Boyer named Loeb Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery

Martin I. Boyer, M.D., has been named the Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Martin Boyer
Martin Boyer

Washington University Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton and Larry J. Shapiro, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine, announced the appointment.

“We thank Carol Loeb for establishing this new professorship in orthopaedic surgery,” Wrighton said. “Having now established two endowed professorships and a teaching fellows program, the Loeb family’s generous commitment to excellence in training and education has significantly aided many people, not only at the School of Medicine, but throughout the entire University, as well as the St. Louis region.”

Boyer, a specialist in hand surgery, focuses much of his research on methods to transplant growth plates, which are made mainly of cartilage and located at the ends of growing bones. He also investigates better methods to repair flexor tendons, the smooth, flexible, thick strings that allow fingers to bend.

He is chief of the Washington University Orthopedics Hand and Wrist Service and director of third- and fourth-year medical school education in musculoskeletal surgery and medicine at the School of Medicine. In addition to appointments at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Boyer also is on staff at the St. Louis VA Medical Center and St. Louis Shriners Hospital for Children.

“This professorship recognizes Martin Boyer for his extraordinary skills as a physician and teacher,” Shapiro said. “The creation of endowments remains vital to the School of Medicine’s ability to recruit and retain faculty members like Dr. Boyer who provide exceptional clinical care to our patients and exceptional educational experiences for our students.”

Born in Montreal, Boyer completed his high school and college training in Toronto, earning a medical degree in 1988 at the University of Toronto. He then did a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Toronto and was selected “Most Outstanding Graduate” in 1995. Postdoctoral fellowships followed at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre in Toronto and the Indiana Hand Center in Indianapolis.

Upon completing that training in 1997, Boyer was recruited to Washington University by Richard H. Gelberman, M.D., the Fred C. Reynolds Professor and head of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

“Martin Boyer is a ‘triple threat’ in our department,” said Gelberman. “He is an outstanding physician, investigator and teacher and is nationally and internationally renowned as a specialist in hand surgery. Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital are fortunate to have him here.”

Boyer is a recipient of the Emanuel B. Kaplan and Julian M. Bruner Awards from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the Nicolas Andry Award from the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons. He has been chosen seven times as Clinical Teacher or Lecturer of the Year at Washington University School of Medicine. In addition, he received a Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Teaching Fellowship in 2005. The fellowships appoint recipients to two-year terms, providing faculty members extra time to focus on teaching medical students and residents.

“I am grateful to be chosen for this honor and thankful for the important role that endowments from the Loebs have played in my career at Washington University,” said Boyer. “I believe this recognition helps boost the entire Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. We are fortunate to have many outstanding scientists and physicians, and I am proud to be associated with such talented colleagues. ”

The first Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Professor is David J. Murray, M.D., an anesthesiologist and director of the Wood Simulation Center. Through contact with Murray, Carol Loeb has had the opportunity to discover firsthand how realistic simulators are revolutionizing medical education. She also has stayed in touch with recipients of the Loeb Teaching Fellowships, learning how the fellows are developing programs to improve the curriculum at the School of Medicine.

The Loebs are natives of St. Louis. Carol Loeb earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and French from Mount Holyoke College in 1963. She became a mathematics teacher and tutor and served on the Member’s Board of the Missouri Botanical Garden. The Loebs also established the Loeb Prize for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics at the St. Louis Science Center, where Mrs. Loeb is serving her second term on the board of trustees.

Jerome Loeb was the former chairman of the May Department Stores Co. He joined the company’s Famous-Barr division in 1964 and held several positions both at the corporate office and at Hecht’s, the department store based in Washington, D.C. In 1981, he was named executive vice president and chief financial officer for the company, was elected to the board of directors in 1984, was promoted to president in 1993 and was named chairman in 1998. He retired from the company in 2001 and passed away in 2004.

Jerome Loeb earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics from Tufts University in 1962 and a master’s degree in mathematics from Washington University in 1964. He was co-author of the book “Why Can’t We Get Anything Done Around Here?” and later in his life, he returned to Washington University as an adjunct professor of marketing at the Olin Business School.

He was chairman of the board of directors of both the National Junior Achievement and Junior Achievement of the Mississippi Valley. He served on the boards of BJC HealthCare, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the United Way and the Oasis Institute. He also served as chairman of the St. Louis Science Center’s board of commissioners and on its board of trustees. He also was a member of the President’s Council of the American Jewish Committee.

Boyer is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Orthopaedic Association, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the Canadian Orthopaedic Association, Orthopaedics Overseas and the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery. In addition, he is an author on 70 peer-reviewed scientific papers, as well as a contributor to numerous book chapters and DVDs.


Washington University School of Medicine’s 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s Hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching, and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked third in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s Hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.