Michael Dunbar

Dr. Michael Dunbar is a Professor of Surgery at Dalhousie University with cross appointments to the School of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology. He holds roles as co-chair of the Canadian Joint Replacement Registry, past-president of the Canadian Arthroplasty Society, and member of The American Knee Society's research committee. His clinical expertise focuses on arthroplasty surgery, and he serves as an Orthopaedic Outcomes Scientist at the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

Education: Michael Dunbar completed his medical degree (MD) at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (1975), orthopaedic residency at Dalhousie University, subspecialty training in arthroplasty at the University of Western Ontario, and a PhD in Lund, Sweden, studying subjective outcomes after knee replacement. He also holds fellowships in surgery (FRCSC) and healthcare sciences (FCAHS).

Research Interests: Dunbar leads projects integrating surgical navigation technologies, radiostereometric analysis (RSA) for implant monitoring, and gait analysis to predict arthroplasty failure. His work emphasizes 'phased innovation' in surgical technology and explores robotics, mobile sensors, and personalized care delivery. He has developed a portable accelerometer-based gait tool for clinical screening and optimizing implant longevity.

• Scientific Awards:
  • QEII Endowed Chair of Arthroplasty Outcomes (2015)
  • J. Edouard Samson Award (2010)
  • Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2017)

Advising & Grants: Dunbar has supervised dozens of Master’s/PhD students, residents, and fellows globally. He has secured over $30 million in research grants as principal or co-investigator, focusing on registries, implant design, and surgical outcomes. His work spans international collaborations and clinical trials, including the BEST-Knee study and EPCAT II.

Labs & Teams: His research group collaborates with biomedical engineers to advance RSA techniques and portable gait analysis tools. The Phased Innovation in Surgical Technologies initiative and the Gait Lab Surrogate project highlight his focus on bridging clinical and engineering domains to enhance surgical precision and patient outcomes.