Trainees

Current SDTP Trainees

Mohamed Hassan, DDS, MSc, PhD

Mohamed Hassan, DDS, MSc, PhD

Mentor: Erica Scheller, DDS, PhD

Project: Mechanisms of accelerated regeneration in neural crest-derived bone.

Taylor Malachowski

Taylor Malachowski

Mentor: Sheila Stewart, PhD

Project:  Understanding the role of senescence in chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy.

Luke O'Connor

Luke O’Connor

Mentor: Deborah Veis, MD, PhD

Project: Abstract: Host-pathogen interactions mediating intracellular S. aureus expansion in osteoclasts.

 

Kaylee O'Donnell

Kaylee O’Donnell

Mentor: Katherine N. Weilbaecher, MD

Project: cAMP-mediated Acid Sensing by Tumor Cells Promotes Immunosuppressive Cytokine Production and Tumor Progression in Bone

Emily Quarato

Emily Quarato

Mentor: Roberta Faccio, PhD

Project: Analysis of bone marrow changes during breast cancer progression.

Nina (Shirley) Tang, PhD

Nina (Shirley) Tang, PhD

Mentor: Farshid Guilak, PhD

Project Title: Intergenerational and Environmental Epigenetic Regulation of Obesity and Osteoarthritis.

Past SDTP Trainees
  • Adam Abraham, PhD  (6/2013 – 12/2015)
    • Mentor: Simon Tang, PhD
    • Project: Detrimental effects of diabetes mellitus on intervertebral disc health
  • Britta Anderson, PhD  (8/2014 – 6/2017)
    • Mentor: Audrey McAlinden, PhD
    • Project: Role of microRNAs in regulating cartilage development and homeostasis
  • Anna Ballard, PhD  (3/2016 – 2/2019)
    • Mentor: Deborah Veis, MD, PhD
    • Project: Molecular and biochemical investigation of the genotype-phenotype correlation in rare osteolytic syndromes, Juvenile Paget’s Disease and Multicentric Carpo-Tarsal Osteolysis
  • Alec Beeve (4/2019 – 3/2022)
    • Mentor: Erica Scheller, DDS, PhD
    • Project: Effects of acute and chronic bioelectric nerve stimulation on bone metabolism: towards a novel osteoanabolic therapy
  • Austin Bell-Hensley
    • Mentor: Audrey McAlinden, PhD (09/2022-06/2023)
    • Project title: Formation of osteochondral tissue using microRNA-guided cartilage progenitor cells
  • Jennifer Brazill, PhD (10/2018 – 9/2021)
    • Mentor: Erica Scheller, DDS, PhD
    • Project: Skeletal innervation and neural regulation of bone modeling in health and diabetes
  • Andre Coello Hernandez (9/1/2023-8/31/2024)
    • Mentor: Matthew Silva, PhD
    • Project: Critical Window for Periosteal Progenitor Cell Proliferation in Atrophic Nonunion Murine Model
  • Ariella Coler-Reilly, Graduate Student (10/2021-09/2022)
    • Mentor: Roberto Civitelli, MD
    • Project: Modulating genes differentially expressed with age in order to ameliorate age-associated decline in musculoskeletal health
  • Corinne Decker, PhD  (7/2011 – 6/2015)
    • Mentor: Roberta Faccio, PhD
    • Project: The role of TMEM178 in osteoclasts and innate immune cells during inflammatory arthritis
  • Jeremy Eekhoff (9/2019 – 8/2021)
    • Mentor: Spencer Lake, PhD
    • Project: Defining the role of elastic fibers in multiscale mechanics of functionally distinct tendons
  • Muhammad Farooq Rai, PhD  (7/2011 – 5/2013)
    • Mentor: Linda Sandell, PhD
    • Project: Articular cartilage regeneration and ear-wound healing in genetic mouse models
  • Gregory Fox (9/2017 – 8/2020)
    • Mentor: Katherine Weilbaecher, MD
    • Project: Role of bone-induced integrin β3 in chemoresistance of skeletal metastasis
  • Nicole Gould, PhD (08/01/22-12/31/2023)
    • Mentor: Matthew Silva, PhD
    • Project title: Examining the contribution of hypertrophic chondrocyte transdifferentiation and proliferation to fracture healing.
  • Katherine Hixon, PhD  (4/2019 – 8/2019)
    • Mentor: Matthew Silva, PhD
    • Project: The development and rescue of an atrophic nonunion model
  • Nilsson Holguin, PhD  (3/2014 – 6/2014)
    • Mentor: Matthew Silva, PhD
    • Project: The role of mechanical forces on β-catenin of aged intervertebral disc health
  • Lindsey Kuehm (11/2023-10/2024)
    • Mentor: Russell K. Pachynski, MD
    • Project Title: Defining the role of and therapeutically modulating chemerin in the prostate bone tumor micro environment.
  • Lisa Lawson, PhD (9/2019 – 8/2021)
    • Mentor: Matthew Silva, PhD
    • Project: Wnt-mediated bone formation in response to mechanical loading
  • Stephen Linderman, MD, PhD  (7/2014 – 2/2016)
    • Mentor: Stavros Thomopoulos, PhD
    • Project: Developmentally guided tissue engineering for enthesis regeneration
  • Sara McBride-Gagyi , PhD  (7/2011 – 1/2014)
    • Mentor: Matthew Silva, PhD
    • Project: Contribution of BMP2 to woven bone formation and accompanying angiogenesis
  • Leila Saleh, PhD (10/2021-09/2022)
    • Mentor: Farshid Guilak, PhD
    • Project: : Designing a smart-cell loaded dynamic drug delivery system for the delivery of biologic therapeutics in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
  • Feini (Sylvia) Qu, VMD, PhD  (1/2018 – 1/2019)
    • Mentor: Farshid Guilak, PhD
    • Project: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Murine Digit Regeneration
  • Philip Roper, PhD (9/2019 – 8/2020)
    • Mentor: Deborah Veis, MD, PhD
    • Project: Determining factors that underlie osteomyelitis-related bone changes
  • Rebecca Reals (9/1/2023-8/31/2024)
    • Mentor: Spencer Lake, PhD
    • Project: Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory treatment strategies for post-traumatic joint contracture
  • Michael Ross, PhD  (9/2015 – 8/2017)
    • Mentor: Katherine Weilbaecher, MD
    • Project: Efficacy of αvβ3 integrin-targeted nanoparticles directed against breast cancer bone metastases
  • Eric Schmidt, PhD  (7/2012 – 7/2015)
    • Mentors: Linda Sandell, PhD and James Cheverud, PhD
    • Project: Genetic architecture of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis in mice
  • Andrea Schwartz, PhD  (7/2011 – 5/2014)
    • Mentor: Stavros Thomopoulos, PhD
    • Project: Physical and biological factors necessary for enthesis mineralization during postnatal development
  • Andrea Schwartz, PhD  (8/2017 – 7/2018)
    • Mentor: Farshid Guilak, PhD
    • Project: The role of Piezo Ion Channels in a murine model of post-traumatic osteoarthritis
  • Sheree Speckman  (12/2015 – 7/2016)
    • Mentor: Gabriel Mbalaviele, PhD
    • Project: The role of NLRP3 inflammasone in osteoclasts
  • Calvin Stephens, PhD  (3/2016 – 4/2016)
    • Mentor: David Curiel, MD, PhD
    • Project: Modified adenovirus for local and systemic delivery of anti-apoptotic factors in mouse model of cartilage damage
  • CuiCui Wang, PhD  (7/2018 – 6/2019)
    • Mentor: Regis O’Keefe, MD, PhD
    • Project: Metabolic reprogramming via lgf1 signaling in cartilage maintenance by the TGFβ pathway
  • Heather Zannit, PhD  (7/2018 – 6/2019)
    • Mentor: Matthew Silva, PhD
    • Project: Osteoblast recruitment and bone formation in aging mice due to mechanical loading
  • Rong Zeng, PhD  (3/2012 – 2/2016)
    • Mentor: Deborah Veis, MD, PhD
    • Project: Determining targets of RelB in the NF-κB signaling pathway in osteoclast function