Our Research Team

Our research team is made up of faculty research leaders, research scientists, and support staff.

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Faculty Research Leaders

Peter Cole, MD
Research Site Leader, Regions Hospital
Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Bradley Nelson, MD
Research Site Leader, TRIA Orthopedic Center
Associate Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Marc Swiontkowski, MD
Research Committee Chair
Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Research Scientists

Elizabeth Bradley, PhD
Research Scientist
Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Liz Boyer, PhD
Clinical Scientist, Gait and Motion Analysis Research
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Cathy Carlson, DVM, PhD, DACVP
Research Scientist
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Paula Ludewig, PhD, DPT
Research Scientist
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Michael Schwartz, PhD
Clinical Scientist, Gait and Motion Analysis Research
Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

UMMC Research Staff

Paula Rupp, MPH, ACRP-CP
Research Manager

As the department’s Research Manager, Paula partners with investigators and research staff to ensure the successful conduct of research activities in the department, including study design and planning, funding, regulatory, subject recruitment, data collection and analysis, closeout, and manuscript publication for all research studies. Paula has expertise in both the industry and hospital sides of clinical research. Prior to joining the department, she was a Project Manager for patient recruitment at WCG ThreeWire, and previously worked as the Research Manager in the Critical Care Research Center at Regions Hospital. Paula has an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan.

Tanya Doble
Grants & Contracts Professional

Tanya has expertise in planning and preparing grants as the department’s Grants & Contracts Professional. Tanya helps plan and prepare grants, navigate the pre-award process, and helps with formatting and navigating biosketches and other support pages.  She assists with manuscript submission processes. Tanya manages the department’s Musculoskeletal Research Training Program. Prior to joining the department, Tanya worked in the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes for over 10 years helping with managing the T32 training grant for their fellowship program as well as other grant submissions. Prior to joining the Endocrinology Division, Tanya worked in the Diabetes Education Program, and helped with getting the program ADA Certified. Tanya worked as a Nursing Assistant in the Diabetes Clinic and the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the University of Minnesota.

Jason Haselhuhn, DO
Research Specialist

Jason Haselhuhn, DO, is a Research Specialist who supports Professor and Spine Section Leader David W. Polly Jr., MD. In this position, Jason assists with the development of new research projects, performs data collection, and prepares studies for publication and/or presentation. Jason recently completed a preliminary residency year of training in general surgery at the University of North Dakota and attended Des Moines University for medical School.

Paul Lender
Data Analyst

Paul assists the research team by developing and maintaining databases, extracting data for reports, creating graphical display of data, and more.

Kari Odland, DAT, LAT, ATC
Researcher

Kari Odland comes to the University of Minnesota and the Department of Orthopedic Surgery research staff with 25-plus years and a range of athletic training experience in the collegiate athletics and academic settings. After completing her undergraduate degree in Athletic Training at South Dakota State University, she pursued a Master’s degree in Exercise Science from Northern Michigan University.

She completed her degree in 1997, and began working as an assistant athletic trainer at the University of Minnesota-Crookston. In 2002, she moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to work as an assistant athletic trainer for Saint Joseph’s University where she worked with the women’s basketball team, and had the privilege of working with the likes of Jameer Nelson. In 2005, Kari began her academic career at Central Michigan University as a clinical faculty member in the CAATE undergraduate program in addition to providing coverage for the Sports Medicine department and the likes of future NFL Antonio Brown, Joe Staley, Eric Fisher, and MLB Josh Collmenter.

After 1 year away from the profession she accepted a visiting clinical faculty position at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York in their CAATE undergraduate program and in 2012 returned to Minnesota to serve as a visiting clinical faculty member for the Winona State University CAATE undergraduate program. She began her doctoral study through the University of Idaho in 2014. After completing her doctoral work in May of 2016, she accepted a clinical faculty position at the University of South Carolina teaching in both the CAATE undergraduate and post-professional AT programs. In 2018, she returned to Minnesota and began teaching in the CAATE professional Masters AT program at The College of St. Scholastica as well as adjuncting for the Physician Assistant and Occupational Therapy programs.

Dr. Odland’s research interests include manual therapy (Mulligan Concept) for the treatment of mechanical neck pain, chronic low back pain, acute ankle sprains, and shoulder impingement. She has had her research published in international peer-reviewed journals in addition to being an invited speaker on Mulligan Concept at the state, regional and national levels. 

Ifeoluwa (Ife) Onuoha
Research Coordinator

Ife is a Research Coordinator who acts as the lead coordinator on several prospective studies, including coordinating research study details, subject enrollments, documentation, and patient retention. Ife obtained a Masters in Biomedical Sciences with concentrations in Stem Cell Biology and Neuroscience from Rutgers University. Ife also has prior experience as an Adjunct Professor in Biology at the Sussex Community College in Sussex, NJ, and as a Clinical Research Intern at the Princeton Medical Institute in Princeton, NJ.

Doris Stuber, MA, CCRP
Clinical Research Coordinator

Doris is a Clinical Research Coordinator who acts as the lead coordinator on several prospective studies, including coordinating research study details, subject enrollments, documentation, and patient retention. Doris obtained a Masters in Counseling and Psychological Services from St. Mary’s University. Doris has prior research coordinator experience at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System in pulmonary medicine. Here, she worked extensively with sponsor trials and with DVBIC generating investigator-initiated TBI and brain stimulation studies. She managed an NIH R01 examining the benefits of meditation with PTSD.

Doris was Project Manager for a multi-center PCORI trial examining treatment modalities for Veterans being treated concurrently for PTSD and substance use. At the University of Minnesota, Doris coordinated NIH funded trials looking at obesity prevention in women, a study promoting healthy ageing through balance exercise & education, and an R01 observing neurological pathways of brain recovery from stimulant use.

TRIA Orthopedic Center Research Staff

TRIA Institute is part of TRIA Orthopedics. The TRIA Institute team oversees research, patient-reported outcomes, and education.

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Regions Hospital Research Staff

As a Level 1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center, the orthopedic surgery care team at Regions Hospital brings forth a strong background in research and education to orthopedic surgery.

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