Pioneer of sports medicine, biomedical engineering invests in UC

Fifty years ago, Frank Noyes, MD, and his colleagues understood something not yet obvious to many: the intersection of orthopaedics and biomedical engineering would benefit patients for decades to come.

Noyes, an orthopaedic surgeon, joined the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in 1975, launching one of the nation’s first sports medicine programs. He and Edward Grood, PhD, and David Butler, PhD, also created the biomedical engineering department at the College of Engineering and Applied Science, continuing the research they began in the United States Air Force, focusing on knee ligament injuries, effects of immobility, biomechanics, injury prevention and knee disorders. The team was recruited to Cincinnati by Edward H. Miller, MD, founder of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Dr. Noyes and his wife, JoAnne Noyes, credit his colleagues and UC with the success of both departments. This includes the Frank R. Noyes, MD Tissue Engineering and Biomechanics Lab at the UC Bioscience Center, made possible by an earlier gift from the couple.

“In the 50 years I have been associated with UC, we really have made major advances in the treatment of orthopaedic patients,” Dr. Noyes, the founder of Cincinnati SportsMedicine and Orthopaedic Center and Foundation, said. “The biomedical engineering team, working together for almost four decades, established one of the top bioengineering departments in the world.”

Dr. Noyes’ dedication to UC also includes his 1975-1983 position as UC team orthopaedic surgeon. He is an emeritus professor at the College of Medicine and a volunteer professor at the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Among his many accolades and achievements, he said he is proud of receiving the UC President’s Award for Excellence in 1989, as well as being the first division head of orthopaedic sports medicine and first director of orthopaedic research at UC.

Dr Noyes achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel at the Air Force Medical Research Laboratory. He has been elected to the Sports Medicine Hall of Fame by the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine. Dr. Noyes has participated in over 400 peer-reviewed publications, authored many textbooks and lectured around the country and globe.

JoAnne is a registered nurse with more than four decades of healthcare experience with a focus on critical care, cardiac catheterization, nursing education and sales. She has served on the board of the American Heart Association and is active with the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

The couple were recently honored with the American Heart Association’s Creighton B. Wright Healthcare Leadership award for their long-time support of the organization and dedication to the healthcare profession and community. The couple have three children and five grandchildren.

Their long-time support of the university includes the creation of the Frank R. Noyes, MD and JoAnne Noyes, BS, RN Endowed Eminent Visiting Scholar in Sports Medicine and Bioengineering. This is a combined effort with the Noyes Knee Institute, the Cincinnati SportsMedicine and Orthopaedic Center, the Cincinnati SportsMedicine Research and Education Foundation and UC’s Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering Departments to promote MD-PhD bioengineering developments in orthopaedic surgery.  It brings renowned researchers and practitioners together to present on patient treatment advances for residents, fellows and staff at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. The Cincinnati SportsMedicine Research and Education Foundation was established in 1981.

Featured image at top: Frank and JoAnne Noyes at a signing celebration at the Frank R. Noyes, MD Tissue Engineering and Biomechanics Lab at the UC Bioscience Center. Photo/Corrie Mayer/Marketing and Brand/CEAS.