UCLA is consistently ranked among the top 10 institutions for research funding in the United States, 2nd among public universities. In fiscal year 2006-07 $914 M in extramural research funds were awarded to UCLA, 2/3 of which ($585 M) came from federal resources.
The UCLA/Orthopaedic Hospital Department of Orthopaedic Surgery now ranks 8th among all departments of orthopaedic surgery in the country in terms of competitive research support from the National Institutes of Health.
In 2007, the UCLA/Orthopaedic Hospital Department of Orthopaedic Surgery opened the Cesar Pelli-designed, state-of-the-art 35,000 square foot Orthopaedic Hospital Research Center (OHRC).
In 2007, The UCLA/Orthopaedic Hospital Department of Orthopaedic Surgery opened the Cesar Pelli-designed, state-of-the-art 35,000 square foot Orthopaedic Hospital Research Center (OHRC) in the heart of the Court of the Sciences on the UCLA Westwood campus (right). Addition of the OHRC catapulted the UCLA/Orthopaedic Hospital Department of Orthopaedic research space to more than 48,000 square feet, tops in the United States among other departments of orthopaedic surgery. In this same two-year period the Department doubled its research faculty to 32. In addition to amplifying traditional research strengths in biomechanics, materials science and cartilage biology, the addition of the OHRC opened new areas of research in 1) stem cell and developmental biology, 2) molecular endocrinology and genetics, 3) tissue engineering and nanotechnology science and 4) patient-oriented clinical research designed to move discoveries made at the bench in the laboratory quickly but safely into the realm of clinical medicine.
We harbor three specific goals. The first is to become the foremost research department of orthopaedic surgery in the United States. The second is to build the world's leading training program in regenerative-restorative orthopaedic medicine and train the next generation of leaders in the field. The third is to bring research advances to the care of children with crippling musculoskeletal disease, a 100+ year-long mission of the Orthopaedic Hospital of Los Angeles.
