Wolf named chair and DEO of Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
After a national search, Brian Wolf, MD, MS, has been selected to serve as chair and department executive officer of the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
Brian Wolf, MD, MS, has been appointed chair and department executive officer (DEO) of the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at University of Iowa Health Care, effective immediately. Wolf, the Kim and John Callaghan Endowed Chair in Sports Medicine, has served as interim chair and DEO of the department since Jan. 31.
“Dr. Wolf is an exceptional clinician, scholar, and leader who has made lasting contributions to the orthopedics department, our health system, and the patients we serve,” says Denise Jamieson, MD, MPH, University of Iowa vice president for medical affairs and the Tyrone D. Artz Dean of the Carver College of Medicine. “Throughout his career at Iowa, he has demonstrated a collaborative leadership style, a commitment to innovation, and a real dedication to advancing orthopedic care, education, and research. As a respected physician, researcher, and mentor, he is uniquely qualified to lead the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, and I am pleased to welcome him into this role.”
As interim chair, Wolf prioritized establishing a division structure within the department, initiated plans for integrating orthopedic services at the downtown campus, and began efforts to enhance engagement with the department’s prestigious alumni base.
Wolf, an orthopedic surgeon and head team physician for University of Iowa Athletics, previously served as vice chair of operations and strategic planning for the department and has also held the roles of vice chair of finance and academic affairs. For more than a decade, he has chaired the department’s finance committee, playing a key role in strategic initiatives, including the planning of the North Liberty campus in collaboration with recently retired orthopedics department chair J. Lawrence “Larry” Marsh, MD, and other enterprise leaders.
“I’m honored and excited to take on this role,” Wolf says. “The Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation is a nationally recognized team of exceptional physicians, surgeons, researchers, educators, and staff. I look forward to helping us excel across all missions — serving patients throughout Iowa and the region, training the next generation of orthopedic surgeons, and advancing innovative research.”
As the Kim and John Callaghan Endowed Chair in Sports Medicine, Wolf has led the expansion of the specialty service to include five orthopedic sports medicine providers and 10 non-operative specialists across multiple locations. Under his leadership, UI Sports Medicine has extended its outreach to support not only University of Iowa Athletics but also local high schools and professional teams such as the Iowa Heartlanders Hockey Club.
Wolf specializes in treating patients with knee, shoulder, and elbow injuries, with a focus on ulnar collateral ligament injuries, ACL reconstruction, and shoulder instability. He has published more than 280 peer-reviewed scientific research publications and authored over 37 book chapters on disorders of the shoulder, knee, and elbow. He has also been a longtime member of the Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network (MOON) and Multicenter ACL Revision Study (MARS) research groups, funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Outside of the university, Wolf is a member of the board of directors for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. He is the immediate past-president of the Mid-American Orthopaedic Association.
Wolf earned his medical degree from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and his Master of Science degree from the UI College of Public Health. He completed residency training in orthopedic surgery at UI Health Care and a sports medicine and shoulder fellowship program at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
In June 2025 it was announced that UI Health Care would begin a national search for the next chair and DEO of the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation as Marsh shared he would step down from his leadership position.
Jamieson thanked members of the search committee — led by Patricia Winokur, MD, executive dean of the Carver College of Medicine, and Marlan Hansen, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Otolaryngology — for their work in conducting a national search for the position.
As the chair and DEO, Wolf will oversee all aspects of the department, represent faculty, and serve as the spokesperson within the Carver College of Medicine, UI Health Care, and in interactions with practitioners across the state and nation.