In a fitting end to a year of great research, 2025’s Albert B. Ferguson, Jr, MD Resident Research Day was well attended by staff, faculty and residents alike. Named in honor of Dr. Albert B. Ferguson, Jr., who led the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery for more than three decades, this annual research day stands as a proud tradition that highlights the spirit of academic excellence he championed.
This year we were pleased to welcome back Pitt alumni C. Benjamin Ma, MD as our keynote speaker. Dr. Ma is currently professor and chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Ma’s research focuses on improving the outcomes following soft tissue musculoskeletal injuries. In addition, Dr. Ma is a long-time member of the department’s Resident Education and Selection Committee and has mentored many residents and fellows in his time at UCSF.
Eleven residents (3 junior and 8 chief) gave presentations on their research work and were judged. The following were the award winners:
Best Junior Presentation
Development of a Reproducible in Vivo Rat Model for Investigating Ligamentum Flavum Hypertrophy and Pain-Related Behaviors
Rahul Ramanathan, MD
Faculty Advisors: Joon Lee, MD; Gwendolyn Sowa, MD, PhD; Nam Vo, PhD
Best Senior Presentations
Characterization and Comparison of Dynamic Subsidence and Strength Following Trapeziectomy with Ligament Reconstruction and Tendon Interposition vs. Suture Suspensionplasty
Maria A. Munsch, MD
Faculty Advisors: John Fowler, MD; William Anderst, PhD
Defining Critical Humeral Bone Loss: Inferior Craniocaudal Hill-Sachs Extension as Predictor of Recurrent Instability After Primary Arthroscopic Bankart Repair
Gabrielle C. Fatora, MD
Faculty Advisors: Albert Lin, MD; Ting Cong, MD
Congratulations to this year’s awardees!
