Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Dr. Freddie Fu Presents Inaugural Lecture as Distinguished Service Professor

On November 3, 2016, Dr. Freddie Fu presented his Inaugural Lecture as Distinguished Service Professor.

Provost Patricia Beeson welcomed the audience and explained that appointment as a Distinguished Service Professor recognizes distinctive contributions and outstanding service to the University community as well as performance excellence and national stature in their field or discipline.  She and Dr. Arthur S. Levine, Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences and Dean of the School of Medicine, presented Dr. Fu with his Distinguished Service Professor medallion. 

Dr. Levine summarized Dr. Fu’s background and credentials and introduced him to present his inaugural lecture to the audience. 

Dr. Fu presented “60 Years of Orthopaedic Research in Pittsburgh.” His presentation included many personal touches, including personal photographs taken around Pittsburgh and on the Pitt campus, providing a timeline of his travels from Hong Kong to Dartmouth to Pittsburgh, meeting his wife, Hilda Pang Fu, as well as his success in continuing the orthopaedic empire built by his predecessors, Dr. David Silver and Dr. Albert Ferguson. Dr. Fu shared family stories about his great-uncle who was involved in signing the Moscow treaty for China, a precursor to the United Nations, as well as about his wife who belonged to an all-girls signing group in Hong Kong.  He proudly noted the research of Bob Greer and George Bentley who were conducting studies of cartilage cell growth with transplantation into defects.  This pioneering work would be published in the prestigious journal, Nature, at least 25 years before research in cell therapy became prevalent.  He talked about his work with the Pittsburgh Ballet and demonstrated his dancing skills. 

If asked how he would do things differently if given the opportunity, Dr. Fu noted that he would choose to grow up and live in Brooklyn, where he would have the opportunity to go to school with Barbra Streisand, Carol King, Paul Simon, Neil Sedaka, and Neil Diamond. He concluded his presentation with his most recent singing opportunity – singing “Sweet Caroline” in the Panther Pitt after being honored by Pitt Athletics for his 30 year career serving as Head Team Physician.

 

Dr. Fu is one of eight Pitt School of Medicine faculty who have received the honor of appointment as Distinguished Service Professor.  The list of awardees include Drs. Thomas Starzl (Transplant Surgery), Julius Youngner (Polio Vaccine), Peter Safar (CPR), Bernard Fisher (Mastectomy/Breast Surgery), Ake Grenvik (Critical Care Medicine), Richard Simmons (Immunology/Kidney Transplant), and Thomas Detre (UPMC Architect).  

Dr. Fu is honored to accept appointment as Distinguished Service Professor on behalf of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine and is honored to be recognized with the great pioneers in the field of medicine.