If you are a medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine and interested in learning more about research being done within the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine or are interested in participating in research being done by the department, please contact Kim Moomey via email at kmoomey@uw.edu. Do not contact the faculty directly if you wish to participate in research being done by the department.
Faculty Research Mentors
Todd Blumberg, M.D.
Dr. Blumberg leads the Child and Young Adult Hip program at Seattle Children’s and cares for infants, children, and young adults with all types of hip conditions, including hip dysplasia (DDH), labral tears, femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), Perthes disease, and Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE). In addition, Dr. Blumberg’s clinical area of expertise includes scoliosis, pediatric orthopedic trauma, and treatment of musculoskeletal infections. Dr. Blumberg’s research interests include optimization of imaging after treatment for hip dysplasia, improving access for advanced imaging in suspected osteomyelitis, and reducing differences in health experiences and outcomes.
Navin Fernando, M.D.
Dr. Fernando is board certified in orthopaedic surgery by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, aswell as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. My surgical philosophy is based on patient-centered care. The decision to have an operation is never an easy one, and every patient’s circumstances are unique. Every operation involves a partnership of trust between the patient and doctor. My job as a surgeon is to discuss all available treatment options (both surgical and non- surgical), to give honest advice based on the best current evidence, and deliver expertise care using the best techniques available to ensure an excellent outcome. Dr. Fernando is an investigator on the PEPPER trial. Please use the following link to learn more about the PEPPER trial: https://www.pepperstudy.org/.
Reza Firoozabadi, M.D., M.A.
Dr. Firoozabadi is an attending orthopaedic trauma surgeon at Harborview Medical Center and sees patients for trauma related injuries. Dr. Firoozabadi is devoted to teaching orthopaedic residents/fellows and improving the quality of patient care through research. His research interests focus on both the clinical and technical aspects of orthopaedic trauma surgery and the injured patient.
Ted Gross, Ph.D.
Our current areas of focus include exploring early signaling pathways responsible for severe bone resorption following neuromuscular dysfunction or paralysis, determining whether behavioral phenotype mediates the response of the skeleton to exercise, and developing an intervention to prophylactically inhibit heterotopic ossification. These studies use a wide breath of models and techniques ranging from molecular biology and primary cell culture to in vivo models to neural networks and machine learning.
Mia Hagen, M.D.
Mia S. Hagen, MD, is an Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, Washington. She is a team physician for the Washington Huskies and she is the Associate Program Director for the UW orthopaedic surgery residency program. Dr. Hagen’s clinical practice is focused on hip and knee sports medicine. Her research is primarily centered around patient reported outcome measures in hip preservation and non-arthritic knee injury, as well as postoperative rehabilitation in sports medicine.
Nicholas Hernandez, M.D.
Nicholas Hernandez, MD, is a board certified orthopedic hip and knee surgeon. He sees adult patients with joint pain and mobility issues caused by arthritis, trauma and fractures. He specializes in reconstruction of the hip and knee, including total joint replacement. Dr. Hernandez believes in a patient centered approach to medical care. He works with his patients to understand their personal needs and goals. Together, he helps get his patients get back to an active lifestyle.
Conor Kleweno, M.D.
Conor Kleweno, M.D., is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and a UW Medicine associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine. Dr. Kleweno is devoted to improving the quality of patient care in orthopaedic trauma surgery. He tries to ensure patients understand their injuries and provides an individualized, evidence-based treatment plan with expected health outcomes. He strives to establish partnerships that empower patients to play an active role in their recovery. Dr. Kleweno earned his M.D. from Harvard. His clinical interests include the care of orthopedic trauma, pelvic and acetabular fractures, and a focus on joint reconstruction and fracture malunion and nonunion treatment. His research interests include pelvis and acetabular fractures.
Ronald Kwon, Ph.D.
I am Director of the Musculoskeletal Systems Biology Lab at the UW Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine. We are understanding the genetic basis of osteoporosis, and identifying new therapeutic targets to combat this massive health burden. We are also working to elucidate signals regulating bone development in order to define new strategies to regenerate bone in mammals. The Musculoskeletal Systems Biology Lab comprises engineers, basic scientists, and clinicians. We aim to make fundamental discoveries in skeletal genetics, development, disease, and regeneration to help individuals lead healthier, longer lives.
Feini Qu, V.M.D., Ph.D
The long-term goal of our research is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of musculoskeletal tissue regeneration, especially with respect to the bones and connective tissues of limbs and joints, and then leverage this knowledge to regenerate lost or diseased structures using stem cells, gene editing, and biomaterials. Our lab uses the mouse digit tip, one of the few mammalian systems that exhibits true regeneration, to identify pathways that regulate tissue patterning and outgrowth after amputation. Armed with a better understanding of the cues that direct complex tissue formation in adulthood, we will develop therapeutic strategies that enhance the regeneration of limbs and joints after injury and degenerative disease in patients.
Jenny Robinson, Ph.D.
The Tissue and Regenerative Engineering (TARE) Lab aims to understand the cues needed to promote connective tissue regeneration after injury with a focus on sex-differences in this process. Specifically, TARE lab members engineer biomaterials aimed to elucidate how immune, progenitor, and differentiated cells from male and female musculoskeletal tissues differentially respond to sex hormones and the structural and mechanical cues from the extracellular matrix and then use this physiological information to develop biomaterial scaffolds engineered to promote sex-specific regeneration.
Zachary Rockov, M.D.
Zachary Rockov, MD, is a fellowship-trained orthopaedic trauma surgeon at Harborview Medical Center and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine at the University of Washington. He specializes in the treatment of complex musculoskeletal injuries, including fractures of the extremities, pelvis, and acetabulum, as well as periarticular injuries involving the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, ankle, and foot. Dr. Rockov is actively engaged in clinical and outcomes-based research focused on fracture healing, nonunion, periarticular fracture management, and strategies to optimize patient recovery following orthopaedic trauma.
Erika Roddy, M.D.
Erika Roddy, MD, is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in surgical care in trauma settings. Dr. Roddy believes in a team approach to patient care and providing the most current information so patients can make informed decisions, especially about surgery. Her goal is to help patients return to the activities they enjoy most. Dr. Roddy did her fellowship at Harborview Medical Center in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine. She has expertise in all forms of orthopedic trauma surgery. She is also an assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at the University of Washington.
Michael G. Saper, FAOAO, FAAOS, DO, ATC, CSCS
Michael G. Saper, FAOAO, FAAOS, DO, ATC, CSCS is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with fellowship training in arthroscopic surgery and the treatment of sports-related injuries. He is an Associate Professor at Seattle Children’s Hospital and in the University of Washington School of Medicine's Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. Following his sports medicine training, Dr. Saper completed a fellowship in pediatric orthopedic surgery at Nemours Children's Specialty Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. As a fellow, he received sub-specialty training in pediatric and adolescent sports medicine and trauma. Dr. Saper has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals and has presented this research at numerous national and regional meetings. He has received a number of awards related to his research and academic pursuits. Dr. Saper’s research interests include- Arthroscopic Surgery, Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine, Shoulder Instability, Patellofemoral Pain/Instability, ACL Repair/Reconstruction, Throwing Injuries, and Meniscus and Cartilage Injuries.
Scott Telfer, EngD
The Computational, Robotics, and Experimental Biomechanics (CoRE) Laboratory investigates human biomechanics across multiple domains. Current research areas include bone density and fracture mapping, instrumented footwear for fall-risk assessment, and robotic simulation for testing joint repair strategies. The CoRE Lab integrates wearable sensing, parallel and linear robotic systems, computational modeling, 3D printing, and motion-capture technologies. The laboratory also develops and maintains several open-source software packages.
