2025 Pediatric Orthopaedic Research Highlights

Rainbow Orthopaedic Update | 2026

The division of pediatric orthopaedics had another productive year of research. We were active with 47 publications, 55 active IRBs, including 16 prospective studies and continued participation in multi-center study groups focusing on scoliosis, sports, neuromuscular, hip disorders and limb deformity conditions. 

We were very excited and proud to have Christina Hardesty, MD appointed as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. 

This year we would like to recognize our research team – the engine that keeps our team running. Abby Schlosser is our research nurse who heads the team. In addition to maintaining our local and international spine databases, Abby skillfully guides our three research trainees: Rayyan Abid, Alex Chang, and Marlee Yancey, who worked with us for one to two years and went on to medical school the Summer of 2025; Rayyan and Alex started at Case Western Reserve University and Marlee at Stnford. Each supported a number of research studies and even led a few. We had the pleasure of watching them all present internationally while in Beijing, Toulouse, and Dubrovnik. Congratulations to Marlee who received a Young Investigator Award from the American Academy of Pediatric Orthopaedics Subsection this past fall!

From right to left Rayyan Abid, Marlee Yancey, Kira Smith (UH orthopaedics resident), Raymond Liu, and a student from England that we met at the European Pediatric Orthopaedic Society annual meeting in Toulouse, France. Rayyan, Marlee and Kira all presented at the podium as well as Drs. Liu and Hardesty (not pictured).  

Alex Chang and Raymond Liu spending a day at the Great Wall during their trip to Beijing for the International Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society meeting.

Priya Jayakumar, Moiz Nasir, and Lexy Siamphone are all previous CWRU undergraduates who joined us Summer 2025 and are already doing exceptional work. We can’t wait to see all they accomplish during the remainder of the academic year as they prepare for medical school.