Brian Grawe, MD
With his new research, he’s a meniscus-mending master.
Brian Grawe, MD, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UC College of Medicine, was drawn to orthopaedics to help people heal. Whether it’s a broken bone, a torn ligament or an injured muscle, it’s his job to get his patients healthy again.
“Honestly, there's no better profession because we get to restore people's function, make them happy, and continue to keep them active, both recreationally and personally,” said Grawe.
But Grawe’s passions extend beyond his clinical work at UC Health—he’s also a dedicated educator and researcher at the College of Medicine. One of Grawe’s recent research efforts focuses on using a cholesterol-lowering drug called Simvastatin to repair the meniscus, a piece of tissue in the knee that serves an important function, but is commonly torn.
“We don't have a lot of good, 
reliable ways to heal the meniscus, so we are utilizing a drug that's been around for years in a suspension fashion called hydrogel, which allows it to be delivered to the meniscus and dispersed over time,” explained Grawe. “As a result, we're trying to fix a problem that has been, thus far, unsolvable.”
Grawe strives to improve the lives of his patients and patients around the world, and that’s true of his work as an educator as well. He’s always looking for ways to better educate the next generation of orthopedics, knowing that his students will go on to positively impact even more patients. Last year, Grawe was honored with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery’s Best Teacher Award, which is voted on by the department’s residents.
Grawe’s long-term goal is to continue as a clinician, researcher and educator, and he’s grateful to be able to pursue all three through his positions at UC College of Medicine and UC Health. In the end, all of his efforts aim to help more patients with better procedures.
“Bench-side research allows us to challenge traditional thinking in a scientific way and then ultimately think outside the box to solve problems that have otherwise been very difficult to handle in medicine,” said Grawe. “We are thinking bigger picture. We can really impact change through academic medicine.”
