Sylvia I. Watkins-Castillo, PhD, has served as coordinator, primary analyst, and support author for the Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases project since 2006, when work on the first print edition began. Prior to accepting this work on a contractual basis, she spent six years as the Research and Data Manager at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in Rosemont, IL. Before going to AAOS, Sylvia worked as a consultant/planner and research analyst for the public, non-profit, and private sectors. Projects included a broad range of topics, and addressed feasibility studies, strategic planning, needs assessments, evidence-based medicine, best practices, customer satisfaction, benchmarking, program evaluation, market characteristics, and competitor analysis. She received her doctorate in social psychology and research methodology from Iowa State University.