Dr. James Kang is the Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) who specializes in spinal surgery. He is board certified in Orthopaedic Surgery and recently completed his recertification.
Dr. Kang graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Chemical Engineering degree in 1982 which was followed by a medical degree at the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine in 1986. He then completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1992 followed by a Spine Surgery fellowship at Case Western Reserve University in 1993. He joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, then later promoted to full Professor, and UPMC Endowed Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery in 2007. He held this position until 2015 when he was named Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at BWH.
Dr. Kang is a surgeon/clinician/scientist. He is an internationally recognized leader in the field of intervertebral disc degeneration research. In the past two decades, he has done pioneering work in understanding the biology and molecular mechanisms of disc degeneration as well as devising novel therapeutic interventions using stem cells and gene therapy. In addition to basic science research, Dr. Kang published numerous clinical research studies on spinal surgeries and their outcomes. For all his research efforts, he has won countless national and international awards which have recognized the quality and excellence of his work.
Dr. Kang is a devoted clinician and has an active practice of spinal surgery. His clinical interest is in treating (both surgical and non-surgical) patients who suffer with spinal stenosis. He performs all types of spinal surgery for patients who fail conservative management with the diagnosis of:
- lumbar and cervical stenosis
- sciatica
- herniated discs
- spondylolisthesis
- instability
- spinal deformity
- fractures
- spinal infections
- cancers of the spine
He has a strong interest in minimally invasive as well as performing revision spine surgery.
Dr. Kang has become an international leader in the basic science and clinical treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Prior to becoming Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at BWH and as Director of the Ferguson Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Kang led the development of novel therapies for IDD based on the latest gene transfer and stem cell technologies. Currently, Dr. Kang’s research team is performing comprehensive preclinical studies addressing feasibility, safety and efficacy of these technologies. The results to date have garnered much favorable international attention, strongly suggesting that cell and molecular approaches have excellent potential for making the translation from the laboratory to the clinic, and ultimately reducing the incidence of back pain and the need for spinal surgery.
As a clinician/surgeon/scientist Dr. Kang has been educating students, residents, and fellows for the past 23 years. He has been very active in teaching and mentoring medical students in musculoskeletal sciences through various lectures and orthopaedic clerkships. He has also hosted 2-3 medical students every year in the Ferguson Laboratory where the students conduct basic science research to fulfill their scholarly projects. He has served on numerous Masters and PhD Thesis committees. Through his busy clinical practice, he has been active in teaching clinical spine surgery to students, residents, and fellows. Over the several decades, he has won numerous teaching awards, including The Golden Apple Award (twice) voted on by the graduating orthopaedic chief residents. He will continue this important role in education in his new role as Chair of Orthopaedics Surgery at BWH.
In recognition of his career-long interest and scientific work in IDD, Dr. Kang is the recipient of numerous awards including the highest societal awards for spinal research conferred by the leading international spine societies: The International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, the Cervical Spine Research Society, and the North American Spine Society. He was recently installed as the President of the International Society for the Study of Lumbar Spine.
Dr. Kang has been an outstanding academic orthopaedic surgeon that has excelled in clinical care, basic research, as well as education. He is a role model for future surgeons in training and will continue his major contributions in all fronts as the new Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
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