Washington University in St. Louis (WU)
I am fundamentally interested in the complex cellular and molecular interactions that take place during joint homeostasis and disease. We broadly refer to these interactions as ‘crosstalk’. My primary focus is osteoarthritis (OA), a painful, debilitating joint disease that afflicts over half a billion people worldwide. OA is a highly complex disease that affects all the tissues of the joint organ, and we now appreciate its considerable systemic impacts too. Hence why our emphasis on crosstalk is so essential. We are also interested in the links between OA and associated musculoskeletal and metabolic diseases including inflammatory arthritis, bone fracture, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Uncovering key pathways and mediators that govern joint crosstalk will help us to better tailor therapeutic approaches for patients.