Investing in Innovation, Shaping What’s Next

Joseph Iannotti, MD, PhD, has built a career at the forefront of orthopaedic innovation. Now, through a generous gift to establish an endowed chair at Cleveland Clinic, he is helping create opportunities for future breakthroughs.

For Dr. Iannotti, Chief Research and Academic Officer for Cleveland Clinic’s Florida market and the Lang Family Endowed Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, the decision reflects a lifelong belief in advancing ideas that directly improve patients’ lives.

“Some of the most important advances happen at the intersection of engineering, research and clinical care,” Dr. Iannotti says. “Endowed support gives us the ability to pursue innovative concepts that may be harder to fund through conventional mechanisms but have enormous potential for patients.”

A surgeon-scientist, Dr. Iannotti has spent decades translating research into practical tools for the operating room. His work has focused on tendon repair, tissue engineering, implant design and software-based surgical planning. He helped pioneer three-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) based surgical planning and patient-specific instrumentation, technologies now widely used to improve precision and outcomes in shoulder replacement. He holds 89 U.S. and international patents.

Dr. Iannotti emphasizes that progress of this kind depends on sustained support.

“Philanthropy helps unlock work that might otherwise move more slowly or not happen at all,” he says. “It allows us to invest in people with bold ideas and give them the resources to move those ideas forward.”

For Dr. Iannotti, the gift is also deeply personal.

“Our family is grateful for the expert and empathetic care given to our son Matthew over the 22 years of his struggles with a brain tumor,” he says. “Although he is no longer with us, his memory lives on in the minds and hearts of all who knew him. He was always grateful to Cleveland Clinic, especially the nurses and therapists who took care of him during his many hospitalizations, surgeries and procedures. Our gift is in his memory.”

The endowed chair will support research and academic leadership in orthopaedic innovation, strengthening efforts to develop new technologies and treatments that restore mobility, reduce pain and improve quality of life.

Dr. Iannotti arranged the gift by including Cleveland Clinic in his estate plans. By making a gift through his estate, he can provide significant future support while maintaining flexibility today.

For Dr. Iannotti, the gift is also about showing what is possible for physician alumni.

“We’ve all benefited from being part of this institution,” he says. “Giving back is a way to help ensure the next generation of clinicians and scientists has the tools to keep pushing the field forward.”

Shaping research and academic growth

The Iannotti family gift is an extension of Dr. Iannotti’s leadership in advancing research and academic innovation across Cleveland Clinic. As Chief Research and Academic Officer for Cleveland Clinic’s Florida market, he provides strategic leadership for research programs, graduate medical education and academic initiatives. He is focused on expanding research infrastructure, fostering collaboration among clinicians and scientists and supporting the development of physician-investigators.

By aligning research priorities with clinical strengths, Dr. Iannotti is helping to accelerate the translation of new discoveries into patient care.

His contributions to orthopaedic innovation and surgical planning technologies have earned national recognition. In 2025, Dr. Iannotti was inducted into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame.

“It’s deeply meaningful to see innovations in shoulder surgery recognized in this way, especially when they contribute to faster recovery, improved outcomes and a better overall experience for patients,” Dr. Iannotti says of the recognition. “This honor is shared with the incredible teams across Cleveland Clinic, whose collaboration continues to drive progress.”