Our second and final day in Boston got underway with a visit to the Musculoskeletal Translational Innovation Initiative at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). We were warmly welcomed by Professor Ara Nazarian, Vice Chair of Research at BIDMC and director of the initiative. Over a generously hosted breakfast, his research team delivered a series of presentations showcasing their inspiring research work. We were then treated to a fascinating tour of their laboratory, a hub where science and clinical practice meet.
From there, we travelled, thanks to seamless arrangements, to the Foot and Ankle Research and Innovation Lab (FARIL), led by Assistant Professor Dr Soheil Ashkani-Esfahani. On the outside, FARIL looked like a large, ordinary house, but inside it was anything but ordinary. It contained cutting edge laboratory equipment supporting projects that were pushing the boundaries of knowledge by an energetic and buzzing team of researchers. Dr Ashkani-Esfahani shared both the challenges and the surprising advantages of such a set-up, with lower estates costs being a major plus. After a tour of the laboratory’s facilities, we were treated once again to incredible hospitality with lunch, before diving into an afternoon of research exchange. We presented our own projects, receiving invaluable feedback, before hearing about the exciting directions FARIL’s team are pursuing, along with opportunities for future collaboration.
Sadly, FARIL marked the final stop of our travelling fellowship. As the afternoon drew to a close, we bid farewell not just to Boston, but also to each other, before heading off in different directions to catch our flights. It was a fitting end to a journey filled with learning, connection, and inspiration, which we will all carry forward into our future work.
British Orthopaedic Research Society 