Dr. Kirkley received her medical degree in 1986 from the University of Western Ontario, where she also performed an orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship in 1993. She completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, where she also earned an MSc in Health Research Methodology in 2001. In addition to membership with a number of sports medicine journals, she assisted in editorial roles, including her time as a peer reviewer with the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
She served in numerous academic appointments at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, including positions as an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and the Department of Surgery. She also provided physician coverage for Varsity teams at the University of Western Ontario from 1994 to 2001, and also served as the Charge Physician at the swimming and diving competitions in the 2001 Canada Games.
Dr. Kirkley was involved with AOSSM in a variety of areas, including as a traveling fellow in 2002 and as a representative for Canada on the Council of Delegates. Due to her outstanding body of research work, AOSSM honored her with the Sandy Kirkley Clinical Outcomes Research grant to support clinical trials in the sports medicine field. She also was a member of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).
She contributed to more than 60 pieces of published research in a combination of peer-reviewed and scientific journal articles, and contributed to more than 100 presentations in the sports medicine community. At the time of her and her husband’s death in a plane crash in 2002, she had nearly 20 research projects in process, several of which were continued in her absence and have produced ongoing knowledge of musculoskeletal injuries and prevention strategies. Dr. Kirkley is survived by her sons, Colin and Connor.
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) is a world leader in sports medicine education, research, communication and fellowship, and includes national and international orthopaedic sports medicine leaders. The Society works closely with many other sports medicine specialists, including athletic trainers, physical therapists, family physicians, and others to improve the identification, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries. AOSSM is also a founding partner of the STOP Sports Injuries campaign to prevent overuse and traumatic injuries in kids. For more information on AOSSM or the STOP Sports Injuries campaign visit www.sportsmed.org or www.stopsportsinjuries.org
