The UCSF Musculoskeletal (MSK) Center unites basic, translational, computational, and clinical musculoskeletal investigators across the research spectrum. We are proud to have the Core Center for Musculoskeletal Biology & Medicine (CCMBM) as an integral component of the center, funded by the NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).

A skeleton for discovery, a skeleton for cures.

Center News & Updates

ATTEND THE 2025 UCSF CCMBM & DEPARTMENT OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY SCIENTIFIC RETREAT

Join us for the 2025 UCSF CCMBM & Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Scientific Retreat, entitled “MSK Science Without Borders: Reducing Health Disparities.” This year’s retreat will feature the groundbreaking efforts of Tin Soldiers Global and the Institute for Global Orthopaedics and Traumatology (IGOT). Dive into a collaborative environment where your work can significantly impact UCSF’s community. Engage with musculoskeletal clinicians and researchers as we strive to design and conduct studies that address global health disparities. Learn how to turn your research into action from our toolkit session. Together, let’s push the boundaries of musculoskeletal science and pioneer new pathways toward a healthier world with fewer disparities.

Registration is required. Remote participation is available by request.

The NIH P30 Core Center for Musculoskeletal Biology and Medicine (CCMBM) and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery invite graduate students, postdocs, and other trainees to participate in this year's Young Investigator Slam Competition and Poster Presentation.

Participation guidelines and FAQ are online. Prizes are available!

Submit your abstract by Friday, February 28, 2025, at 5:00PM PT to be considered. Finalists will be notified by March 7, 2025.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MEMBERS ON THEIR MSK CENTER CCMBM AWARDS

MEET OUR NEWEST MSK CENTER CCMBM MEMBERS

Jessica Bath, DPT, PhD

Assistant Professor

Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science

Petronela Buiga, PhD

Research Scholar

Endocrine Research Unit, NCIRE, SFVAMC

Jennifer Kinder, PT, DPTSc

Associate Professor

Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science

Jonathan Layne, MD

Postdoctoral Scholar

Orthopaedic Surgery

Nadja Maldonado Luna

Graduate Student

Bioengineering

Nandini Singh, PhD

Associate Professor

Anthropology (CSU Sacramento)

Samuel Stephen, PhD

Postdoctoral Scholar

Orthopaedic Surgery

FEATURED MSK RESEARCH PUBLICATION: KARIN WU, MD; PO-HUNG WU, PHD; GALATEIA KAZAKIA, PHD; DENNIS BLACK, PHD; THOMAS LANG, PHD; ANNE SCHAFER, MD

"Skeletal effects of sleeve gastrectomy, by sex and menopausal status and compared to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery"

Figure 2, Panel A: "Change in spine vBMD after gastric bypass (red) and sleeve gastrectomy (blue)."

PUBLISHED NEW RESEARCH? TELL US ABOUT IT!

In an effort to better collect an accurate list of CCMBM member publications, we are asking our members to please alert us to any submitted, accepted, or published manuscripts that either utilized CCMBM funding/core services or resulted from a collaboration with our membership.

Simply complete the our submission form and we will spotlight your publication in a future newsletter and on social media. We are excited to learn about your research!

2024-2025 MSK CENTER CCMBM SEMINAR SERIES

We are excited to host the above upcoming seminars and bring speakers to the UCSF community this 2024-2025 academic year. CCMBM members, including junior investigators, trainees and learners, have priority to meet with visiting faculty speakers. The CCMBM Seminar Committee will provide scheduling details as we near each speaker’s visit. Contact Pui Yee Law if you would like us to consider and invite potential speakers to visit UCSF.

ACCELERATING PRODUCT EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION FOR CLINICAL ADOPTION (APEX)

NIDCR released a concept clearance document last September called Accelerating Product Excellence in Innovation and for Clinical Adoption (APEx). The overall objective is to continue to accelerate preclinical product development through innovation, commercialization, and clinical adoption, with potential extension to diagnostic products or therapeutics beyond tissue regeneration, and/or products outside the dental, oral, and craniofacial complex. 

APEx is meant to extend and expand the infrastructure that was built over the past 7 years as part of the Dental, Oral & Craniofacial Tissue Regeneration Consortium (DOCTRC). As you may know, UCSF has been participating in this consortium as part of C-DOCTOR (Center for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Tissue and Organ Regeneration). C-DOCTOR has built a robust infrastructure for identifying, refining, and accelerating promising tissue regeneration technologies to FDA submissions for human clinical trials (see figure above).

APEx will expand the scope of studies that qualify, to include tissues beyond the dental, oral, and craniofacial complex, and extend to include biosensors, implantable/wearable systems, diagnostics and therapies.   

To prepare for this new submission, C-DOCTOR will be hosting a retreat on April 14-15th at UCLA, and we would like to invite investigators to present technologies that may be included in the proposal. APEx won't support fundamental research, so the concepts should already be at the proof-of-concept stage.

If you are interested, please contact Jeffrey Lotz.

RAP SPRING 2025 CYCLE RFA

JUNIOR INVESTIGATOR GRANT DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

HOST AN OPEN MIKE (MSK INTEGRATED KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE)!

Recognizing the need for collaboration of MSK scientists with experts outside of the MSK field, we are providing support to MSK Center members to host a meal for a creative and enjoyable in-person networking meeting to stimulate these interactions and to further develop new research ideas and plans to fund them. Faculty, staff, and trainees who are MSKC/CCMBM members are encouraged to apply to host an event.

If you are not a member, you may concurrently apply for membership while your Open MIKE application is being reviewed.

Apply via the online application form today! Contact Cristal Yee for questions on this funding opportunity.

UCSF TALKS: AN INFORMAL WEBSITE FOR DISCOVERY SCIENCE SEMINARS

UCSF Talks is a new resource for anyone interested in learning about the latest seminars happening at UCSF. It lists all seminars open to the entire UCSF community including regular seminar series, special seminars, supergroups, and thesis talks. If you would like to receive weekly event listing emails, you can sign up for the USCF Talks Google Group. To add an event to the website, please contact Jon Zhang.