James Kang, M.D.: Thornhill Family Professor of Orthopedic Surgery

Harvard Medical School (HMS) has named James Kang, M.D. as the inaugural Thornhill Family Professor of Orthopedic Surgery. In a ceremony on November 21, 2016, colleagues, family, and friends gathered to honor Dr. Kang, as well as the Thornhill Family.

According to the December 1, 2016 article (“Kang Named Thornhill Family Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, ” Stephanie Dutchen, Harvard Medical School News) the professorship was made possible by Thomas Thornhill, M.D., the John B. and Buckminster Brown Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s, and his family.

“Thornhill co-founded the Orthopedic and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research at Brigham and Women’s in 2006 and the following year co-founded Operation Walk, a program that brings surgical expertise to people suffering from orthopedic and musculoskeletal problems in the Dominican Republic. After serving as department chair from 1996 until 2015, Thornhill has continued to practice total hip, knee, shoulder, and elbow arthroplasty.”

Asked about the event, Dr. Kang told OTW, “Harvard Medical School celebrates any new endowed Professorships with a ceremony to honor the incumbent holder of the Chair as well as the benefactor(s) who donated the proceeds to develop the Professorship and Chair. The celebration included the Harvard Medical School dignitaries as well as the Brigham and Women’s Hospital leadership along with the family members of the incumbent and the donors. It was a wonderful event with 100 people attending.”

“Dr. Thomas Thornhill was the previous Chairman of the Orthopaedic Department for the past 20 years. He transformed Brigham Orthopaedics into a modern department with the full spectrum of sub-specialties as well as basic and clinical research in musculoskeletal medicine. His family was enormously generous to leave a legacy to endow a Harvard Medical School Professorship in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.”