New Endowed Chair Elevates the Future of Orthopedic Research

For nearly two decades, leaders in pediatric orthopedics at Children’s Hospital Colorado pursed a bold idea: Create a permanent source of research funding that can help transform care for kids. Now that dream is a reality, as the department appointed scientist David Howell, PhD, as the inaugural Dr. Robert Eilert and Dr. Lori Karol Endowed Chair in Musculoskeletal Research. The funds will help sustain a rigorous research program to create a stable foundation for longer-term studies.

“I feel very honored to be entrusted with this position,” Dr. Howell says. “This unlocks the ability to accomplish a lot of things that we have had as a vision — and puts more power behind it.”

A shared vision

This endowment is particularly meaningful for the orthopedics team, as it is grounded in the very roots of the department. Renowned orthopedic surgeon Robert Eilert, MD, founded the Children’s Colorado Orthopedics Institute in 1976 and built it from the ground up with this exact vision in mind. His dedication to the department is now coming full circle with his generous donation to the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation that pushed this work across the finish line and made the chair a reality. Dr. Eilert’s donation brings to life a quote he was known for among colleagues: “You should invest in things that you love, and you’ll be a very happy person.”

When Dr. Eilert and his wife, Debra, contributed the final funds to make this chair possible, they also added the name Lori Karol, MD —  the department’s former division chief who passed away in 2022 after a battle with cancer — to honor her legacy and contributions.

“Dr. Karol was one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met,” Dr. Howell says. “She was a true leader in the field. She had a vision that our work was going to change how people practice clinically in a lot of different ways, and that vision holds true today. Having her name on this just reflects people’s love and admiration for her.”

Building a future together

This chair is especially unique because it wasn’t built on just a single gift alone. This chair was also built on the shared efforts of the close-knit orthopedics community over several years. Contributions from colleagues, patient families and team fundraising efforts to carry on the legacy of Dr. Karol, such as the Courage Classic Bicycle Tour team, helped make this new position possible.

Now, Dr. Howell says this chair is giving the research teams permission to dream big.

“This gives us incredible confidence to plan and to be scientifically curious — to ask and answer the question without fear of starting something, running out of money or getting it called back before you complete the work,” he says.

The money from this endowed chair will help fund the research efforts of the Musculoskeletal Research Center (MRC), which serves as the orthopedic research arm of a partnership between the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Orthopedics and Children's Hospital Colorado on the Anschutz Medical Campus. The MRC advances musculoskeletal and sports medicine research through close integration of research, clinical care and education, with a focus on improving patient outcomes. By bridging scientific discovery and clinical practice, the MRC accelerates the translation of research findings into evidence-based treatments, innovative therapies and improved care delivery for patients. As a leader in research training and mentorship, the MRC has been, and will continue to be, committed to developing the next generation of orthopedic and sports medicine investigators while supporting faculty advancement and professional growth.

This new funding will help maintain a robust research staff, purchase specialized equipment and supplies, support the dissemination of study findings and provide seed funds for junior faculty starting their research careers.

Dr. Howell looks forward to stepping into this new role and strengthening collaboration between scientists and clinicians to explore important research questions and translate those findings into better outcomes for kids.