The IRC is the cornerstone for a strategic research alliance between Drexel University, Thomas Jefferson University, and two corporate partners, Exponent, Inc., and Stryker Howmedica Osteonics Corporation.

Drexel has capitalized on its association with Thomas Jefferson University for the IRC by forging a working relationship with renowned orthopaedic surgeons Dr. William Hozack, Dr. Peter Sharkey, and Dr. Dick Rothman at The
Rothman Institute. The surgeons have put together a

leading joint replacement clinic at Jefferson and are recognized by the Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons as thought leaders in the community.

In addition, Drexel is presently managing MCP Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, and is proceeding toward a merger with that institution in 2001. It is expected that interaction between the IRC and orthopaedics and other departments at MCP Hanhemann will occur as well. 

Drexel has also teamed with two corporate partners, Exponent, Inc., and Stryker Howmedica Osteonics Corporation, to found the IRC. Exponent is the
nation's leading scientific and engineering consulting company, specializing in over 50 technical disciplines, including medical device testing and analysis, pharmaceutical discovery, and biotechnology. Howmedica Osteonics, based in Allendale, NJ, is a global leader in the orthopedic reconstructive device business with products and services marketed in 40 countries worldwide. The founding coporate partners are expected to provide real-world expertise to the research conducted by the center.