Orthopedics This Month: Spine - Fall 2024 | Page 29

[ NEWS - COMPANY ]
Dr . Jacobs continued , “ Supporting innovative research is at the core of OREF ’ s mission , and assisting our grantees in taking the next step with their research advancements is a natural extension of our mission .”
The funding process will include a selection and evaluation process . Per the press release , the selection process will focus on “ innovation that addresses unmet clinical needs and provides features distinguished in the marketplace .”
Orizon LLC will select individuals who have completed OREF research grants to advance through a competitive process . If a solution is selected , a new standalone subsidiary of Orizon LLC will be created with dedicated resources to drive product development plans for a commercially viable solution .
OTW spoke with Lee Grossman , OREF ’ s chief executive officer , about the fund . Grossman told us , “ OREF ’ s mission is to improve patient care by funding research that drives improvements in clinical practice . With the launch of Orizon , OREF can further support these improvements by connecting our grant recipients with the resources needed to move innovative solutions out of the lab and into the hands of orthopaedic surgeons .”
He also noted , “ while the Orizon Accelerator program is launching to a subset of OREF grant recipients with completed grants , all OREF-funded investigators are invited to attend a Town Hall information session to learn more about the program .”
OREF representatives clarified that “ The Orizon partnership is designed to assist investigators in commercializing solutions resulting from OREF-funded research . Initially , a subset of OREF grant recipients whose grants have been completed will be invited to learn more about Orizon and to apply to participate in the Orizon Accelerator program . The first cohort of participants will be selected from among these investigators . Future cohorts will be selected from a broader pool of OREF-funded investigators . All OREF grant recipients are welcome to attend a virtual Town Hall meeting to learn more about the program . More information is available on the Orizon website .”
Orizon hopes to select the first cohort of recipients “ by mid-July with the goal of announcing funding decisions by mid-September .” — KD
Douglas C . Burton , M . D . Receives SRS Lifetime Achievement Award

Douglas C . Burton , M . D ., the past Peltier / Reckling Professor and Chair and current Marc and Elinor Asher Spine Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Kansas Health System , has been recognized with the Scoliosis Research Society ( SRS ) 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award . This award honors a member for distinguished service to the SRS , as well as significant contributions to spinal deformity care .

Dr . Burton earned his undergraduate degree from Kansas State University in Manhattan , Kansas , and his MD from the University of Texas
Southwestern in Dallas , Texas . He completed his orthopedic residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center and completed spine fellowships at The Texas Back Institute in Plano , Texas , and at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . He joined the KU School of Medicine faculty in 2000 .
Active in the SRS since 2004 , Dr . Burton is the current Research Council Chair and a member of the Executive Committee . At the SRS Annual Meeting and the International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques , he has been honored with the Hibbs , Goldstein , Moe , and Whitecloud Awards .
Dr . Burton ’ s research interests include the development of disease specific health related quality of life instruments and the study of complications and outcomes associated with spinal deformity surgery . He has authored or co-authored over 300 peer reviewed publications and serves as a Deputy Editor of Spine Deformity , the official
journal of the Scoliosis Research Society .
“ Having this award bear my name is so meaningful to me ,” stated Dr . Burton to OTW . “ Adult spinal deformity has been the focus of my academic career for 25 years ; to be honored by my peers in the Journal I have been active in since its inception is incredibly humbling .”
“ I think that flexible fixation is an exciting technique that we need to study more . While there have been a number of studies in adolescents , more are needed . It is a priority of the SRS , certainly .”— EH
Douglas C . Burton , M . D .
Courtesy of Douglas C . Burton , M . D .
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