Return to Table of Contents

Jefferson Recognized for Achievement in Orthopedic Research

Jefferson Medical College ranked second in nation, first in Pennsylvania for NIH funding

Jefferson Medical College (JMC) of Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) has achieved a new position of distinction in orthopedics: it has been ranked second in the United States and first in Pennsylvania for orthopedic research funding in 2005 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). (The NIH releases rankings following the end of each fiscal year.)

“We are honored and very thankful to the NIH for this recognition,” says Thomas J. Nasca, MD, MACP, Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs, TJU, and Dean, JMC. “We believe our funding is testament to the longstanding commitment of Jefferson Medical College and the Department of Orthopedic Surgery to landmark biomedical research that will translate into leading-edge clinical practice. Under the previous leadership of Dr. Richard Rothman, and now under the direction of Dr. Todd Albert, excellence has been nurtured and supported.”

Adding to this new achievement, the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, receives substantial research funding from the U.S. Department of Defense and private industry.

From left to right: Richard H. Rothman, MD; Maurizio Pacifici, PhD; Todd J. Albert, MD; Irving M. Shapiro, PhD, BDS

Current research
The ongoing collaboration between Jefferson’s distinguished international team of scientists and the exceptional clinicians of the Rothman Institute at Jefferson results in highly and rapidly translational investigations. Supervised by Todd J. Albert, MD, the James Edwards Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at JMC and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and scientists Maurizio Pacifici, PhD, Director, and Irving M. Shapiro, PhD, BDS, Associate Director of Orthopedic Research and the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Program, TJU, current areas of funded research activity include:

• Development of technology for infection-free orthopedic implants
• Transplantation of adult stem cells to restore degenerate intervertebral discs
• Regulation of skeletal growth and repair by environmental factors
• Causes of developmental skeletal anomalies and prevention of excessive bone deposition
• Maintenance of joint function and treatment of osteoarthritis

From research to patient care
“The findings from these NIH-funded investigations, along with others on which we are working, will eventually revolutionize orthopedic patient care,” says Dr. Albert, who is also a spine specialist and President of the Rothman Institute at Jefferson. “For instance, one of the primary causes of low back pain is degenerative disc disease. If we can eventually inject a patient’s own healthy cells into his or her damaged disc to regenerate it, we can cure not just our own patients but also millions of individuals afflicted with this chronic condition.”

Dr. Shapiro concurs. “Either in the short or long term, all of our investigations hold promise of profoundly influencing clinical care,” he says. “Once our team determines how bones and joints are formed, then we may be able to learn why a particular skeletal condition develops. This knowledge will undoubtedly lead to new understandings of disease and hopefully will result in innovative treatments and therapies.”

“Whether you talk to one of our molecular geneticists studying the role of genetics in skeletal disease, or one of the many clinical specialists of the Rothman Institute at Jefferson, our collective top priority is excellence in patient care,” Dr. Albert adds. “The department is pleased that this philosophy and method of practice has been recognized and so strongly supported by such an organization as the National Institutes of Health.”

From today’s basic science to tomorrow’s clinical practice…it all comes together at Jefferson.

To schedule an appointment with a Jefferson physician, call 1-800-JEFF-NOW. Regardless of your needs, including location, types of insurance accepted, and particular expertise, JEFF NOW® will help you find the doctor that’s right for you and get you an appointment quickly and easily.