A multidisciplinary consortium of faculty reside within a large contiguous research facility with extensive shared core resources. In this collaborative environment, faculty, staff, and trainees engage in research programs that are focused on improving the treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal diseases.
Dr. Abraham's research is focused on how musculoskeletal joint structure and function are regulated by inflammatory signaling. I leverage patient-derived tissues, surgical and genetic animal models of human disease, molecular biology, and multi-scale mechanics for applications in exercise adaptation, tendinopathy, osteoarthritis, and intervertebral disc disease.
email: adaabrah@med.umich.edu
Dr. Alford's research program focuses on the ECM protein, thrombospondin-2, which promotes commitment of progenitor cells to the osteoblast lineage, facilitates assembly of bone ECM and contributes to skeletal development and regeneration.
email: aialford@med.umich.edu
Dr. Coleman's research program employs systems level analysis of stem cell chondrogenesis, apply the results of these models to engineer synthetic gene circuits to stabilize stem cell/chondrocyte matrix assembly to engineer functional cartilage tissues, and employ finite element methods to explore strategies to restore joint mechanics to physiologic levels.
email: rhimacol@med.umich.edu
The guiding mission of Dr. Hankenson’s research is to elucidate cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating osteoblastogenesis and bone regeneration.
email: kdhank@med.umich.edu
Dr. Jepsen's laboratory is focused on identifying new ways to diagnose and treat individuals that are at risk of a future fragility fracture.
email: kjepsen@med.umich.edu
Dr. Killians's research focus is on identifying key regulators of musculoskeletal growth that can be leveraged to improve musculoskeletal growth and healing. We study the cell and tissue-scale mechanisms underlying pediatric and young adult orthopedic disorders using micro-computed tomography, histology, molecular and cell biology, transgenic mouse models, and mechanical testing.
email: mlkillia@med.umich.edu
Dr. Kozloff's research interests revolve around musculoskeletal health, bone injury, and repair. The laboratory uses translatable models ranging from exercise and adaptation to rare disorders such as osteogenesis imperfecta with a goal to better understand genetic, hormonal, mechanical, and pharmacologic regulators of bone mass and fragility.
email: kenkoz@umich.edu
Dr. Lang's lab is an interdisciplinary team dedicated to uncovering new insights into musculoskeletal tissue oxygenation and the pivotal role of erythrocyte function & development in musculoskeletal health, injury, and disease. Leveraging this knowledge, we aim to regenerate bone, to restore cartilage and to advance biomaterials.
email: annelang@med.umich.edu
Dr. Maerz’s laboratory is interested in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. By utilizing a variety of translational models and implementing expertise from biomechanics, quantitative imaging, molecular biology, and molecular genetics, Dr. Maerz aims to identify novel avenues for therapeutic intervention after joint injury.
email: tmaerz@med.umich.edu
Dr Zernicke's research is on the Functional adaptation of bone to physiological stimuli (exercise, disuse, diet, and disease); joint injury and post-traumatic osteoarthritis; biomechanical mechanisms underlying control of normal and pathological movements.
Michigan Performance Research Laboratory
email: zernicke@umich.edu
Dr. Goldstein's (who founded the ORL in the 1980's and is now Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan) research has focused on the study of mechanical and biologic regulators of bone formation, regeneration, and adaptation. This work has ranged from studies on embryological bone formation to investigating the consequences of aging on bone integrity and responsiveness. Along with colleagues from multiple disciplines, this research has developed methods of delivering genes to wound sites, promoting "in situ tissue engineering" to treat bone defects, skin ulcers, and ischemic heart disease. Other studies have lead to the development of numerous devices to treat orthopaedic conditions, including surgical instruments and artificial joint components.
More information on Dr. Goldstein's research can be found here
email: stevegld@med.umich.edu