Chicago Bulls Physician Joins EpiBone as Advisor

EpiBone Inc. has recruited Brian J. Cole, M.D., as an advisor to help the company develop living bone and cartilage for human transplantation.
 
A renowned orthopedic surgeon, professor, and researcher at Rush University Medical Center, Cole is a managing partner at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago, specializing in shoulder, elbow and knee surgery. He is known for his work in cartilage restoration and transplantation, and has been named one of the “Top Doctors in America” every year since 2004. An expert in sports medicine, he serves as team physician for the Chicago Bulls, co-team physician for the Chicago White Sox, and physician for the Joffrey Ballet.
 
“As a well-regarded figure in the world of orthopedics, Dr. Cole will bring invaluable expertise to our work,” EpiBone Co-Founder/CEO Nina Tandon said. “Having established himself as a leader in the field of orthopedic restoration, he has devoted his life to solving the same problems we are—enabling people to have healthy, working bones and joints. We are very excited for him to join our team, and look forward to applying his professional guidance across the full spectrum of our work, from product development to clinical trial design.”
 
Cole leads the Cartilage Research and Restoration Center at Rush, which specializes in arthritis treatment in young, active patients. His work centers on replacing damaged cartilage as an alternative to joint replacement, and restoring damaged cartilage by transplanting it from another part of the body or using cartilage from a donor. He has developed several innovative techniques for treating joint conditions and has been named in the top 20 in sports medicine, knee and shoulder specialists repeatedly over the last five years, as selected by his peers. His published research spans over 900 publications and 44,000 citations, and he is among the world’s most frequently referenced orthopedic researchers.
 
His extensive body of work aligns with EpiBone, a company that grows living bone and cartilage grafts from stem cells, and is the world’s first company to use stem cells to grow living bone and implant them in patients. EpiBone’s proprietary process offers a substitute to traditional methods that rely on implanting cadaver tissues or manmade materials. By harnessing the natural healing ability of cells, the company’s products can fully integrate into the surrounding tissue in ways that are not currently possible using inert materials.  
 
“EpiBone’s work truly represents what is currently possible in regenerative medicine today,” Cole stated. “Their technology and approach to skeletal repair are not just an evolutionary step forward, but a revolutionary leap into the future of orthopedics, and I’m excited to bring my expertise to shape that future.”
 
Cole also serves as chairman of Surgery at Rush Oak Park Hospital, and is a professor at Rush Medical College. He earned his medical degree and MBA from the University of Chicago, completed his orthopedic residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery at Cornell Medical Center, and a Sports Medicine fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. Cole has served as co-host for 10 years on the radio talk show Sports Medicine Weekly originally on ESPN and 670TheScore – Chicago Sports Radio and is now the official host of his Sports Medicine Weekly Podcast. He is the founder and director of the annual Chicago Sports Summit since 2016.
 
EpiBone Inc. is a privately-held regenerative medicine company focused on skeletal reconstruction. Sitting at the intersection of biology and engineering, the company harnesses the power of cells to create living solutions that become a seamless part of a patient’s body. EpiBone is currently developing a pipeline of bone, cartilage, and other skeletal tissue products.