Robert Karpman

Dr. Robert Karpman received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of Phoenix, while he was the director of the Phoenix Orthopedic Residency Program. Dr. Karpman has been an entrepreneur for most of his 34 years in the healthcare arena. During his residency in orthopedic surgery, Bob worked with a well known orthopedic company to develop a new device to aid in the healing of fractures. The device was later manufactured and marketed by the company. Later, he received his own patent for a bone screw to aid in the fixation of fractures that occurred in osteoporotic individuals that was later licensed to another orthopedic manufacturer. As a busy clinician, he developed a high quality medical education program in Phoenix, Arizona, performed both clinical and basic science research, wrote a book and many articles in peer review publications.

Following his clinical career, he became a chief medical officer at two community hospitals. Since the summer of 2015, he has devoted most of his time to serving as an adjunct professor in the biomedical engineering department at Cornell and recently has taught a course he developed entitled “Business as a second language: From molecules to moola!” to introduce basic business and managerial skills to graduate science, engineering, and technology majors.

Bob also serves as the director of the Business Minor for Life Science Majors in the Dyson School for Applied Economics and Management, which is part of the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University. He was recently appointed to a professor of practice position at Dyson, and also the graduate faculty in applied economics and management. He has added several courses to the curriculum to encourage students in the life Sciences to pursue business and management skills during their undergraduate experience. He also serves as a mentor in the Blackstone Launchpad Program at Cornell.

Recently, Bob has created a 7-course on-line certificate program as part of eCornell in business and management skills for healthcare professionals. He is the founder and CEO of Geri-Safe, Ltd., a start-up company whose mission is to develop and manufacture innovative technology to improve the safety and well being of elderly individuals.

Selected Publications

• "Musculoskeletal Diseases in the Aged, a Regional Approach", Ed. Robert Karpman. Igaku-Shoin Ltd.. (1988)
• Karpman, Robert. "Cross-Cutting Issues" New Frontiers in Geriatric Research: An Agenda for Surgical and Related Medical Specialties. American Geriatrics Society. Solomon DH, LoCicero J 3rd, Rosenthal RA, eds. (2004): 339-369
• Karpman, Robert. "Orthopaedic Issues in the Aged" Handbook of Clinical Gerontology. Pergamon Press. (1986): 144-151
• Karpman, Robert; Smith, Heather. "Early Clinical Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Knee Arthroplasty, A prospective randomized study" Journal of Arthroplasty. (2009)
• Gullahorn, L.; Lipiello, L.; Karpman, Robert. "Smoking and OA Effects of Nicotine on Chondrocyte Glycosaminoglycan and Collagen Synthesis" Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. (2015)
• Karpman, Robert. "Management of Distal Lower Extremity Problems in the Geriatric Patient" Operative Techniques in Orthopaedics. 12.2 (2002): 109-112
• Karpman, Robert; Magee, Frank; Gruen, Thomas; Mobley, Theodore; Peltier, Leonard. "The Classic: The Lithotriptor and Its Potential Use In the Revision of Total Hip Arthroplasty" Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 387 (2001): 4-7
• Karpman, Robert. "Musculoskeletal Disease in the United States: Who Provides the Care?" Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 385 (2001): 52-56
• Karpman, Robert; Mar, Nancy; Bay, Curtis. "Analgesia for Emergency Center’s Orthopaedic Patients: Does an Ethnic Bias Exist?" Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 334 (1997): 270-275
• Geiger, K.; Karpman, Robert. "Complications Resulting from a Functional Fracture Brace" Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. 71.8 (1989): 1199-1202