APRIL 1, 2025 – Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health, today announced the appointment of Kevin M. Koch, PhD, as founding Director of the Applied Sciences Institute and Vice Chair of Research in Radiology. The appointments are effective April 1.
As Director of the forthcoming Applied Sciences Institute, Dr. Koch will oversee the development and adoption of novel technologies that can advance musculoskeletal care for the benefit of patients worldwide. Among his responsibilities, he will lead the evaluation and deployment of innovations emerging from HSS research, guide multidisciplinary teams driving advancements in medical devices and digital health, and provide strategic guidance on incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced informatics into technology development. In his role as Vice Chair of Research in Radiology, he will direct imaging research initiatives and champion the translation of imaging research findings into clinical practice at HSS.
Across both roles, Dr. Koch will cultivate strategic partnerships with industry leaders and academic institutions. He will also work to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration within HSS, helping to align HSS’s world-class expertise across radiology, engineering, clinical care, and digital health with the goal of advancing HSS’s research and innovation evolution.
“Dr. Koch’s appointment is one of many actions we’re taking to reinvigorate our world-class research with greater strategy and intention—creating the structure and leadership needed to turn groundbreaking ideas into real-world impact,” said Suzanne A. Maher, PhD, HSS Chief Research Officer. “Additionally, the new Applied Sciences Institute will represent a new era in musculoskeletal science at HSS, where discovery, technology development and clinical application are more closely aligned to advance patient care.”
A visionary physicist specializing in magnetic resonance imaging, Dr. Koch joins HSS from the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he held roles of increasing academic responsibility and leadership since 2014. Most recently, he was Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Radiology and Executive Director of the Center for Imaging Research. Previously, he worked as a scientist at GE Healthcare, where he focused on the development of new MRI technologies.
It was during his time at GE that Dr. Koch began an almost 20-year-long collaboration with Hollis G. Potter, MD, Chairman of the Department of Radiology and Imaging and Coleman Chair in MRI Research at HSS, that led to the creation and validation of a new MRI technique called 3D multi-spectral imaging. This groundbreaking advance improves the view of metal implants and surrounding tissue, helping orthopedic specialists diagnose whether issues arising after joint replacements may be caused by infections, loosening, fracture or soft tissue abnormalities. GE Healthcare launched the innovation, called MAVRIC SL, worldwide in 2013.
“I’m excited and honored to join HSS, an organization that consistently punches above its weight in developing groundbreaking imaging technologies and driving innovations in orthopedic care,” said Dr. Koch. “I look forward to continuing my long-standing collaboration with Dr. Potter and expanding partnerships across HSS. Together, we’ll discover new ways to harness imaging and other advanced technologies to fuel research, accelerate innovation, and ultimately deliver better solutions for patients.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Koch to HSS,” said Dr. Potter. “The vast majority of translational orthopedic innovations rely on imaging, so his leadership will be critical in allowing us to build the infrastructure and seamless access to imaging data that is crucial for amplifying both the volume and the impact of HSS innovations.”
Dr. Koch attended Truman State University for his undergraduate degree and earned his PhD in physics from Yale University. He has published 80 peer-reviewed research papers over his career and holds patents on more than 20 inventions. Dr. Koch’s research into developing new imaging technologies has been funded by several grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defence, industry partners and foundations. With dozens of invited national and international lectureships and many notable teaching awards over his career, he is widely regarded as a key opinion leader in the field of radiology.
Dr. Koch is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, the Radiological Society of North America and the Orthopaedic Research Society.
HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 15th consecutive year), No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2024-2025), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” list (2024-2025). In a survey of medical professionals in more than 20 countries by Newsweek, HSS is ranked world #1 in orthopedics for a fifth consecutive year (2025). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection and complication rates. HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center five consecutive times. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State, as well as in Florida. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. In addition, more than 200 HSS clinical investigators are working to improve patient outcomes through better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat orthopedic, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The HSS Innovation Institute works to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, academic trainees, and consumers in more than 165 countries. The institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally. www.hss.edu.
