During its 33rd annual meeting in Los Angeles last month, Jeffrey Lotz, Ph.D., the David S. Bradford M.D. Endowed Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery and Vice Chair of Research at UCSF, was honored by the North American Spine Society (NASS) with the Henry Farfan Award recognizing his outstanding contributions in spine-related basic science research.
"Dr. Lotz has earned this award for his outstanding accomplishments in spine-related research. He is recognized as a national authority in biomechanics with special expertise in spine biomechanics, intervertebral disc biology, and tissue engineering,” said Dr. Sigurd Berven, MD, chief of the UCSF Spine Center.
Supervising research within the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery for medical students, residents and faculty, Dr. Lotz also leads translational research projects that bridge the domains of basic science and clinical work.
“Dr. Lotz’s work on disc biology, bone properties, and segmental motion analysis has had a direct impact on how we manage spinal disorders clinically, and how we direct innovative approaches to the treatment of common spinal pathologies,” added Dr. Berven.
Lotz has been the Director of the UCSF Orthopaedic Bioengineering Laboratory since 1992, and is the founding director of three centers at UCSF: NIH-funded Core Center for Musculoskeletal Biology in Medicine (CCMBM); the NSF-funded Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (CDMI), and the recently formed NIDCR-funded Center for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Tissue and Organ Regeneration (C-DOCTOR).
Lotz’s research covers disc biology through laboratory work focusing on identifying mechanisms of disc degeneration, developing novel diagnostics and therapies for low back pain, and the biomechanics of spinal instrumentation.
Lotz earned a doctorate degree in Medical Engineering from the Harvard/MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, a Master Degree in Mechanical Engineering Design from Stanford University, and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley.
Honorees are nominated by their peers for their outstanding contributions to NASS and the field of spine care.
To learn more, visit https://www.spine.org/WhoWeAre/GrantsAwards/RecognitionAwards
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