Cross-Collaborative Networking Series and RFA

Cross-Collaborative Networking Series and RFA

Overview

The Brigham Research Institute’s Musculoskeletal Research Center invites applicants to apply for a $20,000 pilot grant to support cross-collaborative projects related to any area of musculoskeletal research.  The purpose of this program is to provide seed funding for projects that will establish one of the following types of interactions:

 

  • A new collaboration between a clinician and researcher at BWH
  • A new collaboration between a junior and senior investigator at BWH
  • A new collaboration between a basic researcher and a clinical/translational researcher at BWH
  • A new collaboration between clinicians/researchers from different departments/divisions/Centers/Institutes at BWH

 

Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis, with ONE $20,000 grant available.

 

Timeline

March 31, 2017 RFA announced at first MSK Cross-Collaborative Networking Session
September 13, 2017 Full Applications Due
October 11, 2017 Awardee(s) notified
November 1, 2017 Funding commences

 

Eligibility

  • All BWH clinicians and researchers with a faculty rank of Instructor and above are invited to apply
  • Individuals may serve as the PI of only one proposal but can be a co-PI on multiple proposals
  • Recipient (PI of the proposal submitted) must remain with a primary appointment or a full time employee at BWH for the duration of the award. Award will otherwise be forfeited in a pro-rated fashion

 

Review Criteria

  • Projects must be scientifically meritorious and aligned with musculoskeletal research
  • Projects should not be merely an extension of ongoing work
  • Projects should create a new collaboration of the types mentioned at the beginning of this RFA

Lisbeth Berrueta, MD, PhD,
Department of Preventive Medicine, Osher Center

Research Offererings

I have a background in Immunology, with experience studying inflammation models in connective tissue in animals and humans. High resolution ultrasound, Tissue culture, Flow cytometry, molecular biology, protein analysis, are among the Technics and resources

Paulette Chandler, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Primary Care

Research Offererings

Biomarker expertise experience in clinical trials metabolomics experience

Research Needs

junior investigator looking for a senior PI to act as a mentor with expertise in wearable medical devices to monitor clinical responses at the cellular level to dietary or supplement interventions ( e.g. improvement in muscle performance, improvement in mitochondrial function in muscle)

Julia Charles, MD, PhD
Instructor, Department of Medicine, Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy

Research Offererings

Expertise in micro-computed tomography to image and analyze bone or other mineralized structures, with a lab-owned and operated ex vivo microCT scanner and access to a SAIL operated in vivo scanner located in the BTM vivarium. Clinical interest in osteoporosis and Paget’s disease of bone.

Research Needs

Looking to connect to other BWH researchers with an interest in bone research and to meet potential collaborators who may not have considered looking at bone in their disease or genetic model of interest.

Huai Chen, MD
Department of Radiology

Research Offererings

Physician scientist with expertise in vascular biology and preclinical models of pulmonary hypertension

Research Needs

Physician scientist looking to establish collaboration with investigators with expertise in skeletal muscle biology to study in preclinical models of pulmonary hypertension.

Helen Christou, MD,
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine,

Research Offererings

Physician scientist with expertise in vascular biology and preclinical models of pulmonary hypertension

Research Needs

Physician scientist looking to establish collaboration with investigators with expertise in skeletal muscle biology to study in preclinical models of pulmonary hypertension.

Jamie Collins, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Research Offererings

I am a biostatistician in the Orthopedic and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research at BWH, working on clinical and health policy research. My research interests include the analysis of multilevel and correlated data, missing data and informative dropout, group based trajectory and latent growth curve models, and risk prediction.

Research Needs

As a biostatistician I am always interested in understanding the analytic needs of the research community. My research on disease progression in osteoarthritis includes analysis of msk imaging data, so identifying researchers with expertise in msk imaging would be beneficial.

Karen Costenbader, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy

Research Offererings

clinical, translational and epidemiologic research on SLE and RA

Research Needs

Collaborators with complementary skill sets, biomarker or genetic expertise

Jeffrey Duryea, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Radiology

Research Offererings

My research focusses on developing software-based methods to measure structures on radiological images. Modalities include MRI, CT, and conventional radiography and I have experience with studies involving both human subjects and animal models. For researchers using medical imaging, I can offer tools to measure any structure visible on a medical image. My work has also specialized in assessing very large numbers of medical images efficiently.

Research Needs

Since I specialize in methodologies, I am seeking collaborators who can help drive the scientific questions and develop compelling hypotheses. These individuals can include clinical researchers as well and basic scientists; I have worked with both. I can probably assist with in any project involving assessing clinical relevant features on medical images.

Joerg Ermann, MD
Instructor, Department of Medicine, Rheumatology, Immunology, Allergy

Research Offererings

mouse models of inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis flow cytometry and other techniques to characterize immune cell function micro CT

Research Needs

collaboration with expert in small animal molecular imaging (MRI, PET) collaboration with expert in multi-color immunofluorescence histology senior PI as mentor for discussion of project development and grant writing strategies

Giorgio Giatsidis, MD
Instructor, Department of Surgery, Plastic Surgery

Research Offererings

Clinical expertise in reconstructive surgery, preclinical expertise in animal models and tissue engineering

Research Needs

Junior translational researcher looking to connect with more basic science experts in nerve and muscle patho-physiology.

Julie Glowacki, PhD
Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Research

Research Offererings

orthopedic pathophysiology, research with human MSCs, non-decalcified histology

Research Needs

Clinician with novel questions about human skeletal pathology

Michael Gurish, PhD
Associate Prof, Department of Medicine, Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy

Research Offererings

Ongoing studies looking at rheumatic disease involve sampling of blood and tissues and analysis by CYTOF, FACS with sorting and sequencing looking for biomarkers and active pathways in disease.

Research Needs

expanding clinical applicability to other tissues and diseases not necessarily focused on RA or Lupus.

Zacharia Isaac, MD
Assistant professor, Department of Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Spine

Research Offererings

Clinical expertise in spine and musculoskeletal care from the physiatrist perspective.

Research Needs

Bone and joint health, osteoarthritis, Chronic pain, spine related pain conditions. The relationship of subchindral bone marrow edema and occult osteoporosis.

Hae Lin Jang, PhD
Instructor, Department of Medicine, Bioengineering

Research Offererings

My research background is related to materials science, nanotechnology, biochemistry, and regenerative medicine to develop innovative biomaterials and biotechnologies for treating incurable diseases. My research is particularly focused on musculoskeletal tissue engineering and currently, I am leading several projects which include 3D printing cell-laden bone and muscle implant in a vascularized manner. I am also the first to develop a facile synthetic method of whitlockite (Ca18Mg2(HPO4)2(PO4)12), which is the second most abundant biomineral in human bone. The related technologies were applied for four patents in Korea, US, Europe, and China, and currently, protected by five international patents. I also created several organic-inorganic hybrid biomaterials for biomedical applications, including cotton-like, drug loadable biodegradable material for wound healing (protected by one patent) and hydroxyapatite (HAP: Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2)-coated polyetheretherketone (PEEK) hybrid material to overcome inertness of PEEK to treat degenerative spine diseases. This technology is transferred to venture company Bioalpha Inc. and protected by two patents). I will actively offer musculoskeletal mimetic biomaterials to potential collaborators, such as bone minerals, 3D printed musculoskeletal tissue-mimetic cell-laden construct, vascularized bone nanocomposite hydrogel implant, etc. In addition, I will be very happy to develop new techniques together with potential collaborators based on my expertise in musculoskeletal organ engineering.

Research Needs

As a bioengineer, I have always enjoyed collaborating with clinicians and bioengineers in different research fields to define chronic problems in the clinic, make creative breakthroughs by multidisciplinary approach, and induce effective clinical translations. I will be very happy to collaborate with clinicians who treat musculoskeletal defects and diseases to develop new idea and conduct high quality research which have impact in both science and clinical application. It will be helpful if collaborator can discuss with me to select the most appropriate defect model to test engineered biomaterials and conduct in vivo test together. My research has mostly focused on bone tissue engineering and thus had close interactions with many Orthopaedic surgeons, but I also like to collaborate with clinicians in different area to develop creative research related to musculoskeletal system. In addition, it will be my great honor if I can find a senior PI who can be my mentor and guide me to become a stable and independent researcher. Previously, during my PhD course, I had wonderful mentor-mentee relationships with Prof. Jae Hyup Lee, M.D., Ph.D., (Professor of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Seoul National University, South Korea) and Prof. Malcolm Snead, D.D.S., Ph.D. (Professor of Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California). I also always have great pleasure to work with M.D., Ph.D. students. Through this Musculoskeletal Cross Collaborative Networking Lunch, I look forward to establish further collaborations that will inspire my research passions and improve research outputs.

Bharti Khurana, MD,
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology

Research Offererings

Imaging interpretation of musculoskeletal disorders

Research Needs

Sacroiliac joint, Spine disc and ligaments, Spine trauma and degeneration, Thoracolumbar fascia, Fractures, Fracture healing, Back pain

Seoyoung Kim, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Pharmacoepidemiology/Rheumatology

Research Offererings

Expertise in epidemiologic/pharmacoepidemiologic methods using large electronic data sources

Research Needs

I am a clinical investigator and interested in working with people in the MSK field for sharing/formulating innovative ideas for important MSK issues

Meryl LeBoff, MD
Professor, Department of Medicine, Medicine, Endocrine

Research Offererings

Resources: Bone density measurements at the spine, hip, forearm, total body according to Dual X-ray Absorptiometry pQCT of the tibia and forearm Whole Body fat and lean tissue measures including VAT Clinical Expertise: Osteoporosis, Calcium Disorders, Metabolic Bone Disease, bone densitometry Bone Density and Body Composition Core Research Vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids and musculoskeletal health

Research Needs

Mentor with expertise in osteoporosis, bone diseases, bone densitometry and body composition measures.

Yvonne Lee, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy

Research Offererings

Clinical researcher with expertise in the recruitment of individuals with rheumatic conditions. I also have experience in the assessment of pain through quantitative sensory testing and validated patient-reported outcomes measures. We assess PROs via the PROMIS Assessment Center and via a smartphone app.

Research Needs

I’m looking for expertise in the objective assessment of sleep via wearable technology, as well as non-pharmacologic methods of improving sleep (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy). I’m also interested in basic science/translational collaborators who have expertise in pain/neural mechanisms.

Alexander Lin, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, Cente for Clinical Spectroscopy

Research Offererings

The Center for Clinical Spectroscopy can provide a non-invasive in vivo means of measuring muscle chemistry in human subjects such as phosphocreatine and ATP that measure muscle energetics and mitochondrial function as well as intramyocellular and extramyocellular lipid measures for measuring muscle fat. We are currently working on developing additional measures such as deoxymyoglobin for intracellular oxygen tension. All of this can be done non-invasively in patient using magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Research Needs

We are researchers looking for clinicians that can utilize these non-invasive measures. Expertise and patient cohorts across a broad range of disorders such as peripheral artery disease, COPD, muscular-skeletal disease, diabetes, obesity, and aging are just some of the areas of interest. We can also be very effective collaborators for drug trials with pharma given the non-invasive nature of our methods.

Bing Lu, MD, DrPH
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Rheumatology, Immunology, Allergy

Research Offererings

1. Biostatistics support, clinical research design 2. Nutritional Epidemiology 3. OA, RA epidemiology

Research Needs

looking for clinician for clinical research, or basic scientists for transformative studies.

Richard Maas, MD, PhD
Professor, Department of Medicine, Genetics

Research Offererings

We have two areas of interest that mat be relevant: 1. We have a robust genomic medicine pipeline that is highly efficient at using whole exome and whole genome sequencing (WES/WGS) and computational genomics to identify disease-causing genes in patients with various myopathies and musculoskeletal disorders. 2. We have identified a mechanosensory cation channel, Piezo2, that is involved in myoblast proliferation and in skeletal muscle mitochondrial function. We have a suite of reagents and both zebrafish and mouse Piezo2 LOF mutants to study the role of Piezo mechanotransduction in skeletal muscle.

Research Needs

1. Looking for any researchers with expertise in skeletal muscle physiology and function, including Ca2+ signaling, mitochondrial function (metabolism and Ca2+ flux), or in biochemical purification of myofiber intracellular organelles (triads, mitos, nuclei). 2. Looking for clinicians with patients with interesting potential monogenic disorders affecting the musculoskeletal system who might be amenable to research WES/WGS for gene discovery (both simplex and multigenerational cases).

Lindsey MacFarlane, MD
Instructor, Department of Medicine, Rheumatology, Immunology, Allergy

Research Offererings

I am a 3rd year Rheumatology Fellow who will be staying on as an Instructor in Medicine as of July 1st. I have a clinical and research interest in osteoarthritis, MSK imaging, and synovitis. I can offer clinical expertise from the rheumatologic standpoint and have recently completed an MPH so am eager to engage in collaboration to expand my epidemiologic experience.

Research Needs

I am particularly interested in synovitis and MSK imaging as it pertains to osteoarthritis. I would be interested in collaboration with MSK radiologists to further explore measuring synovitis and intra-articular damage. I would also be interested in meeting basic scientists to learn how to investigate the role of different cell types in synovitic fluid from patients with osteoarthritis.

Jacob Mandell, MD
Instructor, Department of Radiology, Musculoskeletal

Research Offererings

Techniques – CT image processing Basic statistics Manuscript writing/review

Research Needs

Clinician willing to collaborate – I can facilitate radiology facets of project.

Shuichi Mizuno, PhD,
Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedics

Monty Montano, PhD
Principal Investigator, Department of Medicine

Research Offererings

I am the principal investigator of an NIH-sponsored natural history study to comprehensively evaluate physical function and muscle maintenance in middle-aged individuals with HIV infection on effective therapy compared to middle-aged uninfected individuals.

Research Needs

I am interested in collaborations with investigators focused on muscle and bone biology in the context of aging and chronic disease.

Ronald Neppl, PhD
Instructor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Research Offererings

Resources: mouse models of muscle disorders and conditions (muscular dystrophy, muscle atrophy and muscle hypertrophy), RNA biology expertise (miRNA, lncRNA, ribosome) including expression and functional assessemnts, Northern analysis, gene expression and genetics

Research Needs

1) I am a junior investigator looking for a senior PI to act as a mentor with expertise in metabolism and aging. 2) I am looking for a collaboration(s) with investigators interested in heterocellular communication (i.e. muscle and kidney, or muscle and liver, as examples).

Peter Nigrovic, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy

Research Offererings

My lab has expertise in animal models of arthritis, as well as in vitro studies of myeloid lineages (Mast cells, monocytes, neutrophils) and megakaryocytes. I direct arthritis biorepositories at BWH and at Boston Children’s that could provide of use to others.

Research Needs

We are looking for inflamed tissues (bones, joints, abscesses) for our T cell and neutrophil studies.

Julie Paik, MD
Instructor, Department of Medicine, Renal

Research Offererings

My area of research is in bone and mineral metabolism, more recently on fractures. I have been working on epidemiological studies to understand risk factors for vertebral fracture in particular.

Research Needs

Collaboration with researchers from different departments (e.g. PM&R, Orthopaedic Surgery, Radiology). Junior investigator looking for a senior PI.

Claudio F Perez, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesia

Research Offererings

our lab offers state of the art molecular biology approaches. Specifically we focus on mechanisms of calcium release in skeletal muscle mediated by the ryanodine receptor calcium release channel.

Research Needs

Junior investigator looking for collaborative interactions with researchers specialized on skeletal and cardiac myopathies.

Deepak Rao, MD, PhD
Instructor, Department of Medicine, Rheumatology, Immunology, Allergy

Research Offererings

Experience in translational immunology research including detailed analyses of patients samples (blood, synovial fluid, synovial tissue) by CyTOF, RNA sequencing, functional studies. Expertise in cell sorting as co-director of the BWH Human Immunology Center.

Research Needs

Looking for collaborators with access to joint tissue and/or blood samples who would like to analyze tissues collaboratively using high-dimensional methods.

Nancy Shadick, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy

Research Offererings

clinical research expertise, rheumatology research

Research Needs

offering rheum collaboration

Eric Sheu, MD
Instructor, Department of Surgery

Research Offererings

Animal models of obesity and bariatric surgery with metabolic and immunologic readouts. Human tissue samples from patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

Research Needs

Interested in collaboration to explore the impact of obesity and bariatric surgery on musculoskeletal metabolism.

Su Ryon Shin, PhD
Instructor, Department of Medicine, Renal

Research Offererings

muscle biology, vascular surgeon, stem cell expertise, muscle disease model

Research Needs

expanding clinical applicability to other tissues and diseases not necessarily focused on RA or Lupus.

Jeffrey Sparks, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy

Research Offererings

1. Clinical with special clinical phenotypes, for example patients with CCP-positivity and no RA and musculoskeletal manifestations of sarcoidosis 2. Access to banked biosamples 3. Statistical, study design, and methods expertise in patient-oriented research including case-control studies, GWAS, biomarkers, cohort studies, and clinical trials

Research Needs

1. Further translational research opportunities linking molecular immunophenotyping with clinical outcomes 2. Different disease states to broaden research portfolio

Ali Tamayol, PhD
Instructor, Department of Medicine, Bioengineering

Research Offererings

My research is multidisciplinary and mainly focused on micro and nanoscale transport phenomena and advanced manufacturing strategies mainly for solving key challenges in the areas of musculoskeletal tissue engineering, wound healing, and drug delivery platforms.

Research Needs

I am a junior investigator and I am looking for identify other junior and senior investigators.

Sai Chun Tang, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, Focused Ultrasound

Research Offererings

Wireless power transfer for implantable devices The implant can be battery-less, deep in the body and locomotive. The wireless power transfer method is safe and capable of delivering power more than 40W.

Research Needs

Researcher with expertise in electronic engineering is looking for a clinician who is interested in using implantable devices for treatment or diagnosis. Junior investigator is looking for a senior PI to act as a mentor who is interested in using implantable devices for treatment or diagnosis.

Sara Tedeschi, MD
Instructor, Medicine, Department of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy

Research Offererings

I have a MPH and have conducted a number of clinical research studies, with a focus on epidemiology; thus I can provide significant input on study design. My clinical expertise centers on inflammatory arthritis, and I have access to patients through the BWH Arthritis Center. I completed the USSonar Musculoskeletal Ultrasound training course and am proficient in MSK ultrasound.

Research Needs

I am a junior investigator with strong mentors in clinical epidemiology, and am looking for a mentor or partner in Radiology with experience in dual-energy CT (DECT) imaging, pertinent to a study on CPPD that I am developing. It would be especially useful if that partner had experience with validating radiographic protocols against a gold standard.

Vishal Vaidya, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Renal

Research Offererings

Biomarkers

Research Needs

I am a researcher looking for clinical researcher with banked serum/plasma/urine samples from patients with musculoskeletal disorders (muscular dystrophy or skeletal muscle injury).

Phillip Jason White, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, Focused Ultrasound

Research Offererings

I’ve been working on a non-invasive fasciotomy method for the prophylactic treatment of acute compartment syndrome.

Research Needs

I am a researcher (biomedical engineer) looking for clinical expertise and resources to continue the ongoing study.

Jessica, Whited, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Research Offererings

My laboratory is investigating the molecular mechanisms whereby salamanders can regenerate entire limbs following amputation. We maintain a breeding colony of axolotl salamanders, and we have the ability to perform gene editing, transgenesis, and retroviral infection in this species

Research Needs

We are interested in collaborating with mammalian labs or investigators focused on human patients to understand basic biology across species with relation to tissue healing and regeneration (either individual tissues or complex composites). We are also looking to collaborate with clinicians interested in biomarker discovery and development for tissue healing following traumatic limb injuries (for example, mining secreted factors out of our existing axolotl data and examining their expression in patient serum samples).

Jun Yoshioka, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular

Research Offererings

A mouse model of hear failure to investigate cardiac rehabiliation.

Research Needs

Muscle metabolism analyses.

Paul Yu, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular

Research Offererings

Heterotopic ossification Fibroadipogenic progenitor cells

Research Needs

Seeking collaborations in Exercise physiology Muscle Stem cell biology Inflammation Tendon stem cells

Ann Marie Zavacki, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Endocrinology

Research Offererings

I am a basic researcher that routinely uses cell based and animal models in my investigations, which could benefit a clinical researcher with an interest in moving into these areas. I am also a molecular endocrinologist with expertise in how the endocrine system contributes to both normal physiology and pathophysiology, and could share my expertise in this area with interested collaborators.

Research Needs

I am looking for basic science collaborators with similar interests in muscle regeneration, and fibrosis when this process is impaired, to share ideas and methods. I am also looking for clinicians to interface with that could provide a clinical perspective on how my basic research results would be best applicable to patient care.

Shuanhu Zhou, PhD
Assistant professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery

Research Offererings

Resources/techniques/expertise: human mesenchymal stem cells, osteoblasts, chondrocytes and adipocytes; human bone and cartilage; Vitamin D metabolism assay etc.

Research Needs

Looking researcher(s) with expertise in animal study of tissue engineering, animal models of osteoarthritis, transgenic mice, and scaffolds/material science.