Dr. Losina Named Robert W. Lovett Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery

Dr. Elena Losina was appointed this year as the Robert W. Lovett Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School (HMS). Endowed professorships, the highest honor granted to faculty by HMS, recognize researchers, physicians, and professors making outstanding contributions to their fields.

Robert W. Lovett was a pioneering orthopedist known in particular for his study of polio. Born in 1859, Lovett attended Harvard and subsequently joined the faculty at HMS. In his work on rehabilitation in polio patients, he advanced the use of objective measures of muscle strength. Lovett also authored (with Robert Jones) an early complete textbook of orthopedic surgery. In recognition of this legacy, the Robert W. Lovett fund was established in 1926 to support the study of musculoskeletal disorders and was subsequently converted into an endowed professorship.

A reception honoring Dr. Losina was held in November at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The event highlighted Dr. Losina’s work in musculoskeletal research.

The appointment is described on the HMS Endowed Professors page.

Source: Peltier, Leonard F. “Orthopedics: A History and Iconography.” San Francisco: Norman Publishing. 1993.