Fackson Mwale
- Graduate Program Director, Surgical and Interventional Sciences;
- Professor of Surgery;
- Fellow of International Orthopaedic Research (FIOR);
- Co-Director of Surgical Innovation;
- Course director of non thesis;
- Course director of Medical Technology Internship;
- Senior Investigator, Lady Davis Institute;
- Scientific Founder Trepso Therapeutics Inc.
PhD
Dr. Mwale was recognized with the honorary status of Fellow of International Orthopaedic Research (FIOR) of the ICORS International College of Fellows.
His other honors include the Berton Rahn Prize Award, the Hansjörg Wyss Award, the North American Spine Society Award, and the North American Spine Society (NASS) Award.
He also received a certificate for starting the Research Interest Group and co-founding the Spine Research Community (comprising of more than 800 clinicians, basic scientists and fellows) at the Orthopedics Research Society in 2011 in Long Beach, California.
- Tissue Engineering of Intervertebral Disc & Cartilage.
- Role of the the calcium sensing receptor in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis and intervertebral discs.
Intervertebral disc degeneration, back pain and osteoarthritis
Dr. Fackson Mwale holds a tenured professorship and serves as the Graduate Program Director for Surgical and Interventional Sciences. Beyond his academic responsibilities, he co-directs the Surgical Innovation Concentration and holds a senior investigator position at the Lady Davis Institute. Dr. Mwale's leadership extends to his past roles, including his tenure as the President of the Canadian Orthopaedic Research Society (CORS) and his involvement in co-founding Trepso Therapeutics and Intervertech. Within his current roles, he oversees the non-thesis master's degree program and is responsible for the Medical Technology Internships I and II programs. Additionally, he serves as a course instructor for Surgical Innovation I and II.
Dr. Mwale's significant contributions span multiple fields, including extracellular matrix biology, osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc biology, and tissue engineering. His work in these areas has garnered him widespread international recognition and acclaim. He has served as the Co-Director of the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory at the Lady Davis Research Institute, affiliated with McGill University, since the year 2000.
Dr. Mwale obtained his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina and subsequently completed a post-doctoral fellowship at McGill University, working alongside Dr. Robin Poole, a recent appointee to the Order of Canada. His expertise has led to him being invited as a speaker at over 70 institutions, both in Canada and internationally. In 2010, he had the honor of representing Canada at the 7th Combined Orthopaedic Research Societies Meeting in Kyoto, Japan.
His distinguished record in both service and academic leadership is highly noteworthy. Dr. Mwale has made substantial contributions to the NIH, including a six-year term on the Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering (MTE) Study Section, which followed a five-year term on the Skeletal Biology Structure and Regeneration (SBSR) Study Section. His involvement has been substantial, and he has even served as a co-chair for the MTE Study Section on multiple occasions.
Since 2017, he has been a member of the editorial board for European Cells and Materials, and he has held a position on the editorial board of the Journal of Orthopedic Research since 2010. Dr. Mwale is also an active reviewer for numerous other scholarly journals. In addition to his editorial roles, he has held the prestigious position of President of the Canadian Orthopaedic Research Society from 2018 to 2019 and President of the Canadian Connective Tissue Society from 2012 to 2014. Furthermore, since 2007, he has been a vital part of the organizing team for the Combined Orthopaedic Research Society, actively contributing to the coordination of the 2019 meeting held in Montreal.
Throughout his career, Dr. Mwale has authored over 120 peer-reviewed papers. Additionally, he has had over 100 invited talks, including those as a visiting professor both nationally and internationally, and presented more than 500 conference abstracts. His research endeavors have received substantial funding, with grants from organizations such as CIHR, NSERC, the AO Foundation, CHRP, the North American Spine Society (NASS), and co-applicant status on NIH grants.
He was among the distinguished scientists invited to participate in a roundtable at NIAMS in Washington, where he collaborated with other experts in the field to deliberate on the future of spine research. Dr. Mwale's outstanding contributions have earned him the esteemed status of Fellow of International Orthopaedic Research (FIOR) within the ICORS International College of Fellows. His accolades also encompass the ORS Young Investigator Award, the Berton Rahn Prize Award, the Hansjörg Wyss Award, the North American Spine Society Award, the Founders Medal, and the North American Spine Society (NASS) Award. Furthermore, Dr. Mwale is the innovator behind the PrimeGrowth™ Media system for the long-term culture of whole discs with vertebrae, the PrimeGrowth™ disc cell medium, and PrimeStem™, an optimized stem cell media—all of which are commercially available through Wisent Bioproducts.
Courses
- EXSU 619 The Hospital Environment
- EXSU 620 Surgical Innovation 1
- EXSU 621 Surgical Innovation 2
- EXSU 501 Medical Technology Internship 1
- EXSU 502 Medical Technology Internship 2