BioCrossroads News – BioCrossroads

All Roads Led to Warsaw:
BioCrossroads FrameWORX Highlights Indiana’s Orthopedic Leadership

Known globally as the Orthopedic Capital of the World®, the region welcomed more than 200 scientists, researchers, business leaders, and students for BioCrossroads’ quarterly FrameWORX event: The Future of Musculoskeletal Health: Innovations in Orthopedic Medicine and Indiana’s Leadership Opportunity. Held at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana the event placed Indiana’s orthopedic strength in the spotlight by bringing national voices together to discuss the science, industry, and impact of musculoskeletal health.

Orthopedics is one of the most important sectors in global health, providing implants, devices, and treatments that restore mobility, reduce pain, and extend quality of life for millions of patients. Warsaw has long been at the center of that mission. It is home to global leaders like Zimmer Biomet and J&J MedTech, alongside a thriving community of mid-sized companies, startups, suppliers, and innovators who design and manufacture orthopedic technologies that are used worldwide. Tens of thousands of Hoosiers work in this industry, making Indiana one of the largest concentrations of musculoskeletal expertise and production on the planet.

Article content — *J&J MedTech was one of many partners represented at the FrameWORX event at Grace College.*

The state’s academic and research institutions are also pushing the field forward. Purdue University is applying artificial intelligence to orthopedic product development, while the IU School of Medicine continues to make groundbreaking discoveries through the Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health. Under the leadership of Dr. Melissa Kacena, the Center is working to secure a 10-year National Science Foundation award that could transform the state’s innovation economy. Indiana is a semifinalist for a grant that would expand STEM education for thousands of students, train nearly 2,000 people, launch dozens of new companies, bring new products to market, file hundreds of patents, create thousands of jobs, and generate more than half a billion dollars in economic impact. Just last year, Indiana continued its orthopedic momentum by approving a $30 million investment in the Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative, a targeted effort to strengthen infrastructure, support workforce programs, and secure the long-term competitiveness of the region’s orthopedic sector.

The FrameWORX event reflected this momentum. Attendees heard from orthopedic oncologist and cancer survivor Dr. Kurt Weiss, who shared both clinical expertise and personal perspective on why advances in orthopedic medicine matter so profoundly. Dr. Weiss facilitated a panel with orthopedic patients whose voices offered a moving reminder of how these innovations change lives in real time. Industry and academic leaders from Zimmer Biomet, Purdue University, and IU Indianapolis spoke about how robotics, precision engineering, and data-driven research are reshaping orthopedic care. Leaders in manufacturing and workforce development discussed how Indiana is building the infrastructure and training the talent needed to sustain this global industry well into the future.

The program also featured perspectives from beyond Indiana. Dr. Hicham Drissi, professor and vice chair of research at Emory University School of Medicine and President-Elect of the Orthopaedic Research Society, praised Indiana’s collaborative spirit, remarking that “it takes two hands to clap” and that Warsaw’s energy and talent make it an ideal incubator for global growth.

Brandon Noll, Director of Plug & Play Indiana, underscored the state’s unique identity when he told the audience, “We’re not looking to be the Silicon Valley of Med Tech. We’re looking to be Med Tech Valley.”

Though Warsaw may be tucked away in northeast Indiana, far from major media hubs, its orthopedic impact resonates worldwide. Every day, thousands of professionals here are innovating, manufacturing, and delivering devices that improve lives across every continent. On August 20, the FrameWORX event showcased this global significance, while also pointing to even greater opportunities ahead.

“The musculoskeletal health sector is one of Indiana’s strongest global assets,” said Vince Wong, President and CEO of BioCrossroads. “This event underscored the extraordinary innovation happening here, the collaboration that drives it, and the opportunity for Indiana to continue leading the world in orthopedic medicine.”

Winners of the poster content held in conjunction with the FrameWorx event. — *Keynote speaker Dr. Kurt Weiss delivered moving remarks about his personal journey* *and*

Photos from FrameWORX

Thank you to our sponsors

Watch the full FrameWORX recap.

INDIANAPOLIS (May 8, 2025) – BioCrossroads, the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership initiative established as a catalyst to advance, grow, and invest in Indiana’s life sciences sector, today announced two new appointments to its Board of Directors and recognized the contributions of three long-serving members whose leadership has helped shape the state’s life sciences ecosystem.

Richard Church, Chief Growth & Strategy Officer at Parkview Health, has joined the BioCrossroads Board of Directors. Since arriving at Parkview in 2022, Church has led the organization’s strategic growth initiatives, focusing on long-term innovation and access to care across the region. Prior to his current role, Church served as co-leader of the national healthcare practice group at K&L Gates, where he advised health systems on joint ventures, regulatory compliance, clinical integration, and mergers and acquisitions. His legal and regulatory expertise, paired with his leadership of Parkview Health’s innovation initiatives , will be instrumental as BioCrossroads continues its mission to advance Indiana’s leadership in life sciences.

Also joining the Board is Dr. David Umulis, Senior Vice Provost at Purdue University in Indianapolis. A nationally recognized leader in systems biology and biomedical engineering, Dr. Umulis has led major initiatives in computational modeling, tissue development, and data science. He previously served as head of Purdue’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and helped establish the university’s Integrative Data Science Initiative. His deep scientific expertise and commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration align with BioCrossroads’ focus on translational research and workforce development.

Church succeeds Dr. Michael J. Mirro, who concludes over a decade of service on the Board. A distinguished physician and researcher, Dr. Mirro has served as Chief Academic Research Officer at Parkview Health since 2014 and holds faculty appointments at the Indiana University School of Medicine and IU’s bioinformatics program. He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and serves on the editorial board of the Cardiovascular Digital Health Journal. The Parkview Mirro Center for Research and Innovation—named in his honor—stands as a testament to his impact on medical research and innovation. Most recently, he helped launch the MedTech Global Gateway, connecting international med-tech companies with Indiana’s clinical and economic development resources. BioCrossroads extends its sincere gratitude for Dr. Mirro’s lasting contributions to the state’s innovation infrastructure.

Dr. Umulis succeeds Dan Hasler, Chief Operating Officer of Purdue University in Indianapolis, who has brought invaluable cross-sector insight to the Board. Hasler previously served as President of the Purdue Research Foundation, guiding commercialization and entrepreneurial strategy for Purdue’s intellectual property portfolio. He also held the role of Indiana’s Secretary of Commerce, where he helped attract a record number of companies to the state, and spent more than 30 years at Eli Lilly and Company. Hasler’s career has spanned business, government, and higher education, making him a key voice in shaping BioCrossroads’ vision for growth. The organization is deeply appreciative of his contributions.

In addition to these changes, BioCrossroads also recognizes the extraordinary service of Dr. Craig Brater, who concludes his tenure on the Board of Directors after two decades of service. As a founding Board member since 2004, Dr. Brater brought a visionary perspective to BioCrossroads’ mission to grow and strengthen Indiana’s life sciences sector. His distinguished career as Dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine and Vice President for Life Sciences at Indiana University positioned him as a driving force behind initiatives that fostered research, collaboration, and innovation across the state. Dr. Brater’s contributions have had a profound and lasting impact on BioCrossroads and the broader life sciences ecosystem, and we are deeply grateful for his steadfast leadership, partnership, and commitment over the years.

“These Board transitions reflect the strength and depth of Indiana’s life sciences leadership,” said Vince Wong, President and CEO of BioCrossroads. “We are proud to welcome Richard and David, whose expertise and perspectives will help guide our strategic direction. At the same time, we are deeply grateful to Michael, Dan, and Craig for their years of service and for the impact they’ve made not only on BioCrossroads, but on the broader innovation ecosystem we all work to grow.”

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About BioCrossroads

Established as a catalyst to advance, grow, and invest in Indiana’s life sciences sector, BioCrossroads is an initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP). It supports the region’s existing enterprises and encourages new business development. The initiative fosters public-private collaboration by uniting a diverse range of academic, industry, and philanthropic stakeholders, all collectively focused on advancing Indiana’s life sciences sector. Committed to supporting the growth of capital investments and talent development, BioCrossroads provides support to both existing and new life sciences enterprises, including the Indiana Health Information Exchange, OrthoWorx, and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute. BioCrossroads champions the advancement of cutting-edge research and development, plays a crucial role in building and nurturing a robust talent pipeline, and is dedicated to establishing Indiana as a thriving hub for life sciences manufacturing. To learn more about BioCrossroads, visit crossroadshealthventures.com.