Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, PhD, DSc, FRCVS, DACVS, DACVSMR, University Distinguished Professor and founding director of the Colorado State University Orthopaedic Research Center, became the first veterinarian honored with a prestigious career award from the Orthopaedic Research Society last weekend.
McIlwraith, a famed equine orthopaedic surgeon, received the Marshall R. Urist, MD Award for excellent and sustained contributions to tissue regeneration research as it relates to the musculoskeletal system.
The eminent CSU orthopaedist received the award and a $5,000 honorarium at the 2014 Orthopaedic Research Society annual meeting in New Orleans, where he delivered a lecture to meeting attendees.
McIlwraith is world-renowned for pioneering arthroscopic surgery in the horse and for research in translational medicine that provides insights for horse and human health.
His recognition by the Orthopaedic Research Society is testament to a career of outstanding achievements in cartilage repair and regeneration, as well as his role in educating and training the next generation of orthopaedic researchers.
“Your research has had a profound and lasting impact on our understanding of joint pathology and repair, the development and validation of animal models of joint diseases, surgical technologies, intra-articular therapies, cartilage resurfacing, gene therapy for osteoarthritis, and the use of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine strategies,” the Orthopaedic Research Society Awards and Recognition Committee wrote.
McIlwraith’s research program is “the epitome of strong translational research,” the committee said.