David grew up in Wilton, CT and is the middle child of Rose and Florindo Trofa. His childhood was spent playing soccer in the backyard where he honed his skills prior to competing on multiple nationally competitive soccer teams including the Connecticut Olympic Development Program. He later attended Greens Farms Academy where he wrestled as the top seeded 130-pound wrestler in New England during his senior year. He graduated as the salutatorian of his class. David earned his BA from Columbia University in 2007 where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with honors in Biological Sciences. During his time at Columbia he met his first physician mentor, Joshua D. Nosanchuk, who provided him with an introduction into the world of clinical research that has since developed into a lifelong passion for scientific investigations. For two years after college, David performed research related to the treatment of pathogenic fungi. A future career in infectious diseases seemed almost certain. However, David quickly saw the (orthopaedic) light upon attending Tufts University School of Medicine and meeting his faculty mentor Dr. Eric Smith. After completing a number of studies related to total joint arthroplasty, David graduated with research honors and was awarded the William Dameshek Research Award as well as the Leon Levinson Prize in Physiology. He was extremely fortunate to be given the opportunity to join the Columbia orthopaedic family and train under the world’s leaders in orthopaedics and, in particular, shoulder and sports medicine. Thanks in large part to the extraordinary mentorship of the entire sports department at Columbia and the leadership of Drs. Levine and Ahmad, David was able to pursue numerous academic interests throughout his residency. In total, his work has resulted in 31 published manuscripts, 10 book chapters, and 20 manuscripts currently under review at various orthopaedic journals. This body of work ranges from surgical technique articles to a randomized controlled trial with level I evidence that has already impacted patient care at Columbia. None of this would have been possible without the help of the sports medicine research team whose dedication to scientific inquiry and improving outcomes associated with sports injuries is beyond compare. David is privileged to continue his training as a fellow in shoulder and elbow and sports medicine at OrthoCarolina in Charlotte, NC. David has thoroughly enjoyed the education, training, mentorship and, most of all, friendships that have been fostered during his time at Columbia. Residency would not have been as pleasant of a journey without such amazing and inspiring colleagues. David would also like to thank the people who have supported him most throughout all his endeavors including his parents, siblings Michael and Lisa, and, of course, Julia.