Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders

Scientific Symposium/Retreat

Louis J. Soslowsky, PhD

Professor of Orthopaedic Surgeryand Bioengineering

Vice Chair for Research, Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery

PCMD Aims

Enhance and advance research productivity with a focus on tissue injury and repair using small animals through development of:– 3 research core facilities– Pilot and feasibility grant program– Educational, training, and research

enrichment programs

Penn Research Base• Membership

– Established investigators: Current research program

– New investigators: Strong potential to develop research program

• 50 faculty investigators from 5 schools (>100 RSVP’d for today)

• Over $38,000,000 – annual research grant direct costs

Penn Facilities

• Penn ranked highly in NIH funding– >1,000 NIH grants– >$450,000,000 annual NIH funding

• Infrastructure: physical space, common facilities, research cores, centers, and institutes

• High quality investigators• Facilities on a single campus

Center Program Overview

• Promote cooperative interaction• Enrich ongoing research• Promote new research• Research cores, enrichment

programs, and P&F grants• 3 Core Areas with funds available

– Microarray– Structure-Function Biomechanics– Small Animal Imaging

Center Program Overview

• Microarray Core: builds on exisiting Core facility, but would provide dedicated resources for musculoskeletal researchers

• Structure-Function Biomechanics: builds on McKay Orthopaedic Lab facility, but with wider capabilities, expertise, and dedicated resources

• Small Animal Imaging: builds on expertise in Radiology, providing “centralization” and dedicated resources

Admin. Core: Enrichment Program

• Scientific Symposium/Retreat• Seminar Series• Core Open Houses• Roundtable Lunch Discussion Group• Center Website• E-mail Distribution List• Intramural Grant Review Program

Pilot & Feasibility Grant Program

• Eligible Investigators

– Established – departure from previous work in musculoskeletal disorders

– Established – new to research in musculoskeletal disorders

– New investigator – never PI on NIH R01, R29, P01, R55 or similar grant

Pilot & Feasibility Grant Program

• Lead to funding through independent, extramural mechanisms

• Use R03 (small grants) format

Pilot & Feasibility Grant Program

• Christopher S. Chen, MD, PhD: Mechanotransduction in mesenchymal stem cells

• Robert L. Mauck, PhD: Meniscus repair with a novel aligned nanofiber scaffold

• Pedro K. Beredjiklian, MD: The role of hyaluronic acid receptors in tendon healing

Pilot & Feasibility Grant Program

• Pedro K. Beredjiklian, MD: The role of hyaluronic acid receptors in tendon healing (funded by NIH R21)

• Robert J. Pignolo, MD, PhD: Stem cell rescue of the osteoporotic phenotype in a mouse model of accelerated aging

Summary

• NIH/NIAMS Center grant (7/1/06 for 5 years)

• Feedback is critical (my e-mail address is in your books)

• Today’s program….

Thank You

www.med.upenn.edu/pcmd