Dr. John Elfar's laboratory is part of the Center for Orthopaedic Research and Translational Science. His group accepts postdoctoral and graduate-level trainees as well as resident physicians seeking a greater involvement in translational research. Dr. Elfar has mentored more than 60 such trainees who have completed clinical subspecialty training both inside and outside of orthopedic surgery.

Dr. John Elfar specializes in sports, hand and upper extremity surgery, in addition to orthopedic reconstructive surgery. These areas are among Dr. Elfar's clinical interests: nerve compression (pinched nerve), shoulder arthroscopy and elbow arthroscopy, arthroplasty (joint replacement procedures) and complex reconstruction. He is affiliated with Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Dr. John Elfar is a surgeon-scientist at Penn State College of Medicine. In addition to being a practicing orthopedic surgeon, he directs the Center for Orthopaedic Research and Translational Science (CORTS). This group includes multiple laboratories dedicated to translational orthopaedic research in all its forms. There is a focus on orthopaedic population studies, basic science, cell and RNA biology, epidemiology, biomechanics and drug repurposing for the treatment of musculoskeletal complaints.