The Washington University Musculoskeletal Research Center (MRC) was established through a partnership between the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases, and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Its mission is to support and expand research on the musculoskeletal system, foster collaborations within its research base, attract investigators from other disciplines to the field, and train the next generation of musculoskeletal investigators.

The MRC occupies the entire 11th floor of the BJC Institute of Health, a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of the Washington University Medical Center campus, facing the greenery and the unique round pool of Hope Plaza. In addition to hosting the laboratories of 17 independent investigators, the MRC also comprises 3 core facilities, 2 conference rooms, a faculty and administrative suite, and open space for meal breaks and rest, thus facilitating interactions among the skeletal biology community at Washington University.

The leadership of the MRC is shared between Roberto Civitelli, MD, Chief of the Division of Bone and Mineral Diseases, and Matthew J. Silva, PhD, Vice-Chair for Research, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the two partnering units.

The MRC integrates the complementary aims of the Core Center for Musculoskeletal Biology and Medicine (P30) and Skeletal Disorders Training Program (T32) programs into a unified structure that allows efficient utilization of the resources and creates synergies between the research and education missions of the center.