Dr. John Thometz | Orthopedic Surgery | Best Researcher Award

Dr. John G. Thometz is a distinguished orthopedic surgeon, educator, and researcher with over four decades of expertise in pediatric orthopedics, spinal deformities, and gait analysis. He currently serves as Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Adjunct Professor at the Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Engineering Center at Marquette University. A graduate of Northwestern University Medical School with fellowship training at Harvard’s Children’s Hospital, Dr. Thometz has made seminal contributions to the understanding and treatment of scoliosis, clubfoot, and cerebral palsy. As long-time Medical Director of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (1991–2021), he helped establish the institution as a national leader in pediatric musculoskeletal care. His federally funded research through the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation has advanced dynamic orthotic systems, spinal growth modulation, and pediatric mobility technologies. Widely published and a reviewer for leading journals such as The Spine Journal and Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Dr. Thometz has received numerous honors, including multiple “Teacher of the Year” awards and repeated recognition among “America’s Best Doctors.” Through his leadership, mentorship, and innovative research bridging medicine and engineering, Dr. Thometz has profoundly advanced pediatric orthopedic care and rehabilitation on a global scale.