Dr. Caroline Thirukumaran is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Orthopaedics and Public Health Sciences, and in the Center for Musculoskeletal Research at the University of Rochester, New York. She is the Principal Investigator of the Orthopaedic Policy, Outcomes, and Disparities (OrthoPOD) Lab which aims to generate rigorous evidence to inform the design of policies for improving orthopaedic outcomes and disparities in those outcomes. Her NIMHD and NIA funded-research focus on examining the association of Medicare’s bundled payment reform – the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacements – with disparities in the use and outcomes of joint replacement surgeries, how the adjustment of social risk can influence these reforms, and on disparities in postoperative pain management for orthopaedic surgeries. Her work has been published in JAMA, Health Affairs, JBJS, and other leading journals. She chairs the Clinical Research Topic Section at the Orthopaedic Research Society, and serves as the Disparities Section Editor for Current Osteoporosis Reports and the Assistant Editor for the Disparities Section of Anesthesia and Analgesia. Caroline completed her medical education and Masters in Hospital Administration in Mumbai, India; and pursued her PhD in Health Services Research and Policy at the University of Rochester, New York.