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Frederick Kaplan: Rare Impact Award

Frederick S. Kaplan

Frederick Kaplan

Frederick S. Kaplan, the Isaac & Rose Nassau Professor of Orthopaedic Molecular Medicine and chief of the division of Molecular Orthopaedic Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has been chosen for the National Organization for Rare Disorders’ 2017 Rare Impact Award, which recognizes those working to make a difference in the lives of people with rare diseases.

Since meeting a child with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) — an extremely rare disorder in which the body’s skeletal muscles turn into bone — in 1988, Dr. Kaplan has dedicated himself to understanding what causes FOP and working with patients around the world. Along with colleague Eileen M. Shore, Dr. Kaplan and a team of international collaborators identified the genetic mutation that causes FOP in 2006. Dr. Kaplan also contributed to the discovery of progressive osseous heteroplasia (POH), another rare disorder in which bone forms outside the skeleton, within skin and muscle tissue. Shortly after this, Drs. Kaplan and Shore discovered the genetic cause of POH.

Dr. Kaplan is widely considered the world’s leading expert on genetic disorders of heterotopic ossification (when bone forms outside the skeleton) and skeletal metamorphosis (FOP).

In addition to Dr. Kaplan, other 2017 Rare Impact Award honorees include patients, researchers and clinicians, elected officials, patient organizations and industry innovators.

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