Lauren Porras, MD, has joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center as associate professor of Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery, director of the Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship and Team Physician for Vanderbilt Athletics. She was recruited from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

“Dr. Porras is a gifted educator and clinician. I am excited to see how our nonoperative sports medicine fellowship flourishes under her leadership,” said Rick Wright, MD, the Dan Spengler, MD, Professor of Orthopaedics and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at VUMC. “She brings exciting new technology and approaches to the management of the injured athlete and active individual and has already impacted our clinical programs.”

Porras specializes in ultrasound-guided procedures, particularly for patients with osteoarthritis and chronic tendon pain. She performs corticosteroid injections, hyaluronic acid injections, orthobiologics, prolotherapy and Tenex procedures, she said.

“I was excited to come to Vanderbilt to be the fellowship director of the Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship and Team Physician for Vanderbilt Athletics,” Porras said. She works primarily with the women’s lacrosse team.

Porras became interested in sports medicine as a sports photographer.

“Sports medicine gives me the opportunity to work with patients from all different types of age groups and backgrounds and get them back to the activities and the goals that they want to experience,” Porras said.

Porras speaks Spanish and is dedicated to providing improved care to the Hispanic community.

Porras received her BA in art history with minors in photography and Spanish from Duke University and her MD from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She returned to Duke for residency training in internal medicine, then completed a fellowship in sports medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and joined the faculty there in 2015.

She is board certified in internal medicine and sports medicine and was honored in December 2020 by Business NC as a Top Doctor for sports medicine.

Patients can be referred to Porras by calling Vanderbilt Orthopaedics, 615-936-7846.