New Center of Research Translation to Study Osteoarthritis

The following article was written by Sharmila Majumdar, Ph.D., UCSF Professor in Residence; Thomas Link, M.D., Professor in Residence; Richard Souza, Ph.D., UCSF Assistant Professor in Residence; Xiaojuan Li, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Residence; and Robert Smith, UCSF Administrator of Graduate Studies.

Last week UCSF launched a 6.3 million dollar Center of Research Translation to learn more about how to prevent and treat osteoarthritis, the number one cause of disability in older adults. The Co-Principal Investigators of the Center are Sharmila Majumdar, PhD, UCSF Professor in Residence and Vice-Chair of Research in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging and Nancy E. Lane, MD, UC Davis Professor and Director of the Center for Healthy Aging.

Collaborators of the Center participating in the study include dozens of UCSF and UC Davis orthopedic surgeons, rheumatologists, diagnostic imaging scientists, bioengineers, physical therapists, epidemiologists, and biologists. They will use advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques and sophisticated analyses of movement patterns to study cartilage composition in a wide range of individuals – from older adults, who have already developed osteoarthritis, to younger athletes, who are at risk for future cartilage degeneration. Collaborators will also do in-depth analysis of osteoarthritis data gathered through a large national study sponsored by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).

The Center will serve to integrate osteoarthritis research efforts conducted throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and greater region, bringing together new investigators, clinical and basic scientists, and industry leaders to advance the science.