The Stepping Strong Innovator Awards program supports groundbreaking projects that address well-defined clinical problems in areas including bone, wound, and skin healing; limb transplant and reconstruction; bone and muscle regeneration; advanced stem cell technology; orthopaedic and plastic surgery; bioengineering, emergency preparedness and injury prevention.
The Stepping Strong Center’s model—bestowing seed grants to research teams that show great promise—has a proven track record, having resulted in significant federal funding to many research teams, leading to better patient outcomes and the potential for commercialization. To date, 21 physician-scientist teams have received grants totaling $3.3 million. In aggregate, Stepping Strong Center awardees have raised an additional $17.6 million in outside funding for their research.
Matthew Carty, MD, is an extraordinary case study. In 2016, he received the inaugural Stepping Strong Innovator Award for his project, Recovering Limb Function: A New Surgical Approach for the 21st Century, which sought to revolutionize the way we do lower extremity amputations. Just two years later, Carty performed the first clinical representation of his work. To date, he has received millions of dollars in outside funding and performed what is now known as the “Ewing Amputation” on nearly 20 patients. Carty recently received a Department of Defense grant to apply the procedure to upper limbs. The Stepping Strong Center is proud to have launched this remarkable work.
Yi Lu, MD, PhD
Developing treatments for progressive visual impairment following traumatic brain injury
Jeffrey C. Schneider, MD
Digital Phenotyping: A Novel Way to Assess Outcomes for Burn Survivors after Hospitalization
Arvind von Keudell, MD
Optimizing orthopaedic trauma surgical procedures with personalized implants and augmented reality
Shailesh Agarwal, MD
Using Biologic Agents to Regenerate Muscles After Traumatic Injury
Leah Gitahn, MD
Improving Outcomes for Patients with Fracture-Related Infections
Bharti Khurana, MD
Making the Invisible Visible: Bringing Intimate Partner Violence into Focus
Feodor Price, PhD
A Cell Therapy Platform for Treating Skeletal Muscle Trauma
Marc Wein, MD, PhD
A Novel Approach to Stimulating Bone Regeneration and Repairing Fractures
Natalie Artzi, PhD (left)
Using Gene Therapy and Antibiotic Delivery to Treat Bone Infections
Jenna Galloway, PhD, and Jessica Lehoczky, PhD
Identifying Drugs to Expedite the Healing of Orthopaedic Injuries
Mathias Kolle, PhD
Revealing Optimal Pressure in Compression Therapy using Color-changing Fibers
Yi Lu, MD, PhD, and Zhigang He, PhD
Locomotion Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury
Omid Farokhzad, MD
Multifunctional Scaffolds that Promote Bone Healing and Regeneration
Giorgio Giatsidis, MD, PhD
Mitigating Damage to Injured Limbs After Tourniquet Application
Reza Abdi, MD
New Hope for Trauma Patients with Severe Burn Injuries
Michael J. Weaver, MD
21st Century Tools to Measure Bone Healing
Edward J. Caterson, MD
Healing Injuries in the Traumatized Extremity: Protection, Decontamination, and Regeneration
Omid Farokhzad, MD
Healing Bones with Nanodrones: The Next Frontier in Orthopedic Trauma Surgery
Bohdan Pomahac, MD
From Battlefield to Bedside: A Portable Device for Rescuing Limbs
Su-Ryon Shin, PhD
3D Bioprinting: A New Approach to Healing Muscle Trauma
Matthew J. Carty, MD
Recovering Limb Function: A New Surgical Approach For the 21st Century
George Dyer, MD
Repairing Large Traumatic Fractures: Using Silk-Based Orthopedic Implants to Promote Healing
Indranil Sinha, MD
Using Stem Cells to Regenerate Injured Muscle.