About IAORF
The goal of the Iowa Orthopaedic Reserach Foundation (IORF) is to provide financial support to conduct community based, clinical orthopaedic research in the state of Iowa. The IORF will fund at least one grant per year starting at $5,000. These funds are available to any Iowa Orthopaedic Society (IOS) member, resident physician or medical student in Iowa.
Any eligible surgeon can apply for the grant. If you have an idea for a research project and are interested in applying for this funding, please see instructions on how to apply. Collaboration with an active University of Iowa Orthopaedic Resident or any medical student in the State of Iowa is encouraged but not mandatory. If you would like to collaborate with a student or resident, please contact
President- Matthew Karam, M.D., Iowa City, IA
Director- Joseph Buckwalter, MD., Iowa City, IA
Director – Cassim Igram, M.D., Des Moines, IA
Matthew Karam, MD, President
Orthopaedic Physician
Matthew Karam, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon that specializes in treating traumatic injuries of the pelvis and extremities. This includes acetabular fractures, hip fractures, and fractures around joints in the upper and lower arms and legs.
Dr. Karam currently serves as the Vice-Chair for Education and is the Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program director in the department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at the University of Iowa.
Dr. Karam has several active areas of research interest; these include surgical skills and simulation training for surgical education.
He has published multiple peer-reviewed scholarly articles as well as numerous textbook chapters. Dr. Karam serves as a member of many local, regional, and national professional organizations. He currently is president of the Iowa Orthopaedic Society Research Foundation.
Joseph Buckwalter, MD, Director
Orthopaedic Physician
Joseph Buckwalter, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon that specializes in musculoskeletal oncology, reconstructive surgery, and trauma. He received his medical education here at the University of Iowa and has continued his education through teaching as well as multiple publications and reviews.
He has served as a leader of multiple professional organizations including being a past president for the Orthopaedic Research Society, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the American Orthopaedic Association. Awards such as the Cabaud Award, the Kappa Delta Award, the OREF/ORS Distinguished Investigator Award and the Bristol-Meyers Squibb/Zimmer Award highlight his outstanding orthopaedic research.
His contributions to medicine and science have been recognized by his election to the Institute of Medicine National Academy of Sciences and the National Institutes of Health Council on Councils.
Cassim Igram, MD, Director
Orthopaedic Physician
Cassim Igram, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon that specializes in degenerative disorders of the spine, as well as spinal trauma, tumors, and infections.
After receiving his undergraduate and medical degree here at the University of Iowa, he completed his residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Igram did his fellowship in spine surgery at Louisiana State University in New Orleans.
He joined us after over 20 years in private practice. Dr. Igram’s primary practice is disorders of the adult spine. He has a particular interest in minimally invasive spine surgery.