Dr. Elizabeth Gardner is a Board Certified Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, specializing in the practice of sports medicine, including open and arthroscopic approaches to the knee and shoulder. In May 2023, Gardner assumed the role of Head Team Physician, in addition to her responsibilities as Head Orthopaedist, for Yale Athletics.
In her role as Yale's Head Team Physician and Orthopaedic Surgeon, she works comprehensively with athletic trainers, physical therapists, primary care and sports medicine physicians, and strength and conditioning coaches to optimize Yale student-athlete performance.
Dr. Gardner graduated from Yale University in 2001 with a BA in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. As an undergraduate at Yale, Dr. Gardner was a two-sport varsity athlete, playing both field hockey and lacrosse for the Bulldogs. During her career, she garnered recognition as an All-Ivy and Academic All-American player. In her senior year, she was named the sole captain of the Women’s Lacrosse team. It was through these athletic pursuits that Dr. Gardner quickly came to appreciate the practice of sports medicine and appreciate the dedication and unique challenges of our student-athletes.
Following a two-year stint as a field hockey player and coach in England, Dr. Gardner returned to the United States to attend Emory University School of Medicine, from which she graduated in 2007. She then came back to Yale School of Medicine to complete her orthopaedic surgery residency. Following her passion for collegiate athletic medicine, she was awarded a fellowship in Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery at the University of Michigan. There she had the opportunity to work with the student-athletes at the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, including their football and lacrosse teams.
Additionally, she is active in developing Yale’s Sports Performance Program, encouraging innovation in the training and recovery of Yale's student-athletes. She is also the Medical Director for the Southern Connecticut State University Masters in Athletic Training Program, helping to train the next generation of athletic trainers.
Dr. Gardner is a member of the Yale School of Medicine faculty, as well as working at the Yale Health Center. She remains active as a member of Alumnae Boards for both Yale Field Hockey and Lacrosse. She is also a Fellow of Davenport College, and an undergraduate first-year and sophomore student advisor.
