What if the biggest breakthroughs in joint care are stalled not by science, but by budgets? We sit down with Dr. Josh Jacobs to trace the future of orthopedic research across funding realities, scientific frontiers, and the mission to keep surgeon scientists in the game. It’s a candid look at how NIH indirect cuts, DOD reductions, and shifting hospital margins collide with the urgent need to tackle periprosthetic joint infection, chronic pain, and the rising burden of osteoarthritis.

Dr. Jacobs explains why NIAMS remains a vital engine for musculoskeletal research, how advocacy can reshape priorities, and why better grant quality—paired with clinically informed study sections—may be the fastest way to win a larger share of federal dollars.

If you care about the future of joint replacement, surgeon scientist careers, and truly personalized musculoskeletal care, this conversation connects the policy dots with the lab and the OR. Subscribe, share with a colleague who writes grants, and leave a review with your take on where orthopedic research dollars should go next.

What happens when a respected orthopaedic chair steps away from the big title to get back to the OR, residents, and real day-to-day impact? We sit down with Dr. Keith Kenter to unpack a rare leadership arc—building an academic culture in Kalamazoo, navigating post-COVID administrative sprawl, and ultimately returning to Missouri to reclaim core values: teaching, operating, and mentoring. It’s a candid look at ego, identity, and the quiet power of influence without authority.

Dr. Kenter shares how he elevated scholarly activity, promoted faculty, and designed a longitudinal musculoskeletal education program, then watched his role expand across multiple surgical services until the clinical work he loved slipped out of reach. Family, foresight, and timing opened a door at Mizzou, where strong culture and deep bench strength offered collaboration, patient-first focus, and the daily satisfaction of training the next generation.

If the story resonates, follow the show, share with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest “leading up” takeaway. Your feedback helps more clinicians find conversations that move our profession forward.