School of Medicine
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Our annual resident research day and graduation ceremony were held on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the historic Duquesne Club in Downtown Pittsburgh. We were delighted to bring together Resident Research Day and Graduation into one celebratory day, honoring both academic achievement and the transition to the next stage of training for our graduating residents.

2026’s Albert B. Ferguson, Jr, MD Resident Research Day, named in honor of Dr. Albert B. Ferguson, Jr., who led the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery for more than three decades, welcomed previous UPMC-PittOrtho clinical instructor Dr. James D. Kang as our visiting professor. Dr. Kang is currently serving as professor at Harvard Medical School and as Chair Emeritus, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brigham & Women’s Hospital.
 
Twelve residents (4 junior and 8 chief) gave presentations on their research work and were judged. The following were the award winners:

Best Junior Presentation:
Tibial Plateau Cartilage Thickness during Skeletal Growth in Porcine Knees
Sahil Dadoo, MD
Faculty Advisors:  Volker Musahl, MD; Richard E. Debski, PhD

Best Senior Presentations:
Intraoperative Evaluation of Sarcoma Surgical Margins with Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging: Results from an Observational Study
William Li, MD  
Faculty Advisor:  Kurt Weiss, MD

The Pittsburgh Instability Tool Score Predicts Outcomes After Arthroscopic Anterior Shoulder Stabilization in Patients with Subcritical Bone Loss
Ehab Nazzal, MD   
Faculty Advisor:  Albert Lin, MD

As the evening moved on, we pivoted to our annual graduation ceremony to celebrate our eight graduating residents. We send a heartfelt congratulations to the following:

2026 Graduating Residents:
Steven Bayer, MD – Sports Medicine, Washington University
Kevin Byrne, MD – Ortho Spine Surgery, Twin Cities Spine Center
Stephen Canton, MD – Ortho Trauma Surgery, Shock Trauma Center
Brenda Iglesias, MD – Hand & Upper Extremity, Wake Forest University
William Li, MD – Adult Reconstruction, Mass General Hospital
Ehab Nazzal, MD – Sports Medicine, Rush University
Anthony Oyekan, MD – Ortho Spine Surgery, Rothman Orthopaedics
Douglass Tucker, MD – Adult Reconstruction, Orlando Health

The Outstanding Senior Resident Award was presented to Anthony Oyekan, MD. Each year, the Outstanding Senior Resident is voted on by faculty, clinical residents, and fellows.

This year’s Golden Apple Award was given to George V. Russell, MD, MBA. The Golden Apple is awarded for the most outstanding contribution to Resident Education in Orthopaedic Surgery and is selected by the graduating class of Orthopaedic Surgery Residents.

The Women in Orthopedics Mentorship Program had their spring meeting which was a combined cadaver lab hosted by Arthrex Pittsburgh followed by a brunch. We had faculty members Dr. Moloney (Trauma), Dr. Olgun (Trauma/Peds), Dr. Lewis (Foot and Ankle), and Dr. McCoy (Peds) join us.

We had our UPMC-PittOrtho residents as well as newly matched medical students from Pitt join in as well. The session involved anatomy dissections as well as upper and lower extremity fixation with a brunch that followed. It was a great opportunity to learn from some of our amazing faculty!

Residents pictured are Xi Chen, Janina Kaare, Amy Pei, Brenda Iglesias, Emily Lau, and Isabel Reedy. Matched orthopedic medical students pictured are Gabrielle Gilmer, Jenna Dvorsky, Lauren Simonian, and Trudy Zou.

Summer is here and with it is the newest cohort of BMRC Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) participants. The SSRP offers students an immersive experience that combines hands-on laboratory research with interactive classroom learning.

The students will begin classroom sessions tomorrow morning and will focus on communication and networking, preparing competitive applications for medical or graduate school, and crafting an effective “elevator pitch” to clearly articulate their research.

The summer ends with a capstone program, where students design and present a poster detailing their accomplishments. Check out last summer's event here on the BMRC website.

We extend a warm UPMC-PittOrtho welcome to our incoming Hand Fellows for the 2027-2028 academic year. Congratulations and we look forward to being a part of your career path!

We were honored to welcome Valerae O. Lewis, MD, Professor of Orthopaedic Oncology and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, for a recent Grand Rounds presentation. She was named the inaugural chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC) in Houston, making her the first woman to chair an orthopaedic department at a freestanding cancer center, to chair an orthopaedic department in the University of Texas System, and the first African American woman to chair an orthopaedic surgery department.

Dr. Lewis delivered an insightful talk titled “Tumor to Triumph: The Journey Back After Pelvic Sarcoma,” highlighting advances in care, patient recovery, and the multidisciplinary approach required to support individuals navigating complex oncologic diagnoses and survivorship.

In addition, we were proud to recognize Richard L. McGough, III, MD, Chief of the Division of Musculoskeletal Oncology, with a commemorative plaque honoring his 20 years of dedicated service to the department as Division Chair. His leadership and longstanding commitment have played a vital role in advancing patient care, education, and research within our program.

Join us for this year’s BMRC Symposium, an annual gathering of top MSK researchers and Bethel Fellows. This event will feature groundbreaking research presentations, networking opportunities, and a keynote address from Emily Calandrelli, New York Times best-selling author, Stay Curious and Keep Exploring and host, Emily’s Wonder Lab.

Click here to register now.