Dr. John Drazan wins national fellowship for merging sports, STEM

John Drazan, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering in Fairfield University’s School of Engineering and Computing, has been named the inaugural 2025 BMRC/ORS Mentorship and Outreach Fellow by the Orland Bethel Family Musculoskeletal Research Center (BMRC) and the Orthopaedic Research Society.

“Being named the Inaugural BMRC/ORS Mentorship and Outreach Fellow is truly an honor. The emphasis that the BMRC is placing on not just on supporting fundamental musculoskeletal research, but also using our research to make positive impacts on the surrounding community, is amazing and deeply needed,” said Dr. Drazan.

Dr. Drazan and his student research team recently led the first Sports2STEM outreach program for the BMRC at Duquesne University. During the program, designed for local middle and high school students, participants explored the science and engineering behind real-world basketball skills and measured their own progress in a portable community-situated biomechanics lab.

A former collegiate basketball player, Dr. Drazan merges his passion for sports and science to create STEM outreach programs; to date, he has reached more than 40,000 youth across the nation through his community-engaged research at Fairfield and through 4th Family Inc., a nonprofit outreach organization for which he has served as STEM director since 2012.

Dr. Drazan’s sports-themed STEM initiatives have been highlighted at major events including the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, the WNBA and NBA All-Star Weekends, and the NBA Rookie Combine.

Founded in 2024 through a gift from the Orland Bethel Family Foundation and matched by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the Orland Bethel Family Musculoskeletal Research Center (BMRC) supports innovative research on bone, muscle, and joint disorders. The Center focuses on advancing treatments by investing in top scientists, particularly early-career researchers.

In partnership with the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), the BMRC/ORS Fellowship Program provides funding to support preliminary research that can lead to breakthrough therapies. Fellowships include $20,000 awards for postdocs and medical residents, and $30,000 awards for junior faculty.

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Dr. John Drazan wins national fellowship for merging sports, STEM