The NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) is a division of the NIH Office of Intramural Research (OIR), Office of the Director (OD). Our mission is to enhance the training experience of students and fellows on all of the NIH campuses. We work closely with the Training Offices in the NIH Institutes and Centers to help trainees in the Intramural Research Program (IRP) develop scientific and professional skills that will enable them to become leaders in the biomedical research community. (The IRP is the sum of all the research projects carried out by NIH investigators and trainees in NIH facilities.)
We provide services to multiple groups:

• Current trainees in programs in the NIH IRP
• Potential applicants to training programs at the NIH
• Investigators and staff at the NIH
• Trainees and investigators outside the NIH (in the extramural community)

The Extramural Community: The OITE is extending its services to the extramural community.  Many of our workshops, seminars, and career development resources are available to individuals outside the NIH as online materials or via videocasting. OITE staff travel to colleges, universities, and research institutions for career development workshops and to provide information on NIH training programs. We also host visitors from universities and research institutions around the world. E-mail us to request materials describing NIH training programs, discuss OITE visits to your campus or arrange an NIH visit for your students.

Additional Resources

• The NIAMS Coalition is an independent consortium of professional and voluntary organizations that is national in scope. These organizations raise awareness about NIAMS research into the basic understanding, causes, incidence, treatment, and prevention of diseases of the bones, joints, muscles, and skin.
• Each year, the Office of Extramural Research (OER) sponsors the NIH Regional Seminars on Program Funding and Grants Administration. These seminars are intended to help demystify the application and review process, clarify Federal regulations and policies, and highlight current areas of special interest or concern. The seminars serve the NIH mission of providing education and training for the next generation of biomedical and behavioral scientist. NIH policy, grants management, review and program staff provide a broad array of expertise and encourage personal interaction between themselves and seminar participants. The seminars are appropriate for grants administrators, researchers new to NIH, and graduate students.
  Fall 2021 Virtual Seminar presentations
• Ending Structural Racism - NIH UNITE Initiative
• NIAMS in The Rheumatologist - The NIAMS Diversity Supplement Program Offers Researcher Funding

Diversity Scholar Webinars

Copies of the Welcome Webinar presentation, held on February 28, 2024, as well as other presentations, can be requested at niamsdiversityprogram@mail.nih.gov. Reasonable accommodations for accessibility will be provided, if needed.

• The Scientific Workforce Diversity (SWD) Office leads NIH’s effort to diversify the national scientific workforce and expand recruitment and retention. We invite you on this journey to establish NIH as the national scientific workforce diversity leader by widening and deepening our ways of thinking and practice. As a nation, we can reach new levels of inquiry by encouraging innovative, science-driven thinking made possible by broadening the diversity of thought that comes with a diverse scientific workforce.
• NIAMS offers the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) to provide funds for predoctoral and postdoctoral research training to individuals selected by them in the fields of arthritis, muscle, bone, musculoskeletal, and/or skin diseases.
  The NIAMS Training Program (T32)
• NIH awards National Research Service Awards (NRSA) individual fellowship grants (F) to provide research experience to students and scientists at various stages of their careers. NIAMS offers fellowships at various levels:
  The NIAMS Fellowship Programs (F)
• NIAMS offers a variety of individual research career development (K) awards which enable scientists with diverse backgrounds to enhance their careers in biomedical research.
  The NIAMS Research Career Awards (K)
• The Stephen I. Katz Early Stage Investigator Research Grant supports an innovative project in an area of science that represents a change in research direction for an early stage investigator (ESI) and for which no preliminary data exist. 
• The NIH Common Fund’s Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) program aims to enhance and maintain cultures of inclusive excellence in the biomedical research community. “Inclusive excellence” refers to cultures that establish and sustain scientific environments that cultivate and benefit from a full range of talent. NIH aims to facilitate institutions in their building a self-reinforcing community of scientists, through recruitment of a critical mass of early-career faculty who have a demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence. The program also seeks to have a positive impact on faculty development, retention, progression, and eventual promotion, as well as develop inclusive environments that are sustainable.
• The NIH Loan Repayment Program (LRP) provides for the repayment of the educational loan debt of qualified health professionals.
  The NIAMS Loan Repayment Program
• The NIH provides information on policies that support early-stage investigators (ESIs).

Martha Echevarria Andino

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Institution: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Career Level: Postdoctoral Fellow
Research Summary: My overall scientific interest is in understanding how developmental genes pattern complex tissues and organs. For my postdoctoral training, I am studying the mechanisms by which the region-specific master regulators, the Hox genes, mediate skeletal patterning. My current project aims to understand how Hox11 transcriptional functions regulate skeletal stem/progenitor differentiation into the osteochondral lineage. Specifically, we want to elucidate how Hox11 regulates the chromatin profile and accessibility of skeletal stem/progenitor cells to mediate proper osteochondral differentiation.

Folefac D. Atem

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Institution: The University of Texas Health-Science Center Houston SPH
Career Level: Investigator
Brief Research Summary: I apply existing statistical methodologies and innovate new approaches to extract meaningful insights from data. My main research focus lies in creating non-parametric and semi-parametric estimators, particularly in the realms of causal inference, censored predictors, missing data problems, and mixed model theory. Broadly, my work involves advancing statistical methodologies for both observational and experimental studies, aiming to maximize the utility of collected data while minimizing assumptions about the underlying data.

Lauryn Brooks

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Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Career Level: Post-Baccalaureate
Brief Research Summary: Skeletal muscles are unique as they have a large regenerative capacity, which is regulated by muscle stem cell interactions with their niche environment. In the lab of Dr. Foteini Mourkioti, I am utilizing genetic mouse models to understand the role of telomeric proteins in skeletal muscle function and regeneration. Knowing how mechanical signals deliver agents with respect to repair paves the way to delay or restore defects for the replacement of the muscular tissue upon chronic injuries, disease, and/or aging.

Leonardo Campos

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Institution: Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Career Level: Post-Baccalaureate
Brief Research Summary: Low back pain is the leading cause of disability in the world, and is largely influenced by the progression of intervertebral disc degeneration. The alterations in stress distribution and histomorphological features with age give rise to changes in predisposition towards a degenerative condition. My research in the Chahine Labs is therefore focused on characterizing age-related changes in murine intervertebral disc mechanical properties, morphological features, and biochemical composition.  

Elyse Fleck

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Institution: Columbia University
Career Level: Pre-Doctoral
Brief Research Summary: Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration can lead to chronic inflammation and lower back pain. Advances in biomaterials are essential for deepening our understanding of the biomechanics and mechanobiology that leads to IVD spine injury and ultimately creating clinical solutions to cartilage repair. My research in the Chahine Lab focuses on the development of polymeric materials for 3D printed scaffolds that mimic the native IVD.

Honey Hendesi

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Institution: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Career Level: Investigator
Brief Research Summary: Research Summary: Obesity and associated metabolic dysregulations are known risk factors for delayed fracture healing and nonunion. My research is focused on exploring the potential of dietary modifications, specifically intermittent fasting, and the resulting changes in the gut microbiome to mitigate the adverse effects of obesity on bone homeostasis and the healing process. By identifying the specific microbes and metabolites that link the gut and bone, my goal is to lay the foundation for developing innovative non-pharmacological approaches to optimize bone health and expedite the healing process.

Joshua Johnson

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Institution: UC San Francisco, Dr. Richard Souza Biomechanics Musculoskeletal and Imaging Laboratory
Career Level: Undergraduate
Brief Research Summary: My research focuses on understanding hip and knee osteoarthritis and the downstream impact it has on an individual's biomechanics and lifestyle. I am currently focused on understanding and analyzing lower limb joint work and power for individuals with Patellofemoral Joint Osteoarthritis (PFJOA). I'm curious to understand if individuals affected with PFJOA adopt altered movement patterns in an attempt to maintain function and reduce pain within their joint health capabilities.  

Kasoorelope  Oguntuyo

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Institution: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Career Level: Graduate Student
Brief Research Summary: Fibroadipogenic progenitors (FAPs) are muscle-resident mesenchymal stromal cells that differentiate into either myofibroblasts or adipocytes in chronic muscle injuries and disease and deteriorate muscle quality. However, it is not fully understood how FAPs respond to the mechanics of their environment. My research focuses on the role of the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 in FAPs following muscle injury. By understanding how FAPs respond to changing mechanics, we will be able to identify intervention points to prevent muscle degeneration.

Tra Vinikoor

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Institution: University of Connecticut
Career Level: Graduate Student
Brief Research Summary: I am working on a biodegradable piezoelectric hydrogel aimed at revolutionizing osteoarthritis treatment. Through this innovative research, I envision a future where patients can overcome cartilage defects using minimally invasive therapies, steering clear of major surgeries and their potential complications. This transformative approach promises faster recovery. Currently, I am leading research for osteoarthritis pain relief and healing using deep eutectic solvents. 

Trista Benitez

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Institution: University of Michigan Medical School
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: I am a third-year medical student at the University of Michigan Medical School. I am in dedicated research time with the Section of Plastic Surgery and Michigan Center for Hand Outcomes and Innovation Research. Under the leadership of Dr. Kevin C. Chung, I am investigating outcomes and resource utilization in patients with ulnar neuropathy as part of the multicenter NIH-funded Surgery for Ulnar Neuropathy at the Elbow (SUN) study. As a recent Master of Public Health graduate from UCLA, my other research focuses on achieving health equity in access and outcomes within the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Paris Brown

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Institution: Duke University
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary:  Non-union fractures and fractures that exhibit delayed healing frequently result in chronic pain. Patients with chronic pain often suffer from mood disorders, and neuroinflammation is a characteristic pathology associated with these disorders. The goal of my research is to understand the interplay between pain and neuroinflammation by developing and employing an organoid platform using microfluidics. I aim to examine the effect of DRG nociceptive function on neuroinflammation and vice-versa.

David Jordan

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Institution: University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Career Level: Postdoctoral
Brief Research Summary: Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, causing discomfort of the affected joints and affecting the quality of life of a large portion of the population.  Medical imaging techniques, such as x-ray radiography and computed tomography are used to visualize the severity of the disorder. My research focuses on combining the advantages of these respective imaging modalities to improve quantitative joint evaluation, particularly for finger joints with highly complex morphology, leading to advancements in clinical, demographic and biomechanical understanding and application.

Alexandra Maldonado Lopez

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Institution: Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: A summary of my research: Regulation of spatiotemporal gene expression is essential for maintaining epidermal stemness and differentiation. My research focuses on epitranscriptomics (RNA epigenetics), an emerging field of gene regulation that offers additional layers of complexity. Unfortunately, there is little knowledge about its significance in healthy and diseased epidermis. As a way to understand epitranscriptomics in the epidermis, I use mouse models and human cells to observe the transcriptional changes caused by the dysregulation of RNA modifications. As a result of this dysregulation, epidermal differentiation and development are disrupted, which opens a therapeutic approach to the investigation.

Valeria Oliver-Garcia

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Institution: Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Harvard Medical School
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: I am an M.D. candidate at Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine in Puerto Rico currently doing research at the Cutaneous Biology Research Center in the Demehri Laboratory at Harvard Medical School. Non-melanoma Skin Cancers (NMSCs) are collectively the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States. My research focuses on investigating the mechanism of topical immunotherapy for skin cancer prevention and treatment.

Faye Orcales

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Institution: University of California, San Francisco
Career Level: Post-Baccalaureate
Brief Research Summary: It is estimated that every 1 in 5 people worldwide have a chronic inflammatory skin disease, which can be very debilitating and significantly impacts their quality of life. To gain a better understanding of the genetic basis and pathogenesis for some of these diseases, I use machine learning and bioinformatics methods to analyze large genetic and transcriptomic datasets. In one project, I use machine learning to analyze large CITEseq data to identify significant biomarkers in hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis. 
Another project includes analyzing relationships between psoriasis genetic risk scores and clinical patient characteristics, as well as using machine learning to predict disease onset from GRS. Finally, I am using spatial transcriptomics methods on hidradenitis suppurativa and psoriasis skin biopsies to gain a better understanding of these diseases in their native tissue context. 

Rebecca Peters

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Institution: University of Maine and MaineHealth Institute for Research
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: Summary of research: I am a PhD candidate in the University of Maine’s Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering. My thesis work is located at the MaineHealth Institute for Research in the laboratory of Dr. Katherine Motyl. I am interested in understanding how the sympathetic nervous system regulates bone remodeling, specifically through β-adrenergic receptors. Further, my work investigates how these receptors function directly in osteoclasts, independent of osteoblast-mediated mechanisms. With this research, we aim to understand how to best prescribe β-blockers to treat osteoporosis.

Denay Richards

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Institution: Princeton University
Career Level: 4th Year MD/PhD Student
Brief Research Summary: Invasive melanoma is a potentially deadly medical condition, with an incidence of 100,000 new cases in 2021 alone. Melanoma research has mainly focused on melanocyte dysregulation to understand the disease; yet the epidermis is an important microenvironment for healthy melanocytes, which adhere to and communicate with keratinocytes to maintain homeostasis. My project centers on testing the hypothesis that melanocytes and epidermal cells form specialized adhesions important for melanocyte migration and retention within the epidermis, thereby contributing to the suppression of melanoma metastasis.

Lissa Soares

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Institution: SUNY Stony Brook Medicine, Program in Public Health
Career Level: Postdoctoral
Brief Research Summary: I am interested in the combined exposure to dietary toxic contaminants and nutrients in relation to a variety of health effects throughout the life course. This has directed me to investigate cadmium exposure and risk of muscle loss among older adults using data from the two largest prospective US osteoporosis cohort studies (parent grant titled Urine cadmium and risk of fracture and bone loss, R01AR081125). As well as to conduct risk assessments of maternal fish consumption and related exposures to methylmercury and key nutrients available in fish which may mitigate neurotoxicity in the child using data from the NIEHS-funded environmental epidemiologic cohort in Suriname (U2RTW010104 and linked U01TW010087). In my research career I am committed to addressing health disparities in health research, with a global point of view.

Andy Garcia

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Institution: Columbia University
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: My research at the Cellular Engineering Laboratory aims to elucidate the physical and chemical influences on cells and tissues of the knee to develop clinically-relevant functional tissue-engineered solutions for osteoarthritis treatment. My work focuses on developing a method to address the notoriously poor graft-to-host integration of osteochondral allografts and tissue-engineered implants to facilitate clinical translation. I am currently exploring the chondroprotective properties of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) to improve the viability of allografts following implantation. Additionally, I am working to improve the functional properties of engineered cartilage by utilizing laser modulation as well as developing an implantable bioprosthetic scaffold.

Kristin Morgan

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Institution: University of Connecticut
Career Level: Investigator
Brief Research Summary: Although therapeutic small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been shown to mitigate cartilage degeneration, its negative charge makes it difficult to insert into the cartilage matrix. Thus, Dr. Yupeng Chen has developed a novel approach that utilizes a non-covalent Janus base nano-delivery vehicle, Nanopiece (NP), to successfully introduce siRNA into a mouse cartilage matrix.The siRNA halts disease progression which, if left untreated, leads to altered knee loading during gait. The proposed research will use gait analysis and computational modeling to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the NP delivered therapeutic siRNA treatment in reducing detrimental knee loading in mice. 

Nia Myrie

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Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University (Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering)
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: My research is motivated by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a genetic disorder caused by the absence of the functional form of the protein dystrophin. Without the structural support of this protein, DMD patients' experience muscle wasting and weakness. As a result, patients suffer from ambulatory disability and cardiorespiratory failure, the latter of which is a major contributor to premature death. My research objective is to engineer a synthetic hydrogel for localized delivery of muscle stem cells, or satellite cells (MuSCs), to dystrophic diaphragm muscle. The central hypothesis is that the engineered hydrogels can encourage MuSC engraftment and fusion with host myofibers, restore dystrophin to myofibers, and improve dystrophic muscle function.

Olivia Perez

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Institution: Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: I am a medical student at Columbia located in New York City. I received a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience from Swarthmore College. At Columbia, I work in the laboratory of Angela Christiano, Ph.D., where I investigates the role of the intestinal epithelial barrier function in a murine model of alopecia areata, an immune-mediated hair loss disease. I also co-lead a student-run free clinic that provides primary care to undocumented patients in the surrounding community. I am pursuing a career in medicine in which I can address healthcare disparities and serve Spanish-speaking patients.

Keron Rose

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Institution: The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: I am currently a biomedical graduate student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai located in New York City. I am currently conducting his thesis research, “The Elucidation of ADAMTS10 in Skeletal Muscle Differentiation in C2C12 Myoblast Cells”, within the orthopedic research laboratory of Dr. Dirk Hubmacher. Following the completion of my graduate studies, I aspire to become an orthopedic physician-scientist. As a scientist, I plan to actively pursue my own research developments to make valuable contributions to the field. My ultimate goal is to combine these methodologies to treat patients translationally; utilizing my future research discoveries to directly influence patient outcomes through interventions delivered via a bench to bedside approach.

 Alessandro A. Bailetti

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Institution: Stanford University
Career Level: Postdoctoral
Brief Research Summary:Genetics and Genomics are two sides of the same coin and understanding these processes is essential to elucidate the complex mechanisms of differentiation. After studying the roles of genes in hematopoiesis and JAK/STAT signaling in Drosophila at NYU,  I am now at the Oro lab in Stanford University working on understanding the genomics of skin differentiation, cancer and abnormalities. In the Oro lab, my lab mates and I are using bioinformatic and gene editing techniques to understand the role of the genomic architecture in skin differentiation in vitro and in vivo. My current project is involved in studying the long range enhancers that might be associated to cleft lip and clef palate, which affect tens of thousands of children in the US and much more frequent around the world, every year.

Ilva Cabrera

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Institution: University of California, San Diego 
Career Level: Postdoctoral
Brief Research Summary: T-tubules are extensive invaginations of the sarcolemma within the muscle fiber important for power of contraction. Perturbations of the T-tubule network are observed in both human skeletal and heart myopathies. My research is focused on understanding the cellular mechanisms that organize the T-tubule membrane network in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, by leveraging a powerful combination of genetics and microscopy imaging in intact muscle. I am addressing specific membrane trafficking roles for T-tubule dynamics during muscle remodeling. Understanding the T-tubule organization in muscle will help identify key regulators, with the hope of providing future insight of myopathy disease treatment.

Carlos Cruz

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Institution: University of Florida (Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering)
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: My Ph.D. research is centered around how the osteoarthritic joint and nervous system communicate with one another. Specifically, an attempt is underway to better understand the immune implications that result from such nervous system-joint interactions in osteoarthritis. In addition, an interest exists in evaluating novel techniques — such as the application of bioelectronic medicine — in order to more effectively mitigate the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. 

Sabrina Dumas

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Institution:Imbed Biosciences, Inc
Career Level: Investigator
Brief Research Summary: Existing solutions for wound infections include topical antimicrobials, systemic antibiotics, and cover dressings, which are insufficient, cause pain and toxic side effects, and add significant healthcare costs. Microlyte Ag-Ga is based on our flagship product Microlyte Ag, which is an advanced therapy for the treatment of burns, chronic ulcers, gastro-intestinal defects, and soft-tissue repair, that presents metallic and ionic silver on tissue surfaces to combat infection and pain, while also accelerating cell migration. Microlyte Ag-Ga includes gallium which breaks up biofilm where bacteria and fungi hide, thereby allowing the microbicidal effects of silver. My role is to act as assistant research manager on both murine and porcine wound healing studies using Microlyte Ag-Ga to accelerate wound healing.

Xavier Ferrer

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Institution: Columbia University; Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: I work in the Thomopoulos lab in the Columbia University Orthopedics Department studying rotator cuff disease which is the most common cause of shoulder pain in patients. We utilize a rodent model of rotator cuff injury and repair to learn more about how to improve outcomes in rotator cuff repair surgery. Our current project is investigating the utility of a novel drug that targets a pathway important for mineralization at the tendon insertion site. To do this, we sever the supraspinatus tendon at the insertion site, apply the novel drug, and repair the tendon. We then analyze CT scan and histology images, biomechanics data, and gene expression data to determine the drug's effect.  

Andre Francisco Gutierrez Marty

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Institution: Boston University
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: Modeling and understanding the inelastic behavior of cancellous bone to predict vertebral fracture on a patient-specific basis. My research aims to improve diagnosis and treatment of vertebral fractures by studying the mechanical behavior of osteoporotic and healthy bone. Cancellous bone found in vertebrae is prone to fracture and damage when exposed to high loads and large deformations. In these load regimes, the mechanical behavior of cancellous bone is poorly characterized, which limits our ability to make accurate computational predictions of subject-specific vertebral strength and stiffness to inform clinical decisions. My project will evaluate subject-specific candidate models of the mechanical behavior of cancellous bone in predicting the stress state for human vertebrae. The model predictions will be compared to experimental measurements obtained by high-resolution imaging of spinal segments mechanically tested in compression.

Jean L. Fry

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Institution: University of Kentucky
Career Level: Postdoctoral / Investigator
Brief Research Summary: I am a clinical nutritionist with a background in exercise physiology and metabolism, and my overarching career goal is to become an independent scientist with a focus on optimizing nutrition for rehabilitation of common orthopedic injuries. My diversity supplement research project investigates how vitamin D status and vitamin D receptor expression in skeletal muscle affects recovery following an ACL tear and reconstruction surgery.

Astia Innis

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Institution: Columbia University Medical Center
Career Level: Post-Baccalaureate
Brief Research Summary: I received a Bachelor of Arts in June 2020 and am planning on attending medical school in fall 2021. My current research project involves investigating the immunomodulatory properties of adipose derived stem cells (ASCs) in tendon healing. Prior research indicates that a robust inflammatory response is detrimental to tendon healing. In addition, it is shown that ASCs promote an anti-inflammatory response by polarization of macrophages at the injury site. Thus, we seek to determine the mechanism and clinically relevant efficacy of ASCs in modulating the early inflammatory phase of tendon healing. 

Carolina Leite

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Institution: AGelity Biomechanics
Career Level: Postdoctoral
Brief Research Summary: I have a Ph.D. in chemical engineering where the focus of my Ph.D. research was the optimization of batch size scale-up of styrene block copolymers polymerization and synthesis via nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization in a tubular reactor. I am currently working at AGelity Biomechanics as a Process Engineer through a Diversity Supplement to their SBIR Phase II grant. My work at AGelity includes the optimization of the manufacturing process and working with regulatory consultants to understand the next steps in bringing the AGelity Biomechanics implant to market. The challenges I face in this project and the interactions with my colleagues have greatly contributed to my personal and career growth.

Eunice Lozada-Delgado

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Institution: Yale University
Career Level: Postdoctoral
Brief Research Summary: My studies involve the cell interactions between dermal adipocytes and melanoma cells and the molecular mechanisms driving those interactions in the skin. This is important since it has been previously shown by others that fatty acids released by adipocytes are taken up by adjacent melanoma cells promoting their growth. To understand these mechanisms, I use genetic mouse models as well as in vitro cell line models and single-cell sequencing data. 

Ernesto Morfin Montes de Oca

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Institution: University of Washington School of Medicine (Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine)
Career Level: Post-Baccalaureate
Brief Research Summary: I am interested in using zebrafish to understand the biological mechanisms underlying genetic risk for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis has a strong genetic component, however the mechanisms by which genetic variation influences osteoporosis risk are mostly unknown. My research focuses on understanding how genetic variants at a particular genomic region called 7q31.31 (also known as the CPED1-WNT16 locus) influence lifelong bone mineral density (BMD). Zebrafish are a useful model for my study due to their external development, optical transparency, and amenability to rapid-throughput approaches.

Jessica Pierce

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Institution: Emory University
Career Level: Postdoctoral
Brief Research Summary: Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) is a rare, heritable, and currently untreatable disease of the musculoskeletal system characterized by uncontrolled endochondral heterotopic ossification (EHO) in soft tissues following injury or infection. FOP is caused by mutations in the Type 1 BMP receptor ACVR1/ALK2 and modulated by inflammation and innate immune cells—such as macrophages—that contribute to “flares” and EHO. Commensal gut micro- and macrobiota have been shown to regulate inflammatory tone and immune cell recruitment to injury sites, leading us to hypothesize that ablation of the gut microbiome would reduce EHO in FOP mice via reduced inflammation. We utilize various genetic models, stem cell transplantation techniques, flow cytometry, sequencing, and histological analyses to determine whether controlling micro- and macrobiota or their metabolites via nutrition, probiotics, or pharmaceuticals holds the potential to reduce disease severity in FOP.

Sara Grace Radecki

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Institution: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Driskill Graduate Program in Life Sciences 
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology that involves the influx of immune cells into synovium of inflamed, painful joints. This influx is critical in the development and progression of RA, but the specific populations and contributions of antigen-presenting cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) still needs to be elucidated. Thus, using advanced technologies such as flow cytometry and single cell sequencing, my ongoing studies aim to examine transcriptional profiles of infiltrating DCs in the synovium and blood vessels surrounding the joints to characterize each DC population present in RA and determine DC-specific contributions to the disease. I believe this work will be highly relevant in unraveling the complex nature of rheumatic disease pathogenesis and hopefully lead to the identification of novel mechanisms that can be targeted for treating rheumatology patients in the future.

Gina Sanchez

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Institution: Rutgers University
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: Aberrantly regulated B cells produce autoantibodies that contribute to the development of systemic autoimmune diseases, such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. My work focuses on a subset of these B cells known as germinal center (GC) B cells. GC B cells are a unique subset of mature B cells that, upon receiving signals from CD4 T cells within a germinal center, mature into antigen-specific antibody-secreting cells. We found that in lupus-prone mice, GC B cells develop prior to onset of clinical disease, but as lupus progresses, they develop a change in their transcriptional landscape associated with increased autoantibodies. Our work aims to understand the dysregulation of B cells that occurs within the germinal center and how this correlates with development of autoimmunity.

Jaime Santillan

Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Career Level: Postdoctoral
Brief Research Summary:  I received a degree in Physics from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus. I continued graduate education under the mentorship of Dr. Eduardo Nicolau, where I prepared polymeric scaffolds and evaluated the direct implications of physical cues in bone cells. Finally, I received my Ph.D. in Chemical-Physics in July 2020 and have just begun my postdoctoral research under the mentorship of Dr. Lou Soslowsky at the University of Pennsylvania. I am currently investigating new strategies to perform isolation and preserve collagen fibrils (roles of collagen XI and V) obtained from the mouse model before and after injury. I also study the mechanical and morphological properties of collagen fibrils using AFM. 

Brett Steineman

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Institution: Hospital for Special Surgery, Department of Biomechanics
Career Level: Postdoctoral
Brief Research Summary: Meniscal root tears are debilitating injuries that effectively eliminate the ability of menisci to transmit compressive loads into hoop stresses and to protect the articular cartilage of the knee. Differences in tear location, quality of meniscal tissue, and other factors create a challenge for determining the optimal surgical strategy. While many agree that the reduction of the meniscus to the native ‘anatomic’ position is required to restore function, this can be technically challenging to implement. As a result, meniscal root repairs are often reduced in various nonanatomic locations on the tibia, the functional consequences of which are poorly understood. I will be conducting simulations of level walking in cadavers and supplementing these experiments with computational models to quantify changes in contact mechanics and kinematics after anatomic and nonanatomic repairs. By combining the data generated from our approach, we aim to develop new clinical guidelines for the ideal position of meniscal root repairs to restore joint function.

Kayla Seymore

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Institution: University of Delaware
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: In patients with Achilles tendinopathy, it is currently unknown if patient symptoms, tendon morphology, mechanical properties, and calf muscle function relate to how someone loads their Achilles tendon while performing functional activities. Additionally, 40% of patients with Achilles tendinopathy develop pain and symptoms on the contralateral side and the reason for this has not previously been investigated. My doctoral research will address the effects of Achilles tendon injury on lower limb biomechanics. Currently, I'm utilizing ultrasound imaging and motion capture techniques to investigate the relationship between lower limb biomechanics and injury severity, as well as loading patterns associated with injury occurrence on the healthy contralateral limb of patients with Achilles tendinopathy. My long-term research focus is on lower limb soft tissue biomechanics and sport injury, with specific interest in using in vivo medical imaging technology to determine how architectural and material properties of muscle and tendon can be modulated with exercise to reduce musculoskeletal injury risk and/or improve quality of life for both healthy and pathological populations.

Alyssa Torres

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Institution: University of California San Diego
Career Level: Post-Baccalaureate
Brief Research Summary: My research consists of the metabolism of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis. In this disease, fibroblast-like synoviocytes express aggressive phenotypes and invade cartilage, proliferate, and migrate in the synovium. We are looking for potential metabolic targets to manipulate and reduce this aggressive phenotype and thus help reduce symptoms of inflammation and pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. 

Donyell Williams

Institution: UConn School of Medicine
Career Level: Predoctoral
Brief Research Summary: The research project that I am currently working on involves the role of Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2) in the development of enthesopathy using a mouse model. The enthesis is a specialized tissue that allows for a gradual transition between soft tissue and bone, ultimately dissipating the high stress levels found between two dissimilar materials. In this context enthesopathy refers to excessive mineralization, inflammation, or general disorganization of the enthesis.