# Benjamin A. Alman
Benjamin A. Alman (also published as Benjamin Alman and Benjamin A Alman) is an orthopedic surgeon and clinician-scientist who serves as the James R. Urbaniak Professor and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at [Duke University](https://www.edgepedia.org/duke-university), a role he has held since 2013.[1](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc) His research uses genetically modified mouse models to study Wnt and hedgehog signaling in cartilage tumors, fracture repair, and osteoarthritis, and his laboratory identified the first mutation known to cause [enchondromas](https://www.edgepedia.org/enchondroma), benign pre-malignant cartilage tumors of bone.[1](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc)
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current role | James R. Urbaniak Professor and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University, since 2013 [1](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc) |
| Field | Orthopaedic clinician-scientist; hedgehog and Wnt signaling in cartilage tumors, fracture repair, and osteoarthritis [1](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc) |
| Training | M.D., Jefferson Medical College, 1986; general surgery residency at Pennsylvania Hospital 1986–1988; orthopedics residency at Tufts 1988–1992; pediatric orthopedic fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children 1992–1993; molecular pathology research fellowship at Tufts 1993–1995 [1](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc) • [2](https://www.dukehealth.org/find-doctors-physicians/benjamin-alman-md) |
| Prior appointment | 16 years on faculty at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto [1](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc) • [3](https://today.duke.edu/2013/01/alman) |
| Signature work | "Modulating hedgehog signaling can attenuate the severity of osteoarthritis," *Nature Medicine*, 2009 [4](https://sites.duke.edu/almanlab/selected-publication-grants/) |
| Enchondromatosis discovery | Mutant PTH/PTHrP type I receptor, *Nature Genetics*, 2002 [5](https://scholars.duke.edu/publication/846204) |
| Current major program | ARPA-H NITRO joint-regeneration project; $13M initial award in 2024, with up to $12.5M more in a second phase [6](https://ortho.duke.edu/news/new-research-brings-joint-repair-closer-millions-osteoarthritis) |
| Certification | American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery [2](https://www.dukehealth.org/find-doctors-physicians/benjamin-alman-md) |
## Education and training
Alman earned his M.D. from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Pennsylvania in 1986.[1](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc) His Ontario registration record confirms the medical school as [Thomas Jefferson University](https://www.edgepedia.org/thomas-jefferson-university), 1986.[7](https://register.cpso.on.ca/physician-info/?cpsonum=65853) He then completed general surgery residency at [Pennsylvania Hospital](https://www.edgepedia.org/pennsylvania-hospital) from 1986 to 1988 and orthopedic residency at [Tufts University](https://www.edgepedia.org/tufts-university)/New England Medical Center Hospital from 1988 to 1992.[2](https://www.dukehealth.org/find-doctors-physicians/benjamin-alman-md)
Two further fellowships shaped his research career: a pediatric orthopedic surgery fellowship at The Hospital for Sick Children/[University of Toronto](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-toronto) in 1992–1993, followed by a research fellowship in molecular pathology at Tufts University/New England Medical Center from 1993 to 1995.[2](https://www.dukehealth.org/find-doctors-physicians/benjamin-alman-md) He is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.[2](https://www.dukehealth.org/find-doctors-physicians/benjamin-alman-md)
## Career
Alman spent 16 years on faculty at the [Hospital for Sick Children](https://www.edgepedia.org/hospital-for-sick-children) in Toronto, where he was A.J. Latner Professor and Head of the division of Orthopedic Surgery, a Senior Scientist in the Research Institute's Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, vice chair of research in the Department of Surgery, and interim director of the Toronto Musculoskeletal Centre.[1](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc) • [3](https://today.duke.edu/2013/01/alman) • [8](https://medicine.duke.edu/news/benjamin-alman-named-chair-department-orthopaedic-surgery) According to Duke Today, Duke announced his appointment as chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in January 2013, with the role assumed in June of that year.[3](https://today.duke.edu/2013/01/alman)
According to his Duke Department of Orthopaedic Surgery profile, at Duke he has accumulated secondary appointments: Professor in Cell Biology (2014), Professor in [Pediatrics](https://www.edgepedia.org/pediatrics) (2014), Professor in [Pathology](https://www.edgepedia.org/pathology) (2015), and Professor in [Pharmacology](https://www.edgepedia.org/pharmacology) and Cancer Biology (2020), and since 2021 he has been Co-Director of the Duke Regeneration Center.[1](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc)
## Representative work
His 2009 *Nature Medicine* paper, "Modulating hedgehog signaling can attenuate the severity of osteoarthritis," published in volume 15, pages 1421–1425, showed that reducing hedgehog signaling lessens the severity of osteoarthritis.[4](https://sites.duke.edu/almanlab/selected-publication-grants/)
## Research program
The Alman lab studies the role of Wnt and hedgehog signaling pathways in stem cells, embryonic development, tissue repair and regeneration, and neoplasia.[9](https://lmp.utoronto.ca/faculty/benjamin-alman) The enchondromatosis work grew from this program. A 2002 *Nature Genetics* paper identified a mutant PTH/PTHrP type I receptor (PTHR1) in human enchondromatosis that signals abnormally in vitro and causes enchondroma-like lesions in transgenic mice; the mutant receptor constitutively activates Hedgehog signaling, showing that excessive Hedgehog signaling is sufficient to cause enchondroma-like lesions.[5](https://scholars.duke.edu/publication/846204) Enchondromas matter clinically because they occur as solitary lesions or as multiple lesions in enchondromatosis (Ollier and Maffucci diseases), causing skeletal deformity and the potential for malignant change to chondrosarcoma.[5](https://scholars.duke.edu/publication/846204) A 2015 *PNAS* paper extended the picture, showing that mutant IDH is sufficient to initiate enchondromatosis in mice.[9](https://lmp.utoronto.ca/faculty/benjamin-alman)
Alman's transgenic mouse work on beta-catenin provided the first demonstration of the importance of that pathway in fracture repair.[1](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc) His lab also identified a subpopulation of tumor-initiating cells in musculoskeletal tumors responsible for sarcoma self-renewal.[1](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc)
## Grants and honors
Alman is principal investigator on several NIH grants.[1](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc) His funded projects include the NIAMS grant "Molecular Etiology of Enchondromatosis" (2014–2027), a [National Cancer Institute](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-cancer-institute) grant "Targeting the metastasis initiating cell in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma" (2021–2027), an NIH National Institute on Aging grant on macrophage subpopulations in fracture-repair rejuvenation (2021–2026), a Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation grant on desmoid tumor modeling (2025–2028), and a US Army Medical Research grant on metastasis-initiating cells in [undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma](https://www.edgepedia.org/undifferentiated-pleomorphic-sarcoma) (2026–2029).[10](https://scholars.duke.edu/person/ben.alman/research)
His honors include the Premier's Research Excellence Award, the Huene Award, the OREF Research Award, and the Royal College Medal in Surgery.[1](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc) His Toronto awards also included the J. Edouard Sampson Award, the Lodwick Award, and the Charles Tator Surgeon-Scientist Mentoring Award.[3](https://today.duke.edu/2013/01/alman)
## Recent developments
Alman leads the BUD NextGenRegen therapeutic program (Boston Children's/UCLA/Duke Next Generation Regeneration for Osteoarthritis), funded under ARPA-H's NITRO program with an initial $13M award in 2024; the team met its first-phase preclinical goals and was selected to advance to the next development phase, with up to $12.5M in additional funding possible.[6](https://ortho.duke.edu/news/new-research-brings-joint-repair-closer-millions-osteoarthritis) In animal models, the experimental drug treatments restored joint tissue to near-normal levels and significantly reduced pain markers for long periods after treatment.[6](https://ortho.duke.edu/news/new-research-brings-joint-repair-closer-millions-osteoarthritis) Alman frames the goal as regrowing the joint to cure osteoarthritis rather than only slowing its progression, through a low-cost injectable therapy that promotes joint tissue regeneration.[11](https://medschool.duke.edu/news/making-joints-young-again) The team expects to be ready for first-in-human trials within 18 to 24 months; patent applications covering the new formulations have been filed, and a spinout company will be formed.[6](https://ortho.duke.edu/news/new-research-brings-joint-repair-closer-millions-osteoarthritis)
## References
1. [Benjamin A. Alman, MD, FRCSC | Duke Department of Orthopaedic Surgery](https://ortho.duke.edu/personnel/benjamin-alman-md-frcsc)
2. [Dr. Benjamin Alman | Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon | Duke Health](https://www.dukehealth.org/find-doctors-physicians/benjamin-alman-md)
3. [Alman to Chair Orthopaedic Surgery | Duke Today](https://today.duke.edu/2013/01/alman)
4. [Selected Publication & Grants – The Alman Lab](https://sites.duke.edu/almanlab/selected-publication-grants/)
5. [A mutant PTH/PTHrP type I receptor in enchondromatosis (Scholars@Duke)](https://scholars.duke.edu/publication/846204)
6. [New Research Brings Joint Repair Closer for Millions With Osteoarthritis | Duke Department of Orthopaedic Surgery](https://ortho.duke.edu/news/new-research-brings-joint-repair-closer-millions-osteoarthritis)
7. [Benjamin Aaron Alman – College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario register](https://register.cpso.on.ca/physician-info/?cpsonum=65853)
8. [Benjamin A. Alman named chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery | Duke Department of Medicine](https://medicine.duke.edu/news/benjamin-alman-named-chair-department-orthopaedic-surgery)
9. [Benjamin Alman | Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto](https://lmp.utoronto.ca/faculty/benjamin-alman)
10. [Benjamin Aaron Alman | Scholars@Duke profile: Research](https://scholars.duke.edu/person/ben.alman/research)
11. [Making joints young again | Duke University School of Medicine](https://medschool.duke.edu/news/making-joints-young-again)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Life and health scientists › Medical and health researchers › Orthopedic and musculoskeletal researchers*
*Initially written Sep 21, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 25, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license