To Our Friends and Supporters,

It is with a mixture of pride and sadness that I announce that the Airlift Research Foundation is ending its mission, and closing its doors, at the end of the year. The Foundation will fulfill its commitments to fund current research grants.

Over the last four years, the Foundation has collaborated with many groups with similar interests. The reality is that these organizations are better positioned and better funded to move our common goals forward to improve the lives of orthopaedic trauma victims.

Since our inception, The Airlift Research Foundation has built on the proven track record — and the legacy — of The Aircast Foundation to achieve a significant level of success.

With our endowment, and generous grants from U.S. Representative Mike Doyle, Zimmer Holdings, PNC Charitable Trust and the DSF Charitable Foundation, we awarded four research grants to principal investigators whose innovative research will lead to the improvement of the lives of thousands of individuals. The research and the results of this research are our true legacy.

Grants for groundbreaking research in extremity trauma were awarded to the following pioneers:

• Christopher Born, MD, Director of Orthopaedic Trauma, Rhode Island Hospital, for research in reducing infection in metal implants used to stabilize and treat fractures.
• Yunzhi Peter Yang, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedics, Stanford University, for research to accelerate early weight bearing segmental bone regeneration for fractures caused by a roadside bombs or other explosive devices.
• Tianhong Dai, PhD, Instructor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, for research on the use of UVC Light to kill drug-resistant combat wound infections.
• Yufeng Dong, PhD, Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, for Harnessing Notch2 molecules to enable the regeneration of tissue and bone.

It has been an honor to work with so many forward-thinking, motivated individuals who are conducting leading research, advancing medicine and improving the lives of people-the ultimate legacy. The success of the Airlift Research Foundation would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of our friends and supporters. On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of Airlift, I thank you for helping us to uplift lives through limb trauma research.

Sincerely,

Susan Pressly Lephart, PhD
President

1st LT (RET) Ed Salau Chair
Chair