Rate My Professor Natalie Leong

In addition to her clinical practice, Leong directs a translational ligament tissue engineering and regeneration laboratory at the University of Maryland, developing innovative treatments with stem cells and biodegradable scaffolds for ligament and tendon injuries. Her research has garnered competitive grant funding and numerous presentations at national meetings. She has received prestigious awards including the Robert Byrd Scholar, Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society Jacqueline Perry MD Research Award (twice), Western Orthopaedic Association Resident Research Award, California Orthopaedic Association Orthopaedic Institute for Children Resident Research Award, UCLA Orthopaedic Surgery Best Basic Science Paper Award, and UCLA Orthopaedic Surgery Best Chief Resident Paper Award. Key publications encompass 'Tendon and Ligament Healing and Current Approaches to Translational Therapies' (Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 2020), 'Current tissue engineering strategies in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction' (Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, 2014), 'Biologic Injections in the Treatment of Cartilage Defects' (Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018), and contributions to books such as 'The Anterior Cruciate Ligament: Reconstruction and Basic Science' (2016). Her manuscripts appear in leading journals including the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, Arthroscopy, and the American Journal of Sports Medicine, reflecting her impact in orthopaedic research and regenerative medicine.