MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (November 2, 2007)—After an extensive nationwide search, Denis Clohisy, M.D., has been named the new head of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Clohisy, who is a member of the Masonic Cancer Center's Cancer Progression and Metastasis Research Program, assumed his new position November 1.

"As a leader in medicine committed to excellence, Clohisy is the right choice for a renowned department in our Medical School," said Deborah E. Powell, M.D., dean of the Medical School.

A renowned surgeon in Minnesota and nationally, Clohisy is most recognized for his work with musculoskeletal tumors. He also is recognized at the University of Minnesota as an active, committed professor of orthopaedic surgery in medical, graduate, and resident education. Clohisy's main areas of interest include the development of experimental models of bone cancer, the discovery of new bone cancer therapies, and the study of the mechanisms that drive bone cancer pain.

Clohisy has led many NIH-funded research projects studying bone cancer and pain. He currently is chair of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery's (AAOS) research committee and has a particular interest in the development of orthopaedic clinician-scientists. He has held or holds additional leadership positions within the Orthopaedic Research Society and the AAOS.

Clohisy earned his M.D. at Northwestern University and first came to the University of Minnesota Medical School as a resident. He completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at Washington University and a fellowship in musculoskeletal oncology at Harvard University. He returned to Minnesota as a faculty member in 1991. Since 1999, Clohisy has held the Roby C. Thompson Jr., M.D., Endowed Chair in Musculoskeletal Oncology. He became a full professor in 2001. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and has had continuously funded NIH basic research for the past 15 years.

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The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota's six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.

The Masonic Cancer Center is part of the University's Academic Health Center. It is designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. To learn more about the Masonic Cancer Center and cancer, call 612-624-2620 or toll-free in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas at 1-888-CANCER MN (1-888-226-2376); or visit www.cancer.umn.edu.

Media Contacts:

Jenna Langer, Academic Health Center, 612-626-4784, lang0712@umn.edu

Allison Campbell Jensen, Medical School, 612-624-9912, aac@umn.edu