Congratulations to Anna & Miguel for Representing LSUHSC Ortho at This Year's Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting!
This year, medical students Miguel A. De Jesus and Anna LeJeune earned the incredible honor of representing the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the 2025 Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) Annual Meeting, a premier international forum for musculoskeletal research. ORS brings together leading scientists, clinicians, and industry professionals from around the world to showcase cutting-edge discoveries in orthopedic innovation, biomechanics, and translational research.
Second-year medical student Anna LeJeune collaborated with Dr. Jessica Rivera to present their research titled "Perceived Social Support Following Extremity Trauma: Does Sex Matter?" Additionally, visiting research fellow Miguel A. De Jesús, a rising fourth-year medical student from Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico, was mentored by Dr. Luis Marrero in presenting "IL-11 as a Novel Target for Arthrofibrosis Therapy."
About the Students:
Miguel
Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Miguel is a third-year medical student at Ponce Health Sciences University, currently taking a gap year as a research fellow in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at LSU Health Sciences Center – New Orleans. Miguel graduated from the University of South Florida in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences and has since been dedicated to pursuing a career in orthopedic surgery. His research spans both clinical and basic science domains, focusing on pediatric pathologies, geriatric trauma, and musculoskeletal fibrosis—particularly the role of IL-11 in arthrofibrosis. At ORS, he had the privilege of presenting their work on IL-11 as a potential target for the treatment of arthrofibrosis, receiving enthusiastic feedback and engaging discussions from fellow researchers and clinicians.
Anna
Anna is a second-year medical student at LSUHSC, originally from Baton Rouge, LA. She graduated from Tulane University with a BSE in Biomedical Engineering in 2023, where she worked on a research and development team for a novel high tibial osteotomy implant as their senior capstone project. She is interested in pursuing a career in orthopedic surgery after medical school and would like to continue research in orthopedic implants. Anna is also interested in research examining how social determinants of health impact orthopedic patients. At ORS, she presented “Perceived Social Support Following Extremity Trauma: Does Sex Matter?” which investigates the relationship between gender, social roles, and social support, which can have a large impact on recovery outcomes for patients who have experienced traumatic fractures.