Our Research Team

Liza Arendt, MD
Interim Research Director
Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

Alireza (Ramin) Mirzaei, PhD
Post-Doctoral Associate
Dr. Ramin Mirzaei has served as a Post-Doctoral Associate with the University of Minnesota Department of Orthopedic Surgery since October 2023. Dr. Mirzaei joins us from Iran and his research interests include musculoskeletal tumors and cancers. 

Kari Odland, DAT, LAT, ATC
Researcher
Kari is a Researcher for the Spine Division who helps lead the efforts to develop and conduct research projects for the division that results in publishable peer-reviewed manuscripts and national and international presentations at professional conferences. She is also responsible for recruiting and overseeing the spine research fellows. Kari comes to the University of Minnesota and the Department of Orthopedic Surgery research staff with a range of athletic training experience in the collegiate athletics, academic and research settings. After completing her undergraduate degree in Athletic Training at South Dakota State University, she earned a Master’s degree in Exercise Science from Northern Michigan University, and her Doctoral degree in Athletic Training from the University of Idaho. Prior to joining the department, she was Clinical Faculty for the CAATE-accredited undergraduate and post-graduate Athletic Training Programs at the University of South Carolina. 

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.

Rafael Garcia, BS
Research Fellow
Rafael is a Research Fellow in the Spine Division. His current area of focus is on failure rates over time in adult spinal deformity patients and the impact of BMI on patient-reported outcomes in spondylolisthesis. He received his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University in 2021, and is currently between his third and fourth years at Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico where he is expected to graduate in 2026. Rafael plans to pursue a career in orthopaedic surgery after completing his medical degree. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, golf, relaxing at the beach, watching sports, and spending time with his family.

Lane Geisness, MD
Research Fellow
Lane is a Research Fellow in the Spine Division. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, is a recent graduate of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and intends to apply to Orthopaedic Surgery residency next fall. His current area of focus for spine research investigates proximal junctional kyphosis following lumbar fusion surgery in adults. He enjoys outdoor activities like golf and pickleball, spending time with his family/significant other, and working on his aquarium.

Jon Harley, BS
Research Fellow
Jon is a Research Fellow in the Sports Medicine Division. In his role, he has focused his efforts on investigating factors influencing clinical outcomes after rotator cuff repair surgery and shoulder replacement. His contributions also include patient recruitment and data collection for longitudinal studies. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Cincinnati in 2021 and is currently between his third and fourth years at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, where he is expected to graduate in 2026. Jon plans to pursue a career in orthopaedic surgery after completing his medical degree.

Cale Hendricks, BS
Research Fellow
Cale is a Research Fellow with the Spine Division. He focuses his efforts on studying spinopelvic fixation, SI join fusion, and spine biomechanics, particularly relating to instrumentation failure and novel device mechanics. His studies range from retrospective reviews to mechanical testing where his responsibilities include designing and conducting experiments as well as drafting manuscripts and presentations. Cale is originally from Duluth, Minnesota where his hobbies include motorized vehicle repair and restoration, alpine skiing, and motocross. He completed his undergraduate degree in Chemistry at the University of Minnesota in 2024. Here, he worked with a research group using protein engineering to down-regulate the hypoxic pathway in diseased cells. Cale is currently pursing admission to medical school and aims to practice in rural setting.

James Longhurst, BA
Research Fellow
James is a Spine Research Fellow responsible for assisting in creating and conducting studies as well as writing manuscripts for publication and presentations at professional conferences. Current areas of research include sacropelvic fixation. Originally from Chicago, James recently completed undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame with majors in Cello Performance and Pre-Health Studies and will be applying for medical school during this upcoming admissions cycle.

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

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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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