REFLECTIONS FROM THIS PAST YEAR
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to introduce the 2025 Annual Report for the Musculoskeletal Research Center( MRC). This annual report provides an opportunity to reflect on the amazing accomplishments and growth that has occurred in the areas of research and education over the past year. Our new Orthopedics Institute vision statement, crafted last year, now serves as a guide to shape our priorities and inspire our work:
“ Serving our community as leaders in innovation, education, research and inclusive patient care in pediatric orthopedics and sports medicine while optimizing the potential for all children, young adults and their families to live active and healthy lives”.
This year at the annual Robert E. Eilert Children’ s Orthopedics Day and Visiting Professorship we celebrated the legacies of our founders Robert Eilert, MD, Frank Chang, MD, Gaia Georgopoulos, MD, and Gerry Glancy, MD, while providing a forum for many of our current investigators to share their latest research. Our visiting professors highlighted their lasting legacies on research, with inspiring presentations on the integration of art in medicine, historical insights into resident and fellow education, program building and the immeasurable impact of the Adaptive Recreation for Childhood Health Program at Children’ s Hospital Colorado. Collectively, we are grateful for their roles in shaping the MRC.
The Orthopedics Institute continues to expand its national and international presence as a leader in pediatric orthopedic and sports medicine research. Highlights include hosting the International Consortium for Spinal Genetics, Development and Disease( ICGSDD) led by Nancy Hadley-Miller, MD, the Skeletal Dysplasia Management Consortium led by Klane White, MD, MSc, and the Rocky Mountain Sarcoma Symposium organized by Nate Donaldson, MD, and Steve Thorpe, MD. Locally, the Limb Differences Fair, hosted by Julia Sanders, MD, and Sayan De, MD, exemplified our commitment to engaging and supporting our patient and family communities.
Education remains a cornerstone of our mission, and we continue to lead in teaching the next generation of orthopedic and sports medicine researchers. We celebrated yet another successful cycle of our MRC Summer Internship Program, a unique and highly competitive opportunity that prepares aspiring orthopedic clinician-scientists through a blend of clinical research, first-hand exposure and mentorship.
In recognition of the increasing subspecialization in pediatric orthopedics, we have also begun to develop reorganization plans for our research program. Although subspecialization provides research focus and achieves the best clinical outcomes for our patients, it does present challenges to maintaining cohesive research efforts across the Orthopedic Institute. To address this, we are actively developing strategies that align research teams around shared scientific goals. These efforts are designed to break down silos, foster collaboration and strengthen innovation across the MRC.
Despite uncertainty within the broader research community, we in the MRC remain highly optimistic about the future and are committed to advancing pediatric orthopedic and sports medicine research. We invite you to review our 2025 Annual Report, which highlights many of our exciting achievements from the past academic year.
Sincerely,
NANCY HADLEY-MILLER, MD Clinical and Research Director Musculoskeletal Research Center Department of Pediatric Orthopedics Children’ s Hospital Colorado
JAMES J. CAROLLO, PhD, PE Clinical and Research Director Musculoskeletal Research Center Department of Pediatric Orthopedics Children’ s Hospital Colorado
KLANE WHITE, MD, MSc Chair, Pediatric Orthopedics The Rose Brown Endowed Chair of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Department of Pediatric Orthopedics Children’ s Hospital Colorado
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