November 10, 2021

Charles Goldfarb, MD, professor and Executive Vice Chair of Washington University’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, was selected as the recipient of the 2021  Andrew J. Weiland Medal by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH). This significant recognition comes with a $20,000 unrestricted gift and was presented to Goldfarb at the ASSH Annual Meeting in October.

This award is presented annually to a mid-career researcher in recognition and support of exceptional research in order to continue Dr. Weiland’s (a renowned hand surgeon-scientist) vision for the field. Dr. Goldfarb joins a short list of esteemed past winners and is the first recipient from Washington University. His dedication and contribution to the CoULD Registry (Congenital Upper Limb Difference Registry) earns Dr. Goldfarb the medal.

Dr. Goldfarb shares, “We started the CoULD Registry with Boston Children’s in 2014. Now, the program has 10 sites, soon to be 12, with many more hospitals eager to join. We have enrolled about 4,000 kids with a variety of upper extremity birth differences. This has provided baseline and outcome data for a large number of research studies already with many more to come. CoULD is advancing our understanding of congenital upper extremity differences by including a larger number of kids with rare conditions.” 

Dr. Goldfarb is honored to receive this award. “It is so nice to be recognized for our research effort.  I am proud of our congenital registry and the impact it has had, and will continue to have, on our understanding of congenital differences.”

Regis O’Keefe, MD, PhD, the Fred C. Reynolds Professor and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, adds, “This is a remarkable achievement that distinguishes the contribution of Dr. Goldfarb to the field of hand surgery. He is a skilled surgeon and respected researcher, and we celebrate this recognition of his work.”

Learn more about Dr. Goldfarb, our hand surgery specialists, and why patients choose Washington University Orthopedics.