Profile: Dr Angela Alder-Price

Originally written for the University of Adelaide’s 2022 James McWha Rising Star Award

Recipient of the James McWha Rising Star Award 2022, esteemed orthopedic surgeon Dr Angela Alder-Price developed an interest in medicine at a young age.

"There always seemed to be something really special about making people better, it seemed almost like a superpower" she said.

Today, Angela is an orthopedic researcher, senior lecturer, and the only female upper-limb surgeon in South Australia. Her dual pursuit of surgery and science is driven by a passion for improving patient outcomes.

"I’m motivated by my patients, I love seeing them get better," she said.

"I love having a patient who comes in with a limb that doesn’t work, and I can help them have a more functional life, get back to their usual day-to-day, help their family, and ease their pain."

"I’m also really motivated by research and learning new things."

Angela is a champion of orthopedic innovation as evidenced by her pursuit of novel solutions to improve patient care, including the development of new techniques to reduce X-rays for children undergoing spine surgery.

She has also developed a modified surgical approach to reduce soft tissue damage during arm operations and is working to improve shoulder replacement durability.

"It’s quite exciting to have an area that you specialise in, to know something that no one else in the world knows and [then] you can publish your paper and share your knowledge with the world," she said.

As a result of her expertise and research excellence, Angela has been invited to be a reviewer of two journals - The ANZ Journal of Surgery and BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. She was also admitted to the prestigious Shoulder and Elbow Society of Australia, an accolade usually reserved for senior specialists, in her first year as a fully qualified surgeon.

Despite her many achievements, Angela said, "to me, success is being able to make a big difference to people’s lives, being able to reduce their pain, being able to give them a more functional limb, and being well-respected by your peers".

"I also really enjoy teaching, so for me having the respect of my juniors and treating them well is also a mark of a successful surgeon."