Dr. Xuhui Liu (left) and Dr. Brian T. Feeley (right), recipient of the 2025 Kappa Delta Elizabeth Winston Lanier Award, recognized for pioneering research on muscle degeneration in rotator cuff injuries. Their work has uncovered key cellular pathways behind fatty infiltration, paving the way for new strategies to promote muscle regeneration. (Photo: UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery)
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13, 2025 — The UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is pleased to share that Dr. Brian T. Feeley has been awarded the 2025 Kappa Delta Elizabeth Winston Lanier Award, one of the highest honors in orthopedic research. Presented annually by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the award recognizes groundbreaking research in musculoskeletal disease or injury with significant potential to improve patient care. The award was presented on Monday at the Orthopaedic Research Society's annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona.
"Dr. Feeley is an exceptional surgeon, researcher, and mentor," said Dr. C. Benjamin Ma, chair of the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. "His unwavering dedication to advancing the field of orthopaedic surgery, combined with his commitment to training the next generation of surgeons and scientists, reflects his passion for both patient care and scientific discovery. His curiosity and relentless pursuit of answers to complex clinical challenges are an inspiration to us all."
Dr. Brian Feeley accepts the 2025 Kappa Delta Award on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025 at the Orthopaedic Research Society’s annual meeting in Phoenix, recognizing his research on muscle degeneration in rotator cuff injuries. (Photo: Courtesy of the Orthopaedic Research Society)
Dr. Feeley, a professor of orthopedic surgery and chief of the Division of Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery at UCSF, was recognized for his pioneering work on muscle degeneration in rotator cuff injuries. Over the past 15 years, his research—conducted in collaboration with Dr. Xuhui Liu, a leading expert in muscle biology—has uncovered the biological mechanisms behind fatty infiltration, a process that leads to muscle atrophy and can limit recovery after rotator cuff repair. Their work has provided critical insights into how muscle degeneration occurs at a cellular level and has opened the door to potential new treatments aimed at promoting muscle regeneration and improving surgical outcomes.
Dr. Feeley specializes in arthroscopic procedures for shoulder and knee injuries and co-directs UCSF’s MITO (Muscle Injury and Translational Orthopedic) Laboratory alongside Dr. Liu. Together, their research focuses on muscle injury and regeneration strategies through leveraging the intrinsic properties of muscle progenitor cells, with funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other organizations.
A Stanford University graduate, Dr. Feeley completed his orthopedic surgery residency at UCLA and a fellowship in sports medicine and shoulder surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Since joining UCSF in 2008, he has served in multiple leadership roles within the department’s residency and fellowship programs. He has published more than 300 peer-reviewed studies and co-hosts UCSF’s sports medicine podcast, Six to Eight Weeks: Perspectives on Sports Medicine.
To read the full story on the AAOS website, click here.
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