Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Profile

John Callaghan is a leading expert in hip and knee surgery with hundreds of research and grant credits. Driven by a continual pursuit of knowledge at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Callaghan dedicated himself as a faculty member, volunteer, and role model to make a positive global impact in his field.

Callaghan completed his residency at Iowa in 1983, before practicing as a surgeon and educator at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He returned to Iowa City in 1990, serving as a faculty member in the UI Departments of Orthopedics and Biomedical Engineering. An innovative educator and researcher, Callaghan mentored many orthopedic medicine specialists while providing surgical care at the university and the Iowa City Veterans Hospital.

In 2002, Callaghan was named the Lawrence and Marilyn Dorr Chair of Hip Surgery & Research in the UI Department of Orthopedics. He received millions of dollars in grants, collaborated with colleagues to produce more than 475 peer-reviewed articles, and gave hundreds of presentations.

Callaghan has served as president for the International Hip Society, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. The Carver College of Medicine and other organizations have recognized him with fellowships and honors. In 2019, Callaghan received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hip Society, and in 2020, he received the Distinguished Contributions to Orthopaedics Award from the American Orthopaedic Association. Callaghan has also helped design successful hip and knee replacements which have been implanted in hundreds of thousands of patients throughout the world.

Through his integrity, work ethic, surgical skills, and academic output, Callaghan has made a lasting impact in orthopedics.