Trinity Kronk is the first NEOMED student and Akron Children’s student researcher to receive the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award which will support her training and continued research into orthopedic and musculoskeletal diseases.
The Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award is a prestigious honor given to individuals who demonstrate extensive scholarship and rigorous scientific inquiry. Dr. Ruth L. Kirschstein, a pioneering polio vaccine researcher and strong advocate for research training and diversity in science, made history as the first woman to lead an NIH institute.
And now Trinity Kronk, a MD/PhD student at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), is the first NEOMED student and Akron Children’s student researcher to receive this prestigious honor which will support her training and continued research into orthopedic and musculoskeletal diseases.
“Receiving this award reinforces my commitment to becoming a physician-scientist in pediatric orthopedic surgery and strengthens my belief that my contributions can truly make a difference in the lives of individuals with musculoskeletal diseases,” she said. “Professionally, the fellowship represents a critical steppingstone toward achieving my long-term goal of leading an independent research program alongside providing patient care.”
At Akron Children’s, Trinity has worked alongside pediatric orthopedic surgeons and health care providers who continually support her growth.
“As an orthopedic research fellow for one year prior to starting my PhD, I performed clinical research under the direction of Dr. Todd Ritzman, surgeon in chief and pediatric orthopedic surgeon, and Dr. Lorena Floccari, director of the Spine Center and pediatric orthopedic surgeon, focusing on research regarding scoliosis and fracture treatment,” she said. “I also had the invaluable opportunity to attend orthopedic resident morning lectures and regularly shadow physicians in both the operating room and clinic.”
NEOMED student and student researcher Trinity Kronk is shown here participating in the Perry Initiative, a national not-for-profit organization focused on increasing women in the fields of orthopedic surgery and engineering. Akron Children’s hosted its first Perry Initiative program earlier this year.
Additionally, Trinity began working with Dr. Mark Adamczyk, director of the Clubfoot Clinic and pediatric orthopedic surgeon, investigating the pathophysiology of slipped capital femoral epiphysis which occurs when the top of the thigh bone (femur) shifts out of place because the growth plate is unstable during the period of rapid growth in adolescents. They were awarded an Akron Children’s Foundation Grant for this work.
Trinity also had the opportunity to expand her clinical research writing skills by writing a case report with Dr. Kenneth Bono, pediatric orthopedic surgeon.
With a career goal of becoming a pediatric orthopedic surgeon who also does research and comes up with new ideas to make patient care even better, she’s passionate about taking what she learns in the lab and using it to improve treatments for musculoskeletal diseases in the pediatric and adult populations.
Trinity has worked with the orthopedic surgery team at Akron Children’s on a variety of research projects, looking at patient data and outcomes and performing translational science research at NEOMED. This has led to several papers being published and presentations at national conferences.
Some of the published work that Trinity has been involved in includes looking at different ways to fix broken arms in kids, how the pandemic affected kids’ bone injuries in Ohio, using waterproof casts for broken thigh bones and even a case study about treating a rare infection.
“We have 4 more research papers that we’re getting ready to submit,” she shared.
Trinity has worked with the orthopedic surgery team at Akron Children’s on a variety of research projects, looking at patient data and outcomes.
During her research fellowship year, Trinity also conducted basic and translational science research at NEOMED under the mentorship of Dr. Fayez Safadi, Ohio Research Scholar and Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine.
“I had the pleasure of first meeting Dr. Safadi during my medical school interview, an encounter that has since shaped the trajectory of my career,” she said. “Not only did he serve as a mentor during my orthopedic research fellowship, but he also became my PhD mentor.”
On top of all the great mentors she has mentioned, Trinity said she has been especially inspired by Akron Children’s female orthopedic surgeons, particularly Dr. Lorena Floccari and Dr. Julie Samora.
“They show me what it means to be amazing doctors, researchers and mothers, and they’ve shown me that pursuing this career is not only possible but also exceedingly rewarding,” Trinity said. “I had the opportunity to attend the Perry Initiative at Akron Children’s, which is a hands-on workshop to encourage women to explore careers in orthopedics and engineering. It was incredibly insightful and encouraging. Seeing women like them thriving in this field made me feel like I not only belong here but that I can also succeed and enjoy the journey.”
