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Dr. Dennis Weiner has written more than 80 journal articles, 12 abstracts and 2 books on pediatric orthopedics and given more than 160 presentations around the country. He has been honored with 28 visiting professorships, the Distinguished Service Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics, and induction into the prestigious American Orthopedic Association. County in satellite clinics. “We primarily serve an area in northeast Ohio with a population of roughly 4 million people, and we have patients coming not only from all across Ohio but also Pennsylvania. I expect we will be up to 10 orthopedic surgeons within the next two or three years.” Board-cert if ied and fel lowship trained in pediatric orthopedic surgery, Akron Children’s team of orthopedic surgeons has expertise in a range of subspecialty areas including sports medicine; spine; hand; disorders of the hip, foot and ankle; skeletal dysplasia; trauma; neurological disorders; and more. As a clinician and researcher, Dr. Weiner’s special interests include skeletal dysplasia, slipped capital femoral epiphysis, clubfoot and the biology of the growth plate. Champion of Research As a long-time advocate for research, Dr. Weiner has written more than 80 journal articles and 12 abstracts and given more than 160 presentations around the country. He has been honored with 28 visiting professor- ships and published two books on pediatric orthopedics, one of which is in its second edition. The active research program at Akron Children’s, which Dr. Weiner oversees, consists of about 90 percent clinical research on orthopedic disorders and 10 percent basic scientific research. Currently, 21 studies are underway. “Basic science research is important because you are examining structures at the cellular-molecular level and the genes that reflect how a cell functions,” says Dr. Weiner. “Ultimately, the goal is to improve the treatment of patients through a better understanding of the pathology of diseases. It is beyond new devices. It is about understanding the disease better.” When asked about his most signifi- cant past or current research projects, Dr. Weiner cites studies that led to the development of a new operation 22 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton MD NEWS MDNEWS.COM JULY-AUGUST 2011 for foot deformities. (The results of these studies have been published twice.) His research also brought about the development of a novel brace for patients with club feet. Most recently, he has produced several studies on rare causes of dwarfism. Re s e a rch proje c t s a t Ak ron Children’s have garnered the attention of numerous national organizations. One study was featured on the cover of the June 2010 issue of the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, and many others have won awards from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Dr. Weiner won the 2008 distinguished service award from the AAP. In 2008, he was inducted into the prestigious American Orthopedic Association and the International Pediatric Orthopedic Think Tank. His dedication to research prompted him to become a key player in the formation of the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA). ABIA is focused on patient-centered innova- PHOTO © JOE SMITHBERGER, SMITHBERGER PHOTOGRAPHY, NORTH CANTON