Salt Lake City — We are pleased to announce a leadership transition for the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory (ORL) within the University of Utah Orthopaedic Center (UOC). Effective July 1,2025, Heath Henninger, PhD, has been appointed Director of the Harold K. Dunn Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, succeeding Kent N. Bachus, PhD.
Dr. Henninger joined the department as a Research Assistant Professor in 2012, after completing his PhD and post doc here at the University of Utah. He is now a tenured Associate Professor. His career to-date has been focused on biomechanics of the shoulder, including development of a unique shoulder testing platform in the ORL, understanding the biomechanics of Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty, and the biomechanics of upper extremity amputations and prostheses. He has significant current federal funding, including an R56 and a newly awarded R01.
Dr. Bachus has provided outstanding leadership of the ORL for over 30 years. His leadership has been instrumental in advancing the ORL’s multidisciplinary research mission, which integrates biomechanical, computational, and clinical outcomes in tissue and joint repair and replacement. He has also helped lead our wounded warrior effort through the VA, working to develop an osseo-integrated prosthesis for amputees. Dr. Bachus oversaw the ORL’s move from its original on-campus location in the Biopolymers Building to the current location in the UOC in 2004 and its significant growth in productivity for the last 20 years here. His dedication to research excellence, mentorship, and collaboration has left a lasting impact on the laboratory and the broader orthopaedic research community.
We thank Dr. Bachus for his outstanding service and leadership, and we warmly welcome Dr. Henninger as he begins this new role. We look forward to the continued growth and innovation of the ORL under his direction.