Alvin Su, MD, PhD, awarded 2026 OREF Career Development Grant

ROSEMONT, Ill., May 07, 2026. The Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) awarded the 2026 Career Development Grant, its most prestigious award, to Alvin Su, MD, PhD, of Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware, and Justin Parreno, PhD, and Xinqiao Jia, PhD, of the University of Delaware. Dr Su, who is an attending orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and pediatric orthopaedics at Nemours Children’s, is principal investigator for the study “Bioengineering Stratified Cartilage Through Bioinspired Matrix Stiffening.” Justin Parreno, PhD, who is assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Delaware, and Xinqiao Jia, PhD, who is professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Biological Sciences at the University of Delaware, are the co-principal investigators for the study.

In describing the study, Dr. Su stated, “The study focuses on focal full-thickness cartilage defect or osteochondral defect, which are common debilitating conditions for patients who are young and active or at working age. The success of this project could potentially bring us closer to a better solution to restore their functional capacity and lifestyle.”

The $300,000 grant is made possible by The Aircast Foundation and provides funding over three years to encourage investigators to commit to scientific research.