakers:
Allyn Abadie, PhD, Arena Labs
Learning from Elite Performance: Translating Human Factors into Military Orthopaedic Innovation
Marin Smith, DPT, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and Jenny Yuan, MD, PhD, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Transforming Military Musculoskeletal Readiness: Innovations in Primary Care and Rehabilitation
Rick Haddad, Veteran
Beyond Pain: A Veteran’s Voice in Advancing Musculoskeletal Care
Panel Discussion – Bridging Innovation and Reality: IoT, Rehabilitation, and Unmet Needs in Military Musculoskeletal Care
Featuring Josh Rabinowitz, Articulate Labs, Daniel Clifton, PhD, ATC, Uniformed Services University, Col Don Goss, High Point University, Brian Baum, PhD, MIT Lincoln Lab, Rabeeh Majidi, PhD, OrthoKinetic Track
