Author Archive
In Memory of Dr. Jacquelin Perry (May 31, 1918 – March 11, 2013)
Dr. Jacquelin Perry, world renowned orthopaedic surgeon and biomechanician and namesake for The Perry Initiative, passed away at her home in Los Angeles this Monday, March 11, 2013, at the age of 94. Dr. Perry trained as a physical therapist and worked as a physical therapist in the army during World War II. After the war, she became an orthopaedic surgeon, completing both medical school and residency at UC San Francisco. She was the first woman to complete an orthopaedic surgery residency at UCSF.
In 1955, she joined the practice at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California, where she pioneered new surgical and rehabilitation techniques in the treatment of polio and spinal deformity. Dr. Perry became a leading authority in the field of pathokinesiology, authoring several definitive
textbooks and over 400 journal articles over her 50+ year career.
Equally as important, Dr. Perry served as a teacher and mentor to several generations of surgeons, physical therapists, and biomechanicians. Her trainees now lead medical schools, departments of orthopaedic surgery, and biomechanics
laboratories across the country.
The Perry Initiative is honored to bear Dr. Perry’s name because of all that she accomplished and all that she stood for: she blazed a trail for women in orthopaedics, rose to the top of the field, and paid it forward by mentoring the countless women and men who followed her. She will be missed greatly. We at the Perry Initiative promise to continue to honor the legacy of this amazing woman by building the pipeline for the next generation of talented women in engineering and medicine.
International Women’s Day!
Dr. Kristen, Dr. Jenni, Perry Interns Laura and Eli and Program Specialist Amy at the Ritz East Theater in Philadelphia, PA
Perry staff and volunteers celebrated International Women’s Day (March 8, 2013) last night by attending a screening of the new documentary: Girl Rising!
This incredible film by Academy Award-nominated director Richard E. Robbins paired girls from Cambodia, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Peru, Egypt, Nepal and India with native women authors to help tell their stories. Full of hope and the overcoming of adversity to pursue an education, this film reminded all of us that our efforts to provide girls and women with unique educational experiences are multi-faceted and but a small part of a greater global effort.
The Perry Initiative is proud to be a part of the global educational community supporting young women and their dreams and encourages you to get involved and find a Girl Rising screening near you!
Organizing Bones…
Felicia gets to work… those femurs aren’t going to catalog themselves!
Earlier in the month, Dr. Jenni flew back to the San Francisco office for some needed organization time. While she was there, we received a giant shipment of bones!
The Perry Initiative is able to stock its hands-on curriculum using generous donations from SawBones! This company sells anatomical models for a whole host of learning and training activities worldwide.
Nadia uses the band saw to cut bones in half
Every time we get a donation, there’s a lot of sorting and packaging to be done! At first, our intern, Felicia, and Program Specialist, Katrina, attacked the pile with zeal, sorting the bones by type and cutting some into pieces. Sometimes a module just uses the proximal section of the bone… sometimes, just the distal!
Felicia is all tuckered out…
But as with any job… sometimes you just a hit a wall. Or floor. Or bottom stair.
Thanks for all your hard work, Nadia and Felicia!
Dr. Perry Honored at UCSF with 1st Annual “Dr. Jacquelin Perry Mentorship Award”
Dr. Perry receives her award from Dr. Lisa Lattanza
During the Perry Initiative fundraising kick-off event held Thursday, November 1st, 2012 at the UCSF Orthopaedic Institute, the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery (represented by Perry co-founder, Dr. Lisa Lattanza) honored Dr. Jacquelin Perry as the first recipient of the Dr. Jacquelin Perry Excellence in Mentorship Award.
Dr. Perry shares words of wisdom with the audience after accepting her award
This award will be given annually to a member of the UCSF Orthopaedic Faculty to reward mentorship relationships and thus broader impacts on, or contributions to, the orthopaedic surgical community-at-large.
Dr. Perry was the first woman to graduate from UCSF’s orthopaedic surgery residency in 1955. She has since had an illustrious and inspired career, with one of the most prolific academic publication records of any surgeon, male or female. Her studies on gait analysis have contributed to the fields of orthopaedics and physical therapy for decades and are well-known to students and professionals in both fields. She is currently Professor Emeritus at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California.
Many generations of orthopaedic surgeons and physical therapists gathered to have their pictures taken with a person of professional inspiration, Dr. Jacquelin Perry.
The Perry Initiative was honored to take part in this award ceremony. As part of the Perry Initiative’s mission and purpose, mentorship remains key in areas where women (or members of any minority group) are underrepresented. Studies show that students are far more likely to remain in a particular field of study IF they are able to find and connect with mentors who are similar to themselves.
Thank you, Dr. Perry, for continuing to serve as our mentor and inspiration.
Movement Is Life Caucus on Musculoskeletal Health Disparities
Drs. Lattanza and Buckley with a view of the Capitol Building
Drs. Buckley and Lattanza were in Washington, DC this week for the annual Movement Is Life Caucus on Musculoskeletal Health Disparities, which is chaired by Perry Board Member, Dr. Mary O’Connor from the Mayo Clinic in Florida.
Drs. Buckley and Lattanza with Board Member, Dr. Mary O’Connor
The Caucus is focused on addressing racial and gender disparities in treating joint pain and brings together surgeons, physical therapists, primary care doctors, educators, and community leaders around this issue. By encouraging more women to enter the field of orthopaedics, The Perry Initiative is helping to address health disparities.
Dr. O’Connor and members of the Caucus organizing committee present an award to Congresswoman Donna Christensen and Congressman Hank Johnson
The Perry Initiative team had a great time in DC, meeting leaders from the government, industry, and academia. We look forward to updating the Caucus next year on our rapidly growing high school outreach program and our new medical school program which will launch this October.
