In 1980, PAUL D. SPONSELLER, MD, BUS 1999 (MS), 2001 (MBA), graduated from the University of Michigan medical school. Following graduation, Dr. Sponseller completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Wisconsin, followed by a pediatric spine and orthopaedics fellowship at Harvard Medical School’s Children’s Hospital. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree at The Johns Hopkins University. He was the inaugural holder of the Paul D. Sponseller, M.D. Professor of Pediatric Orthopaedics, until he retired in 2025.
Dr. Sponseller joined The Johns Hopkins Hospital staff in 1986 and was the division chief of pediatric orthopaedic surgery until he retired. Additionally, he was a staff physician at both the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Greater Baltimore Medical Center and as a consulting physician at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital. Dr. Sponseller’s excellence as a physician has earned national and international recognition, and he performed more than 500 surgical procedures per year.
Honored on many occasions for his excellence in teaching and research, Dr. Sponseller received the Arthur H. Heune Award for career research by the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, The Hibbs Award from the Scoliosis Research Society, and the Yamaguchi Award for Best Paper in Pediatrics by the American Urological Association. He received the Antoine Marfan Award from the National Marfan Foundation. He was twice awarded Teacher of the Year in Orthopaedic Surgery by The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Sponseller has traveled internationally to volunteer as a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon while teaching medical students, fellows, and residents.
Dr. Sponseller’s research included scoliosis etiology and treatment, pediatric skeletal trauma, genetic diseases, and bladder exstrophy. He has published more than 140 scientific papers and has written and/or contributed to numerous books, book chapters, and articles. He served on many medical boards and national associations.
