Marsh Appointed to Carroll B. Larson Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery

J. Lawrence Marsh, MD, professor of orthopaedics and rehabilitation in the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, and UI Hospitals and Clinics physician, has been named to the Carroll B. Larson Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery.

The endowed Larson Chair honors the achievements and contributions of the late Carroll B. Larson, MD, UI emeritus professor of orthopaedics and rehabilitation, and was created by gifts to the UI Foundation from numerous donors and friends honoring Larson's outstanding legacy at the UI.

Larson earned international recognition for his contributions to orthopedic clinical practice, research and teaching, and he led the UI Department of Orthopaedics for 23 years. He died in 1978. Reginald Cooper, MD, professor of orthopaedics and rehabilitation who was chairman of the UI Department of Orthopedics from 1973 to 1999, was appointed as the first Larson Chair in 1983 and continues as the Larson Chair Emeritus.

Marsh, who joined the UI faculty in 1987, is an expert in traumatic orthopedic injury, particularly to the ankle, knee and elbow. His research focuses on the factors that influence clinical outcomes of patients with these injuries, including whether less invasive surgical procedures that use external fixators and percutaneous techniques for the injured joint can improve prognosis and clinical outcomes of traumatic orthopedic injury. His current research is providing new insights into the causes and prevention of arthritis following joint injuries. He is recognized as an exceptional teacher and is director of the department's residency program.

"Larry is an outstanding orthopedic surgeon whose service to his patients and profession exemplify the qualities and values that Carroll Larson espoused and demonstrated throughout his long and distinguished career," said Joseph Buckwalter, MD, professor and head of orthopaedics and rehabilitation who holds the Dr. Arthur A. Steindler Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery.

Marsh received a medical degree from Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, N.Y., and completed residencies at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago and Boston University Affiliated Orthopaedic. He also completed a fellowship at Oxford University and Nuffield Orthopaedic Center in Oxford, England.

J. Lawrence Marsh, MD

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Joseph Buckwalter, MD

University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine

Ray Appointed to Mary J. Godwin Professorship in Dermatology

Thomas Ray, MD, professor of dermatology at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and a physician with UI Hospitals and Clinics, has been appointed to the Mary J. Godwin Professorship in Dermatology.

Ray is the first UI professor to hold the professorship, which was established in 2008 through a gift made to the UI Foundation by UI alumnus Robert F. Godwin, MD, and his wife, Mary Joan Godwin, of Bettendorf. Robert Godwin earned a bachelor of arts degree and a medical degree at the UI.

Ray's clinical expertise includes general dermatology, bullous diseases, contact dermatitis and cutaneous infectious disease. His research interests include cutaneous immunopathology, graft versus host disease, the complement system (part of the immune system) and candidiasis. He also has been a departmental leader in interactive computer-assisted instruction, telemedicine and Internet applications in dermatology.

Ray is a past president of the Medical Dermatology Society and served on the board of directors of the American Academy of Dermatology. He also was chair of the Continuing Medical Education Advisory Committee of the American Medical Association.

"Dr. Ray has been a valuable member of our department, and his appointment to the professorship is a well-deserved honor. Thanks to the Godwins' support, Tom can advance his academic, as well as departmental, objectives," said Janet Fairley, MD, professor and head of the UI Department of Dermatology, who also holds the John S. Strauss Chair in Dermatology.

Ray earned a bachelor degree from Williams College in Williamstown, MA, and a medical degree from the University of Oregon Medical School, where he also completed a residency and fellowship. He held an additional fellowship at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Ray joined the UI faculty in 1979.

Thomas Ray, MD

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University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine